Scouting 2027 Cornerback Class: Stars, Sleepers, and Secrets

The junior season is perhaps the most important year for recruits to put a strong resume on tape for college coaches to see and evaluate their games and the level of prospect they project them to turn into at the next level. In this edition of the series, we take a look at some of the intriguing names to monitor in the state of Tennessee for the 2027 recruiting cycle at the cornerback position.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">SCOUTING THE STARS</h2>    [player_tooltip player_id='1422977' first='Miles' last='Brown'] is a corner with very good size and physicality with active hands that can effectively mirror receivers to take them out of the play with the ball skills and willingness to tackle to round out his game.   He has a strong frame in a 6'0+ frame that will allow him to use his active hands and get pushback at the line of scrimmage and immediately put him in an advantageous spot.   He could improve his initial explosiveness but he has the size and athleticism to stick on the perimeter against outside receivers.   He is a willing tackler that can put his foot in the ground and attack downhill effectively, making him a well-rounded corner for the college level.     [player_tooltip player_id='1260316' first='Loia' last='Valade'] is a corner with good size and length that has won with his footwork, burst, and ball skills over his two years in the top private school classification in the state after coming down from Canada.   He has great footwork on his backpedal that keeps receivers in front of him and his burst out of breaks allows for him to be highly disruptive when targeted, often resulting in pass breakups, deflections, and interceptions.   He can play physical when he needs to and that extends to being a willing tackler against the run.   He has good size, but if he adds an inch to his height over this season, his recruitment will explode. This is a very good prospect.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">SCOUTING THE SLEEPERS</h2>    Romel Koon Jr has seemingly focused his talents in on the corner position this season after transferring in to Brentwood Academy and it looks like it was the right decision as he has good size, athleticism, and burst to play it at a high level as he adds more weight.   He has good length but is very slender currently, although that is something that can be fixed and he is not afraid of contact. As an athlete, he flips his hips well and closes on the ball quickly to make a play, including in run support.   He will be an intriguing prospect to watch as the season progresses and he faces better receivers but he has developed nicely so far this season.     [player_tooltip player_id='904747' first='Dre' last='Otey'] is long, lanky corner with very good size that is a smooth mover with good downhill ability and will be someone to watch now that he has returned from an offseason injury.   He is not the most explosive which might end up resulting in a move to safety, but he has good movement skills with his length and that allows for him to stick with receivers across the field.   He is a willing tackler against the run and can make plays working downhill with his length.   As he adds on more weight, he might have to move to safety but the natural tools of length, coordination, and fluid athleticism are intriguing.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">SCOUTING THE SECRETS</h2>    [player_tooltip player_id='1605749' first='Jordan' last='Darren Djila'] is a versatile defensive back who has the physicality, athleticism, and length to play anywhere in the secondary.   He has a good frame at 5-foot-11, but even better length with at least a 6-foot-6 wingspan and that allows for him to always have a chance to make a play whether against the pass or run.   He is athletic enough to stay right with receivers downfield and physical enough to be used around the line of scrimmage in run support.   With his versatility and physicality, he might translate better as a safety or big nickel, but he has a lot of untapped potential that he can grow into at the next level under a good coaching staff, no matter which spot in the secondary he ends up playing.

The junior season is perhaps the most important year for recruits to put a strong resume on tape for college coaches to see and evaluate their games and the level of prospect they project them to turn into at the next level.

In this edition of the series, we take a look at some of the intriguing names to monitor in the state of Tennessee for the 2027 recruiting cycle at the cornerback position.