Film Review: #TN2026 Defensive Backs

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Inching closer to our new senior rankings, we jump back into the film room to breakdown more college level players. Here we go over five defensive backs that are highly talented with the opportunity to go far on the collegiate playing stage. </h2>   <p></p>   <p><strong>(CB) [player_tooltip player_id='958217' first='Jamyan' last='Theodore'] - Baylor </strong></p>   <p>- Out of all the prospects from our #TN2026 defensive back class, nobody may have as much college upside than Theodore and the great thing about him is that he is still far from a finished product. Standing about 6'0 160 pounds plus, the Red Raiders senior has good height and length along with a frame that can easily pack on 20 pounds or more. He is also an outstanding athlete that moves very well, showing an agile lower base, quick feet and easy moving hips that allows him to develop nicely in college at cover corner. Theodore has the potential to become an excellent cornerback on the Power Four stage along with the possibility of taking his talents to the pro level one day. That's how good I think this guy is and what his future could look like with continued work on the field and in the weight room. </p>   <p>Another strong factor I see on film from this Chattanooga area defender is his instincts. Theodore reads the pass and his player very well. His athleticism and agility allows this guy to drop his hips then quickly attack the ball, where he more times than not either bats the pass away or picks it off. Theodore is a well versed young man that plays a mature brand of football, meaning he understands his assignments. He also shows versatility. If cornerback doesn't work out, Theodore could develop at free safety and be that centerfielder who has a nose for finding the ball. If the Red Raiders defensive back can add more weight over the next year, I could see a scenario where Theodore see's the field early with whoever he signs with and immediately make an impact.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/jamyan_theodore/status/1866109660308066305 </div></figure>    <p>- - - - - </p>   <p><strong>(S/Star) [player_tooltip player_id='856867' first='Craig' last='Tutt'] - Oakland</strong></p>   <p>- Holding 30 plus offers from some of the best programs in the county, Tutt is a highly active, physical competitor that brings versatility to the defense and playmaking abilities that translate well to the college stage. The Patriots senior plays a physical, violent brand of football that defensive coaches would enjoy working with as well as being a guy that brings excellent leadership to the field. This guy is dependable. Tutt is a gamer that shows up each and every week with a great mental approach and the ability to do a variety of things on the football field. He can work in coverage and continue improving in this area but where he stands out the most right now is playing close to the line in run support. Tutt is a sure tackler that gets downhill fast and attacks the ball without hesitation. This is a fearless competitor that enjoys hitting people and making big defensive plays. </p>   <p>Besides being a physical hitter, Tutt is also a good athlete that shows upside with his coverage skills. He fits well playing at boundary, where he can make plays in pass coverage but Tutt does need to continue increasing his speed to remain a true “safety” on the college level. Depending on who he signs with, I could see Tutt playing and fitting into the role of “Star”, which is a guy that does play in coverage but in the middle area between the backers and defensive backs. There are several things about his game that do need continued enhancement but Tutt is a baller that knows how to play football and do so at a high level. His athleticism, leadership and physicality alone gives Tutt a shot at seeing the field early in his career, where he could eventually turn into a multi-year starter.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/RyanCallahan247/status/1849973601207808365 </div></figure>    <p>- - - - - </p>   <p><strong>(S) [player_tooltip player_id='1610490' first='Jaylen' last='Pollard'] - Ravenwood</strong></p>   <p>- Coming off a breakthrough season with his Raptors team, Pollard is one of the best safety prospects we have coming out of the #TN2026 class that is still coming into its own with more levels to his game yet to come. Sporting good size at 6'0 185 pounds, Pollard is a hard hitting, violent attacker that gets downhill quick against the run game but also shows good coverage skills that will only improve as he continues to mature. Pollard comes from a football family, so his knowledge for the game is quite high and you can see that on film. He makes good decisions on the back end where he reads the quarterback well then uses his range and speed to track down the ball and finish with violence. Pollard fits the role of “boundary” well as he does equally good work against the pass and the run. </p>   <p>At this moment in his recruitment, Pollard has picked up several D1 offers but has yet to breakthrough into Power Fout status and I think a reason for that is his overall speed. Don't get it wrong, Pollard can run but if he can enhance his speed and show a quicker first step, I think those elusive Power Four offers will come his way. This is a talented young man that brings steady play and physicality to the field that translates very well to the college game. I do believe this summer in camps, the Raptors defender will show that needed speed to watch his stock soar because the rest of his game is on point, which could allow him to see the field early in his college career.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JPollard_10/status/1905247230740615435 </div></figure>    <p>- - - - - </p>   <p><strong>(S) [player_tooltip player_id='853131' first='Spencer' last='Makuch'] - Bradley Central </strong></p>   <p>- As we head into spring practice and college camp season, Makuch is one of the more under the radar prospects we have from our senior class that shows me Power Four/D1 capabilities that have yet to be uncovered. When you look over his junior film, what you see is an athletic and fast safety that tracks the ball very well. Makuch reads and reacts quickly, finishing with a violent tackle or making a play on the ball with a pass breakup or interception. This guy tends to find himself around the ball on a consistent basis. What plays into that is his outstanding instincts along with a quick first step. Makuch does not hesitate when he reads the pass and attacks with a relentless demeanor. </p>   <p>The attention to detail and his active motor are two other traits I like about this East Tennessee defender. Makuch plays hard each and every snap along with competing hard and fast. He is talented enough to play field or boundary safety in college with his best upside coming in the centerfielder role. The Mustangs senior could probably stand more time in the weight room, adding more size but he's already sitting at 190 pounds with an excellent physique. The major interest or offers have yet to come his way but Makuch fits the bill as a breakout star that could turn some heads in summer camps then proceed to star on the field this Fall season.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/valleyofresult/status/1885371091264164221 </div></figure>    <p>- - - - - </p>   <p><strong>(DB) [player_tooltip player_id='1591253' first='Darrius' last='Baldwin'] - Melrose </strong></p>   <p>- Baldwin returns for his senior year as an experienced guy that got to be a part of a championship appearance team last year, which gave him an idea on what it takes to play for trophies. The Golden Cats senior defensive back is one of the more versatile guys we have in his position group for the #TN2026 class. Baldwin is a good athlete that plays a feisty, physical brand of football. That kind of football attitude speaks to me as an eventual nickelback or boundary safety on the college level. This Memphis area product does show flashes of playing outside at cornerback due to his athleticism and quick reactionary abilities. Baldwin is an instinctual ball player that reads the play well then attacks without hesitation. You can expect this guy to do his job and bring 110% perfect every game and every play. </p>   <p>Another area where Baldwin stands out is with his tackling. He has no problem coming up in run support and sticking his nose on the ball. His willingness to play physically is something that defensive back coaches would love to develop because tackling is all about effort and technique and Baldwin has that. I could see the Melrose defender playing a role on special teams on the collegiate gridiron. One thing that could be holding back the college coaches is his overall size. Baldwin stands about 5'10 and 170 pounds while playing with more instincts than pure speed. He does have the body to pack on more weight, which I think would make him a more appealing option for other secondary positions.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/DarriusBaldwin3/status/1901614174582587552 </div></figure>    <p></p>