Junior DB’s on the Rise Heading into 2025: Part II

Santino Bernal December 30, 2024 @ 12:10 PM

By now it's no secret the DB group from the Class of '26 has loads of talent. Five 6A prospects were featured in the previous report, but there were several more that also received All-State recognition from their respective classification levels.   A good portion of the players will sound familiar as they currently reside in our rankings. There are however plenty of unranked prospects waiting to be discovered. This next group of five includes three that should receive strong consideration for the next class update, and there's two ranked DB's from the United Kansas Conference that deserve a higher rank after their performance this past fall.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 5A</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='1591265' first='Blake' last='Jay'] – Mill Valley, 6'0”, 170, Unranked   The first unranked prospect of this group hails from 5A powerhouse Mill Valley. Jay stepped up during his junior year and became a key piece to the Jaguars' secondary. He led Mill Valley with five pass breakups and collected 43 total tackles and one interception. In addition to his solid play at corner, Jay also accumulated 560 all-purpose yards and six total touchdowns. Safe to say he's a versatile athlete, and it's likely his role will expand in 2025.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113445' first='Nate' last='Martin'] – Basehor-Linwood, 6'0”, 170   Our staff mentioned Martin would be a prospect to look out for during the '24 campaign, and he lived up to that hype. In his second season starting for Basehor, Martin emerged as a 1st Team All-League DB and received a 5A All-State Honorable Mention nod. Martin was much more impactful compared to his sophomore season, as he racked up 54 total tackles, two interceptions, two pass breakups, and three blocks on special teams. The junior also averaged just over 35 yards per return on KOR.   [player_tooltip player_id='1260097' first='DyVair' last='McCray'] – Leavenworth, 5'11”, 185   McCray was another ranked prospect our staff was excited about this season. He showed a lot of promise in 2023, but he took things to another level as a junior. Much like Martin, McCray also earned a 1st Team All-League selection, and was recognized as a 2nd Team All-League return man. He did a little bit of everything for the Pioneers during his junior year. However, safety is where he truly excelled. McCray piled up 53 total tackles, four tackles for loss, five pass breakups, and three interceptions. With a strong offseason, McCray could receive quite a bit of interest from recruiters.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 4A</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='1591267' first='Jacob' last='DeRouchey'] – Wamego, 5'11”, 160, Unranked   DeRouchey posssess a lot of traits that defensive coaches at the next level look for in a safety. He displays great closing speed, runs the alley with no hesitation, sees the field well, and is a sure tackler. These aspects of his game are why he received 1st Team All-League honors and a 4A All-State Honorable Mention nod. His final numbers from the 2024 season were 62 total tackles, five tackles for loss, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Folks do not want to sleep on him during the 2025 season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1591270' first='Julian' last='Meraz'] – Ulysses, 5'9”, 150, Unranked   This two-part look at DB's from the Class of '26 concludes with Meraz of Ulysses. Most folks may not know, but Meraz quietly finished the '24 campaign as one of the interception leaders in Class 4A and from the Class of '26. He ended his junior year with five interceptions, one pick six, and 32 total tackles. Meraz is an underrated corner that does a great job of tracking the ball and high-pointing it in the air. It'll be interesting to see if he can build on his success during his senior year.

By now it's no secret the DB group from the Class of '26 has loads of talent. Five 6A prospects were featured in the previous report, but there were several more that also received All-State recognition from their respective classification levels.