2027 Rankings Update 4.0: Defensive Backs

As we move closer to the heat of summer, the 2025 high school football offseason is in full swing. With that in mind, we have begun a new round of rankings updates. The most recent class to be updated is the incoming junior class of 2027. After officially releasing these rankings updates, I will now be breaking them down by position. With the offensive side of the ball already being covered, I have now turned my attention to the defensive side of the ball. After already covering the front seven, here are our top defensive backs in the class of 2027 in the state of Kentucky.    [player_tooltip player_id='378835' first='Jordan' last='Haskins'] continued to establish himself as the top defensive back in the state in his class with a strong sophomore season. Haskins lines up at safety where he is very impressive in coverage. He does a great job of reading the quarterback and flowing through the secondary to put himself in a position to make a play. Once the ball is in the air, he breaks with perfect timing and has shown the ability to cover a ton of ground in a hurry to get to the ball. Haskins finished this past season with four interceptions in 12 games. He also finished the year with 80 tackles and one tackle for loss, and made an impact on offense, catching 13 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns while also scoring three rushing touchdowns. Jordan currently holds multiple Power 4 offers and I expect more to come his way heading into his junior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1217741' first='Allen' last='Evans IV'] is another elite defensive back from the 2027 class. He lines up at corner where he locks down his side of the field in man coverage. Evans does a great job of opening up and running with opposing receivers to mirror their routes with ease. When the ball is thrown his way, he breaks across the intended receiver with perfect timing to make a play on the ball, finishing this past season with 11 pass breakups in 15 games. He has also shown the ability to provide run support, finishing his sophomore year with 24 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. Evans currently holds a long list of Power 4 offers and I expect that list to continue to grow over the next couple seasons.     [player_tooltip player_id='1314812' first='Cionne' last='Conn'] is a player who has continued to climb up our rankings over the past couple seasons. He lines up at free safety where he is very reliable against the run. Conn does a great job of reading the play quickly then coming downhill to fill the lane with a sense of urgency. He has shown the ability to fight through blocks with ease on his way to the ball carrier and is a reliable open field tackler once he gets there. Conn finished this past season with 43 tackles and two tackles for loss in 13 games. He is also dependable against the pass, finishing his sophomore year with two interceptions and half a sack. Cionne currently holds offers from UT Martin, Southern Mississippi, and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way as he continues to develop.     [player_tooltip player_id='1596532' first='Elijah' last='Burns-Crump'] stood out to me when breaking down sophomore year film and also caught my attention at our Stock-Up Showcase in Kentucky back in February. He lines up at safety where he is very dependable in pass coverage. Elijah does a great job of flowing through the secondary to put himself in a good position to make a play. When the ball is thrown in his direction, he breaks on it with perfect timing, coming away with two interceptions in 15 games as a sophomore, returning one of them for a touchdown. He has also shown the ability to come downhill and provide run support, finishing last season with 20 tackles and two tackles for loss in 15 games. Elijah currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky and I expect more to come his way over the next two seasons.     To wrap up our top five defensive backs in the class of 2027 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1665340' first='Jalen' last='Dantzler']. Dantzler lines up on the outside at corner where he is very impressive in pass coverage. In zone coverage, he does a great job of dropping into his zone and reading route combinations. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown the ability to break on the ball to make a play, coming away with one interception and multiple pass breakups in six games this past season. He also finished the year with 15 tackles. Dantzler currently holds offers from Miami (OH) and Eastern Kentucky, and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way heading into his junior year.