St. Louis Co. 26s to Watch: DB

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we approach the heat of the summer, the 2025 high school football offseason is in full swing. With that in mind, I wanted to take some time to focus on some of the top incoming seniors in Missouri in specific areas of the state, starting with St. Louis County. 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 taken care of, here are some notable defensive backs to keep an eye on in the class of 2026 in St. Louis County!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1129811"],"_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-684745b452326"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1129811' first='Joquez' last='Beck'] is one of the top returning defensive backs in the entire state of Missouri. He has shown a ton of versatility as he has the ability to thrive at both safety and corner. At corner, Beck is very reliable in man coverage, showing the ability to open up and run with receivers to mirror their routes with ease. When lining up at safety, he has shown the ability to read routes then flow through the secondary to put himself in a position to make a play. Beck currently holds multiple Division I offers and I expect more to come his way heading into his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1125478"],"_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-684745b4523c3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1125478' first='Trevon' last='Collard'] is a player who grabbed my attention with a strong junior year. Collard lines up at strong safety where he is very reliable against the run. He does a great job of reading the play then coming downhill in a hurry to fill the lane and make tackles in the open field, finishing this past season with 41 tackles. Trevon has also proven to be reliable in pass coverage, coming away with one interception this past season. He is also a dangerous returned on special teams. Trevon currently holds several Division I offers and I expect that list to continue to grow this summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1130073"],"_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-68474681e630b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1130073' first='Amari' last='Williams'] is another talented member of the De Smet secondary. Williams lines up at safety where he is very dependable in coverage. He does a great job of reading the quarterback and breaking on the ball with perfect timing when it is in the air. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown impressive ball skills, attacking the ball at its highest point. He has also shown the ability to provide support against the run, finishing this past season with 61 tackles. Williams currently holds multiple Division I offers and I expect his recruitment to continue to heat up going into this upcoming season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["691332"],"_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-684748c31937f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='691332' first='Christian' last='Funches'] is a player who jumped onto my radar when breaking down junior year film. He plays in a strong safety/outside linebacker role where he is very impressive against the run. Christian does a great job of reading the play quickly then using his speed to come downhill to make the tackle before the ball carrier can get going. He finished his junior year with 69 tackles and four tackles for loss. Funches has also shown the ability to make plays against the pass, finishing this past season with one sack and three pass breakups. Christian currently holds offers from Lincoln and Minnesota State, and I can see more coming his way as he has the talent to play at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1128426"],"_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-68474a4d6839a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My final notable defensive back to keep an eye on in the class of 2026 in St. Louis County is [player_tooltip player_id='1128426' first='Kameron' last='Hurst']. Hurst lines up on the outside at corner where he is very reliable in zone coverage. He does a great job of reading routes and breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. When the ball is thrown his way, he has shown tremendous ball skills, coming away with five interceptions as a junior. He has also shown the ability to provide run support, finishing last season with 38 tackles. Hurst doesn't currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player who college coaches should have their eyes on this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->