2026 Rankings Update: Breaking Down The Defensive Backs

Instinctive, fast, physical.   Those are some of the things that come to mind when you think of the Class of 2026 defensive backs that are ranked in the August cycle.   When we went back and looked at the top half, at least six have already committed to a Power Four or Ivy League school – three of them plan to stay close to home here in the Carolinas.   The defensive backs in this class can cover down field and make life hard for opposing quarterbacks, and come up in run support to make tackles. They have excellent size for their position and it's been fun to watch their growth over the last two to three years.   Some of the guys in the 2026 class will help grow the groups coming behind them, and they will be a part of a huge supporting cast of younger stars who are starting to figure things out on the back end this fall.   And others are versatile to where they can line up on the offensive side of the ball and make plays for their team that way.    They can hustle to the ball and prevent scores and make a difference on special teams, and are impressive block shedders in space.   Here's a look at an impressive secondary cast that will look to leave their mark in their final season.    RANKINGS BUSTERS   [player_tooltip player_id='1592609' first='Azel' last='Banag'] | AC Flora   Banag has excellent eye discipline and can recognize routes quickly to get in and make interceptions for his team. He can also get yards after the play, which helps set his offense up. Don't be surprised if he gets in at receiver as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='816748' first='Isaac' last='Smalls'] | Beaufort   The first thing we noticed when turning on the film is Smalls flies down hill into the box to make tackles against the run. That physicality matters when it comes to ripping the ball out, which he did several times in 2024, and we expect that to continue in 2025. He also played some running back last year, and it will be interesting to see if that trend continues.   [player_tooltip player_id='1676737' first='Asher' last='Littlejohn'] | Broome   Littlejohn tracks the ball well and doesn't allow receivers to get behind him. He has great size and keeps his eyes in the right place. One thing that stood out when watching his film is his ability to make acrobatic interceptions.   [player_tooltip player_id='1165145' first='Clayton' last='Folse'] | West Florence   Folse can play close to the line of scrimmage, out in zone coverage and cover the flats in man coverage. Simply put, he's a do-it-all kind of guy for the Knights. He's physical at the point of attack against opposing ball carriers and there were plenty of pass breakups when we went back and watched his film. The All-Region selection from 2024 finished with 52 solo tackles and 11 TFLs.    [player_tooltip player_id='402489' first='Davon' last='Toney'] | Gray Collegiate   An aggressive, hard hitting corner who can knock opposing receivers off of their routes. That's one way to describe the play of Toney. There were several times on his film where he was able to get his hand in there and tip the ball in the air. We have a feeling a few of those could turn into interceptions in 2025.    [player_tooltip player_id='1267265' first='Amare' last='Reaves'] | South Florence   Reeves is versatile where he can line up on special teams and make plays, or he can line up at his defensive back spot and make plays. He is instinctive in being able to recognize a route and make tackles. An example of this was last year against the now defending 5A state champion Northwestern where the Trojans ran a screen and he got off the block so quickly, that the receiver was not able to get any yards after the catch. He can come up in run support and tip balls in the air as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267315' first='Jayden' last='Jenkins'] | Palmetto   Here's another guy who can shed blocks quickly and get into the backfield and make tackles in the run game. But don't discount his ability to stick it to receivers in man-to-man coverage. His speed in the open field was fun to watch on his film. He made one pick where he had to extend and stretch out to make the play near the sideline that was impressive.   [player_tooltip player_id='797612' first='Jarell' last='Turner'] | Richland Northeast   Turner has excellent ball skills to where he can move around well in coverage and make plays on the ball. He has good speed and size on the outside to be able to match up well with opposing wide receivers. And he's also a hard hitter once he recognizes the routes. We expect him to be a leader for the Cavaliers this fall.   SMALL SCHOOL PLAYER TO WATCH   [player_tooltip player_id='1732610' first='Julius' last='McCrea'] | Carvers Bay   McCrea could be on pace for a huge senior year for the Bears. He excels at making plays in space, particularly near the sideline with his ability to break up passes. He can also get out in man coverage and not allow the receiver to get inside without interfering. He's also an impact player on special teams in being able to run down opposing ball carriers and stay in his lane. He hustles to the ball and can read the quarterback's eyes well.   FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1267332' first='CJ' last='Wherry'] | South Pointe   Wherry is an aggressive, hard hitting defensive back who knows how to patrol the middle part of the field. The thing that was most impressive was his ability to take solid angles to the ball and come up and make tackles in space. He's a difference maker on special teams with his ability to block kicks as well.    WILD CARD   [player_tooltip player_id='1395038' first='Brysen' last='Conner'] | Indian Land   Conner (pictured above) is unique because he can line up and make plays at defensive back, yes. But he can also line up at wide receiver and catch passes and be wide open, like on a trick play we saw watching his film. That versatility benefits him at defensive back with his ability to play solid man-to-man coverage and make tackles before the receiver can get going.

Instinctive, fast, physical.