2030 DBs to Pay Close Attention to This Fall

<p>The defensive backs are a position group that I couldn't be more excited about entering the season. I was lucky enough to see a few of them in action at the Next Combine earlier on in the offseason and let me tell you, these are some of the best athletes the NJ 2030 class has to offer. A few of the DBs in the class have a legitimate chance of receiving national attention by seasons end.</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1590596' first='Brice' last='Johnson'] has one of the highest ceilings of the 2030 defenders I will be covering in these next few articles. One of the top CBs from the combine series earlier this year, Brice caught the attention of all the scouts and coaches in attendance.</p>   <p>A future star in the secondary, Brice impressed us in the winter with his quick reaction time and silky smooth hip movement that he demonstrated in the live drills against the receivers. Brice was able to stay toe to toe with the receivers down field, and he especially did a good job when they broke on their routes. You'd often see Brice beat the wide receiver back towards the line to swat the ball away. Brice is a DB that gives quarterbacks a very small window to find success.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DMddiXrydF2/?img_index=2 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">I will cut straight to the point, [player_tooltip player_id='1396263' first='Haiden' last='Redman'] will be the #1 DB in the NJ 2030 class. There is not a doubt in my mind that high school and college coaches would agree if they see Haiden in action. </p>   <p>Haiden won MVP honors early in the offseason at the Next Combine, and that included the 2029 class defenders. Haiden dazzled on the field with elite footwork, agility, and exceptional change of direction capabilities. Haiden was never out of position and consistently anticipated the throw and reacted accordingly. In my view, Haiden is not only the top DB in the class, but quite possibly the top defender as well. Pay close attention to what he does in 25-26.</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/Haiden_____/status/1908566614141784076 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">There is one word to descibe Ja'zi; <em>explosive.</em> Regardless of where he lines up or which side of the ball you find him, Ja'zi's twitchiness comes through at full force. Ja'zi's highlights from a year ago gives a great sense of the player you are getting in the secondary. With elite body control and awareness in space Ja'zi showed he has the ability to make quick adjustments on the fly to bat the ball down or come down with it himself.</p>   <p>Speed in change of direction is a must to be a true lockdown DB, and that's exactly what Ja'zi has. With the ability to stop on a dime and react in a moment's notice, Ja'zi can beat the wideout back to the ball to make a play on it. He is not only one of the top DBs in the NJ 2030 class, but arguably one of the top overall talents as well.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DCpFGwjpWQs/ </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1506548' first='Shawn' last='Graham'] has built some buzz within the Prep Redzone Next community. A versatile defender that has the capabilities to lineup anywhere in the secondary, Shawn really showed promise in 2024 at the cornerback position. </p>   <p>Shawn has that dog mentality and doesn't back down from a challenge, often finding himself lined up against the opponent's best receiver. While Shawn was a smaller DB in 2024, there's is plenty of time for him to grow into his frame and develop into one of the top defenders in the state. </p>

The defensive backs are a position group that I couldn't be more excited about entering the season. I was lucky enough to see a few of them in action at the Next Combine earlier on in the offseason and let me tell you, these are some of the best athletes the NJ 2030 class has to offer. A few of the DBs in the class have a legitimate chance of receiving national attention by seasons end.