2027 Rankings Update: DBs Disrupting the Offensive Flow

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Editor's note:</em></strong><em> Prep RedZone's Spring Rankings Update window means savings for you. Throughout the entirety of the cycle, you can save 40% off an annual or two-year subscription by using the offer code “Guerin40” at checkout. This will unlock all rankings and subsequent content at the discounted rate. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/subscribe">Get in the game here.</a>&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The backside of defenses around the state are in very good hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shut down corners.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Big-hitting strong safeties.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Free safeties defending the skies.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Carolina has them all in droves. Of the 500 players included in the updated Prep RedZone Class of 2027 rankings, 57 seven of them are defensive backs. And that doesn't even include a large number of standouts to have enough additional duties to qualify them under the Athlete tag.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's jump right into the group as a whole before highlighting a few different tiers of state's top players at the position.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/position-ranking-table {"name":"acf/position-ranking-table","data":{"class":"2027","_class":"field_65cfb7374abb9","position":"2495","_position":"field_65cfbfcb19ad6","national_rankings":"0","_national_rankings":"field_660c1d73c0e49","state":"2451","_state":"field_65cfb88a603fe"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69e61a0c748bf"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>BREAKING DOWN THE TOP 5</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1283361' first='Jaylon' last='Richardson'] Northwestern</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When Richardson flashed into the backfield to cause a safety in one of Northwestern's biggest games of the regular season (against Indian Land) it was another clue that the corner was showing us just how much his game has continued to evolve. He's going to enter his final year of high school ball with four career picks, 77 tackles and 17 broken-up passes. The bulk of those numbers came during the Trojans' 2025 state title run.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422592' first='Caleb' last='Pinkney']</strong> River Bluff</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Also an accomplished kick returner, Pinkney was maybe the guy on the River Bluff defense who opposing coordinators chose to avoid. Don't believe us? After a standout sophomore year in which he picked off seven passes, Pinkney only had one as a junior. It wasn't because he forgot how to play corner. In fact, his one pick from 2025 wasn't even thrown to the man he was covering. That ability to cut down the yardage is a boon to the entire defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1422601' first='Wytrayvious' last='Dugar']</strong> Strom Thurmond</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dugar's state championship ring from last fall is going to feel good for a very long time. The Rebels' rising senior safety was dynamic during the run, finishing the season with 87 tackles, six tackles for loss, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. More important than his numbers, though, was the stabilizing quality he brought. Despite starting most plays as the last line of defense, his field vision often had him leapfrogging teammates to make a play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604012' first='Jamar' last='Grissett']</strong> Irmo</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We didn't jack Grissett up the rankings 51 spots for nothing. As a junior, he added some serious flair to the Yellow Jackets' defense by putting up seven interceptions and two forced fumbles. He also broke up five additional passes and blocked a pair of field goals. And let's not forget about his 66 tackles, either. Grissett has a nasty streak when he needs to, and the combination of that and his ball skills when it's in the air are putting him into the elite category.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1054957' first='Gray' last='Kitchings']</strong> Aiken&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After initially joining our rankings as a defensive back at the end of his freshman year of high school, Kitchings is now posting up as Aiken's Kodiak, their version of the hybrid strong safety-linebacker spot. It works for both sides, as Kitchings is extremely versatile. He's an established run stopper with three years of experience, and now he's added even more back-side work, evidenced by a pair of interceptions (and a fumble recovery) from last fall.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/23078475/695eaf42e1383701c227bee9' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69e61a0c74adb"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>READY FOR A RISE</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1824733' first='James' last='Smith']</strong> Dutch Fork</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For as much noise as the Silver Foxes have made in the transfer window this spring, Smith was a relatively quiet addition after making the jump from nearby White Knoll. However, he might also be considered one of the biggest locks as a plug-and-play option. The two defenses are extremely similar to each other (for obvious reasons) and Smith has the type of athleticism that'll work just fine up the road.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1821286' first='Tyler' last='Robinson']</strong> Catawba Ridge</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing opposite a top-flight corner last year after transferring from Nation Ford, Robinson knew he was going to get picked on quite a bit. And, yet, teams absent the name Northwestern didn't exactly have a ton of success through the air. Robinson proved why he already possessed a DI offer before arrive at Catawba Ridge and has kept a steady interest level since.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1664620' first='Gavin' last='Elliott']</strong> Gilbert&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elliott's durability and production are primed to lead to a significant jump as a senior. The 5-foot-10, 170 pound nickel back had 95 tackles, eight tackles for loss, a pair of interceptions and a pair of sacks last fall, when the Indians won six games, the last of which on the road in the playoffs. Moving forward, he's one of the undisputed leaders of this defense.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820911' first='Johnquis' last='Johnson']</strong> South Florence&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson's first season on the Bruins' varsity squad included some nice signs for the future. He put up 30 tackles, one interception and five pass break-ups as a junior, and he did most of that while being stationed on the far outside of the field. His jump into the rankings realm stemmed from how he peaked in the playoffs, where he recorded all of those PBUs and the pick.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/22839430/68cec056ab2f611abc6de6b1' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69e61a0c74b0e"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>SLEEPERS NO MORE&nbsp;</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1667977' first='Aidyn' last='Wiggins']</strong> Byrnes (pictured) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wiggins's debut in our rankings wouldn't have been where it was unless we simultaneously believed he could continue to move up in future cycles. He's rangy and long and quick, and he packages his athletic abilities with a high-end field awareness. He's often at his best when chaos ensues. He helps his own cause by preventing the initial offensive plan from working anyway.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1820994' first='Carter' last='Hawkins']</strong> Timberland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The roll Hawkins started back in the fall has continued right on throughout this part of the offseason and isn't likely to let up any time soon. After picking off four passes and finishing with north of 50 tackles as a junior, the safety (and receiver) has earned two DI offers, set a school record in track (triple jump) and won the top vertical at the Carolinas Coaches Combines&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2163707' first='Brannon' last='Williams']</strong> AC Flora</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's hard to say exactly how Williams will be used under what's amounting to a large overhaul of the coaching staff. But we can say that he'll be ready for whatever assignment he draws. As Flora's rover last year, Williams did it all: Run support, single-man coverage, deep safety looks and some pretty decent numbers to boot. He finished with 70 total stops and 10 tackles for loss.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1819952' first='Jordan' last='Logan']</strong> Orangeburg-Wilkinson&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Speaking of versatility, the type Logan possesses pushes him near the top of the defensive side of the ball for the Bruins in 2026. His 71 tackles and two picks from his junior year will almost assuredly pale in comparison to what he does as a senior, if for no other reason than he's going to have even more chances to produce. He can line up pretty much anywhere other than the line and get exactly where he need to be.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/23088748/69723c2282317f1e14979579' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69e61a0c74b36"} /-->