Breaking down the five best 2024 defensive back classes
The 2024 recruiting class is all wrapped up so it’s time to see which teams won each position. Today we conclude our position-by-position look at the top classes with the defensive backs.
NOTE: College transfers are not included in this list but transfers from within the 2024 class – a situation created by the late coaching changes – will be factored into this series.
CONFERENCE REPORT CARDS: SEC | ACC | Pac-12 | Big Ten | Big 12
POSITIONAL WINNERS: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends | Offensive Linemen | Defensive Linemen | Linebackers
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MORE NSD: Gorney Awards | Recruiters of the Year | Dominic Raiola interview | Five-star David Sanders updates recruitment | Alabama signee Ryan Williams interview | UCF coach Gus Malzahn interview | Big day for the Huskers | Miami coach Mario Cristobal interview | Oregon coach Dan Lanning interview | USC coach Lincoln Riley interview | UGA wins recruiting title | Big Ten recruiting recap | ACC recruiting recap | Pac-12 recruiting recap | SEC recruiting recap | Big 12 recruiting recap | NSD Live – all the news, analysis and interviews | Bussey sticks with A&M | Complete guide to National Signing Day announcements | What to watch on NSD | Five biggest storylines for this week | Four programs in the spotlight | Rivals Roundtable looks toward NSD
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals100
TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer tracker/player ranking (football) | Transfer team ranking (football) | Transfer tracker/player ranking (basketball) | Transfer team ranking (basketball) | Rivals Portal Twitter
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1. GEORGIA
Sheer star power pushed Kirby Smart’s program atop this list. Not only was Ellis Robinson the runaway selection for the top cornerback in the 2024 class, he closed out the rankings as the top defensive prospect in the country regardless of position. It would be a near shock if he didn’t make an immediate impact, even at Georgia that reloads across its defense each year.
The Bulldogs also brought in top-ranked safety KJ Bolden, a signing day flip from Florida State, locking in as versatile a secondary projection as any prospect nationally. Two more top-100 prospects round out the list in Ondre Evans and athlete Demello Jones, who will line up in the secondary to kick off his college career.
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2. ALABAMA
When it comes to volume and the best pure cornerback group, Alabama takes the cake. It’s also the only program beyond Georgia that signed multiple five-star secondary projections, each projected on the outside in Jaylen Mbakwe and Zabien Brown. Those two are contrasts of one another, with the former a pure projection based off of instincts and athletic ability while the latter is a long, battle-tested technician who looks to have among the highest floors at the position.
The rest of the haul has head-turners throughout, too, in the high-upside cornerback Zavier Mincey, physical safety in Peyton Woodyard, do-it-all nickel projection Rydarrius Morgan and play-making legacy talent Dre Kirkpatrick Jr.
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3. TEXAS
A pair of Florida defections in Xavier Filsaime and Wardell Mack solidified one of the more balanced secondary hauls in the class of 2024. An Orlando native who made his name in Texas, Filsaime had a banner 2023 and was elevated to five-star status as a versatile safety projection. Mack has long been considered one of the top cornerbacks in the class with his great frame and polished coverage skill.
Jordon Johnson-Rubell, who just has a nose for the football, could work at safety or nickel down the line and Santana Wilson makes for the third Texas cornerback projection standing 6-foot-1 or better. The group comes in with the type of size needed for the program’s move to the SEC.
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4. FLORIDA STATE
There may not be a clear, experienced safety projection among the quartet brought in by Mike Norvell and company, but there is length, speed, cover and ball skills spread throughout the Seminoles' haul.
Charles Lester is as long and twitchy as any skill projection in the class, with a cornerback ceiling and safety floor going into the collegiate ranks. Cai Bates is a big, intriguing talent on the island improving in steady fashion after coming up as a wide receiver.
Ricky Knight is the technician of the group, though he also has supreme ball skills and production to his name. Jamari Howard is the wildcard, both the longest and potentially the fastest of the bunch, with experience at both corner and safety to date.
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5. OHIO STATE
From the outset of the 2024 cycle, Ohio State’s secondary plan began with landing elite in-state targets Aaron Scott and Bryce West, and the Buckeyes accomplished that early on, never looking back. Each is big, battle-tested and productive against the type of 50-50 plays that make or break red zone and/or move-the-chain moments against marquee opponents.
With the cornerback duo solidified, it sought out depth in Arizona native Miles Lockhart to combine with safety projections Leroy Roker and Jaylen McClain. Roker is the late-bloomer of the bunch, coming up as a basketball prospect as an underclassman, so he could be the addition we look back on years down the line having missed on projecting his ceiling in Columbus.