The defensive backs got in a ton of work at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase in Sioux Falls on Saturday at Augustana, and one of our top-tier defensive backs from our winter showcase in Aberdeen, Sioux Falls Jefferson’s Mason Leno Mason Leno 5'10" | 155 lbs | DB Jefferson | 2029 State SD , showed where he’s grown his skillsets since then. I have to start with two things that popped out outside of drills. The character and coachability of this young man is excellent for his age, as you could tell early and often Mason relished every opportunity he had from an attention to detail perspective. Yes, we noted the size he’s put on since spring, but where Mason grew the most in my eyes, came down to his footwork as he was quick to learn and grasp new concepts from the college coaches with quick ease. There’s surely a high bar from where Mason is now, to wear he will be with three more years of high school football under his belt with the Cavaliers.

Mason is a defensive back that stood out a ton at our spring showcase in Aberdeen, as one of the only 2029 defensive backs that made our top performers group in the end and I cannot wait to see how much he’s grown since then with the work he has put in this offseason. Sioux Falls Jefferson has already become a hotbed for defensive backs in my eyes and although Mason might be undersized at the moment, he plays with a great presence as a corner that thrives in press-man and has great instincts for his age. I’ll be intrigued to see how proficent he is with his ball-tracking on all three levels as a defensive back that surely could be in the running again for top DB on Saturday at Augustana.

We’ve had a few freshmen in our top performers at other positions, but Mason Leno Mason Leno 5'10" | 155 lbs | DB Jefferson | 2029 State SD of Sioux Falls Jefferson is the first one that I recall the defensive back position in our over four years of doing showcases in the Dakotas. He’s very instinctive for his age and that showed off on Sunday, as Mason really impressed me with his attention to detail thru coaching as it was well-noted when watching his footwork as I felt he was unphased by more sizable competition. He also was one that knew how to establish position with his ball-tracking ability as certainly one that now has tape, could be in our top-tier amongst defensive backs in our 2029 SD class that the live eval certainly did the justice.