Best Defensive Backs - CFI MEGA Showcase

Charlotte Football Insiders (CFI) hosted over 230 players this past Saturday, May 16th, at Ballantyne Ridge High School in Charlotte, NC. Players at all positions played well, and as of this article, 17 players have received offers!     In this article, we will continue with our positional breakdowns, moving on to the defensive backs! This group had some names break out in big ways, and a number of players who will make big impacts on their respective teams this upcoming season!      As we talked about in our MVP article, JT has gotten off to a great start this offseason, playing tight coverage on a variety of good receivers throughout this showcase and showing that physically he's in an impressive place right now. The key for JT will be to keep learning all the different techniques that come with being a top defensive back coverage wise. He has the tools to be one of the best in his class at the position, that is clear to me. He's not afraid to be physical, and I've been told by several people that he's already showing some strong leadership qualities on an overall young West Charlotte football team. The offers and recruiting interest are going to come sooner than later for him, and it will all be well deserved.     Jalen is a player that has shown some real growth this past offseason. His confidence and trust in what he is doing as a defensive back has grown exponentially, it was very clear during the 1 on 1 portion of the showcase against wide receivers that he accepts and welcomes the challenge of being on the island as a cornerback. Jalen does a great job of playing through a receivers hands in one on one situations, most notably in the red zone. I think he's got good speed, and on film he's not afraid to come up in run support and tackle in space. Jalen also picked up an offer from Concord University shortly after the showcase!     Lareun is a talented player who continues to perform well in these showcase settings. He had several impressive pass break-ups during the 1 on 1 period, using a good reach to get his hands on some good throws. He also has some very good speed and footwork - I never saw him beat over the top or in a complete trail position with separation on his reps. I'm a bit surprised he doesn't at least have some recruiting interest coming his way, but consistent performances like this during camp season this summer should generate that for sure.     Austin is another defensive back that I've seen literally grow up over the years and it's really fun to see a player physically develop and show the growth in their technique. In this showcase, that's what I really liked about him. Austin has always had a "next play" mentality, and he doesn't get fazed by giving up a completion or not doing a rep perfectly in a drill. He's going to come back, learn from the mistake, then execute at a high level going forward. Austin has also started to get some recruiting interest and offers coming his way. Currently he has offers from Charleston (WV) and Concord University, and with more good work this summer I can see him adding to this list easily.     Coming into the showcase, a lot of people didn't know about Zoean, but I knew he was an All-Conference player last season, and he's got great physical attributes at the cornerback position. Zoean's length not only allows him to break up passes, it allows him to control a wide receiver's release effectively in press coverage. I watched him live last season make an interception in zone coverage by staying disciplined and trusting his eyes. Going through individual drills at the showcase, that level of focus was definitely present. I'm excited to see what Zoean puts together on film in his senior year.     Something I don't talk a lot about is individual player growth within a showcase, but that's exactly what I wanted to highlight when talking about Tucker. I had a coach share with me that Tucker was very receptive to coaching throughout the showcase, and that he would take the knowledge, apply it directly on the next rep, and be successful because of that. By the end of the showcase, he was a totally different player and excelled playing in man coverage. In his school's scheme, they play a lot of zone, so these opportunities are really important to not only get work at a different skill, but most importantly show college coaches you have some real versatility in your skill set. Tucker definitely did that here, and earned a top performer award for those efforts and talent.     Kevin was intriguing coming into this show as for a couple of different reasons. He didn't have a ton of film from last season due to injury being one reason. Another though was his physical attributes - 6'4 with length and athleticism always attracts interest from college coaches, and Kevin honestly put on a show during the 1 on 1 period in the showcase. It was a real debate on who the defensive back MVP was because Kevin was breaking up multiple passes, showing quick feet and change of direction, and played with a ton of confidence. College coaches in attendance definitely took notice as well, and Kevin earned offers from Johnson C. Smith and Campbell University immediately after the showcase. There will be a lot more to come from him this season!

Charlotte Football Insiders (CFI) hosted over 230 players this past Saturday, May 16th, at Ballantyne Ridge High School in Charlotte, NC. Players at all positions played well, and as of this article, 17 players have received offers!