NKY 26s to Watch: DB

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we head deeper into the month of June, the 2025 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, I wanted to take some time to highlight some incoming seniors in specific areas of the state of Kentucky. Over the past week, I have been highlighting incoming seniors at each position in Northern Kentucky. After already covering the offensive side of the ball , I have now turned my attention to the defensive side of the ball. With the defensive line and linebackers already take care of, here are some notable defensive backs to watch in the class of 2026 in Northern Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1175779"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-685318f5eca89"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1175779' first='Kendell' last='Buck-Barber'] is a player who has been on my radar for a while now. He is a versatile defensive back, showing the ability to thrive both in the nickel and at safety. Kendell is very reliable in coverage, showing the ability to read the quarterback then break on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. He finished this past season with a team-high four interceptions in 12 games, returning one of them for a touchdown. Buck-Barber has also shown the ability to provide run support, finishing his junior year with 40 tackles and six tackles for loss. He also made an impact on offense at receiver as a junior, catching 27 passes for 400 yards and seven touchdowns while also scoring one rushing touchdown. Kendell doesn't currently hold any offers but he is a player who college coaches should be paying close attention to this upcoming season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1175778"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-685318f5ecae3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1175778' first='Brayden' last='Lynch'] is another defensive back who has been on my radar for a while now and continued to stand out as a junior. Lynch mainly plays safety but has show the ability to line up at nickel as well. Brayden does a great job of reading the quarterback and flowing through the secondary to put himself in a position to make a play on the ball. When the ball is thrown his way, Lynch has shown impressive ball skills, finishing his junior year with two interceptions in 11 games. He also finished the season with 55 tackles and one tackle for loss, and made an impact on offense, scoring three rushing touchdowns and catching 12 passes for 102 yards. Brayden has received some college interest and I expect his recruitment to continue to heat up this offseason. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1175817"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68531e53d1a70"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1175817' first='Ryker' last='Campbell'] had a breakout season as a junior. He lines up at safety where he is very impressive in pass coverage. Campbell is a true ballhawk in the secondary, showing the ability to read the quarterback then break on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. When the ball is thrown in his area, Campbell has shown very impressive ball skills, coming away with a team-leading eight interceptions in 15 games as a junior, returning two of them for touchdowns. He has also shown the ability to fill the lane and provide support against the run, finishing this past season with a team-high 102 tackles along with two tackles for loss. Ryker also scored three rushing touchdowns, caught two touchdown passes, and returned one kickoff for a touchdown as a junior. Campbell doesn't currently hold any offers but he definitely deserves some attention from college coaches as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1264311"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68531e53d1ad3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My final 2026 defensive back to watch in Northern Kentucky this season is [player_tooltip player_id='1264311' first='Nishawn' last='Golsby']. Golsby is a versatile defensive back who has shown the ability to play both corner and safety. At corner, Golsby is very reliable in man coverage, showing the ability to open up and run with receivers with ease to mirror their routes. When the ball is thrown his way, regardless of where he is playing, Golsby has shown the ability to react with perfect timing to make a play on the ball. He finished this past season with a team-high three interceptions in 10 games. Nishawn also finished his junior year with 25 tackles and made an impact on offense at receiver, catching nine passes for 174 yards and a touchdown. Golsby doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to continue to watch heading into his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->