DB1 in Minnesota’s junior class made a switch from Hopkins to Eden Prairie this offseason and got his junior with the Eagles off to a hot start in Week 1 against Anoka. Xavier Bailey Xavier Bailey 6'0" | 190 lbs | DB Eden Prairie | 2028 State MN helped kickstart what an eventual 36-14 win for Eden Prairie with his first quarter, 92-yard return and TD to even up the score against the Tornadoes. The KOR TD involved Bailey having to run down the kickoff, then cutting left, running into a defender, then four more, then another, then another Tornado defender try to dog pile Bailey but end up bouncing off the junior like he was built out of metal and concrete. Bailey then gets back up to top speed, takes off, and finishes the KOR for six. I’d be surprised if there was a more physically impressive special teams’ play in Minnesota this fall.

Bailey also showed good defensive range from his safety spot, especially in run support, versus Anoka, and vs. Maple Grove, he displayed solid COD ability and transitions in man coverage out of the slot against a Crimson WR working vertically. He played the ball patiently despite not getting his eyes around at the catch point and put a big stick on a Crimson WR at the catch point. Bailey also flew out of his break and put a big collision and lick on the wideout to make him pay for his catch. He’s a consistent 1v1 tackler who also made the game-sealing INT in the endzone on an errant pass.

Versus Edina, Bailey came downhill and made some strong tackles in the hole, also made good undercut on a late out-breaking route by a scrambling QB and WR, and was a good 1v1 tackler in space, both on RBs breaking loose and WRs after the catch.

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Old Classic Lake Conference performer Hopkins has some seriously fun and diverse body types, positional talent, experience, and explosiveness coming back into the 2026 season. The Royals‘ were recently anointed the home of Minnesota’s #1 DB in the 2028 class, and SAF Xavier Bailey Xavier Bailey 6'0" | 190 lbs | DB Eden Prairie | 2028 State MN had a good showing at the second & final PJ Fleck RTB Prospect Camp of the summer on Sunday. Bailey was bendy, fast, loose-hipped, and could transition smoothly during drill work and indy, and he flashed a beautiful, eye-catching one-handed INT during 1v1 competition to highlight his playmaking ability. I also like Bailey’s ability to stay disciplined with his eyes, as well as naturally undercut deeper routes as they develop. He has the speed and quickness to take risks and make plays in man coverage. A busy 2026 Summer Camp SZN traveler and performer, Bailey is going to make all of these reps count in the fall with his Royals. Buy stock now!

Meet your new Minnesota 2028 DB #1, folks! Hopkins High School’s Xavier Bailey Xavier Bailey 6'0" | 190 lbs | DB Eden Prairie | 2028 State MN is a tremendous multi-sport talent for the Royals, whose 6A program is housing a wide variety of athletes in all shapes and sizes. Bailey, a back-to-back PRZMN Showcase standout performer who is loose, fluid, and twitchy in man coverage, has popped off some excellent track times this spring, namely a 11.14, 11.22, and 11.30 100M, as well as an 23.39 200M, backing up some strong showings in person and some eye-catching film from the 2025 season competing against 6A competition.

Bailey displays rangy coverage ability from the defensive secondary and is a productive MOF defender who is able to play 1v1 man coverage effectively out of the slot, something PRZMN has seen very often in-person at our last two showcases. Bailey is patient, loose-hipped, and light on his feet, and he rarely overcommits or gets out of position in man coverage. Bailey can also stick his cleat in the turf, get downhill, and close space on accelerating RBs for physical 1v1 tackles in the hole, as well as change direction, accelerate out of his cuts, and close on ball carriers in a blank. He runs the alley with force and physicality, naturally works to undercut longer passing attempts, and is a good clean up tackler from the third level of the defense. We also like his ball skills and the fact that he is comfortable and effective in 50/50 settings and contested catch situations. Keep an eye on the Royals this summer and fall!

Xavier is another one that finished in our overall top-tier for defensive backs at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase and is a defensive back that got better and better the more reps I watched. He passed the eye test right away at a verified 6’0 186 pounds, that ran a 4.67 40 yard dash on the lasers which is eye-catching by itself. You want to talk about length, Xavier stretched to a 75′ wingspan which by far was the longest out of the defensive back group and also recorded inside the top 5 with a 9’5 broad jump. A skillset that really jumped out at me with Xavier was how poised he was against any route against any defender, as he sloweed routes down early with his overwhelming length and yet had the change of direction for any route scenario that came his way. Surely one on the riser over at Hopkins with still a handful of years to go!

A budding superstar out of Minnesotas 2028 DB class, Xavier Bailey Xavier Bailey 6'0" | 190 lbs | DB Eden Prairie | 2028 State MN is going to be a mainstay at and/or near the top of the charts for the long run. At a verified 6′, 185+ and rocking a 75″ hands, Bailey was an underclassmen starter for 6A Hopkins in 2025, posting 49 tackles (second on the team) and 1 INT, according to MNFootballHub. You can see why he was so successful at such a young age, as he’s extremely athletic, putting on back-to-back top-tier performances at PRZMN showcases, this time backed up by laser technology. Bailey posted a rocket of a 4.67 40, as well as a 4.56 shuttle at December’s showcase, and a 9’5″ broad jump at both events. With the size/athleticism to play D2 football in a couple years, Bailey’s play was up to par as well. Playing 1v1 coverage from your high safety spot, or in an unfamiliar press-man setting, is challenging, but Bailey is impressively fluid, with the body control to shut down in a blink, testing wideouts at every opportunity, and he could break on the ball with noteworthy quickness and effectiveness. Bailey was as productive of a DB as we saw out in the Plymouth Community Center. He’ll make some serious noise this Summer Camp SZN and spring load himself perfectly for some serious recruiting attention as a junior. Well done, Xavier.