NextGen Five-Star Pro Day: Top defensive performers
EMERSON, Ga. - The NextGen Five-Star Pro Day, selected by Rivals was held Wednesday here with many top underclassmen prospects from around the country. Here is a look at the top 10 defensive performers from the big-time event.
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Defensive back was the deepest position group at the camp and Fort was definitely the best of the bunch that day. He has a really solid build for such a young player and it’s going to be interesting to see how he develops as he gets older. Fort has great speed, reaction time, and knows how to play physically when necessary. He can effectively cover his man relying on speed, strength, technique or a combination of all three. Fort had at least one interception and multiple pass break ups at the event and he has the size to be able to match up with pretty much any receiver who comes his way. Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State and Oklahoma are just some of his main contenders right now.
Burgess was one of the players who landed on the stock risers report from the event and rightfully so. At No. 156 in the Rivals250, Burgess has the potential to be a big riser in the next rankings update thanks to his huge frame, quickness off of the line of scrimmage. He does a nice job bending around the edge and keeping his balance through contact. His long arms also help him keep offensive linemen off of him throughout the play. It’s early in his recruitment, but look for Ohio State, and Michigan to remain contenders throughout the process.
Dixson was somebody we were keeping an eye on throughout the drills portion of the event but he really turned it on when 1-on-1s began. Just shy of 6-feet tall, Dixson has a really long arms and great instincts when the ball is in the air. He did a great job getting his hands on the ball and knocked it down many times. He does a good job playing physically with receivers when they come off the line of scrimmage and has a great sense of timing while the receivers are in their route. USC, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio State and Texas are just some of the programs to watch in his recruitment.
There’s no doubt Pickett is an elite athletic talent. Measuring in at 6-foot-4, 180-pounds, Pickett has the tools to match up with any receiver or tight end who comes his way. He plays stronger than he looks with that slender and narrow frame but he has the speed to be able to keep up with receivers on short, intermediate or deep routes. Pickett even took reps as a receiver, and you could see that he has an extra gear to pull away from the opposition or close on the ball while it’s in the air as a defensive back. Oregon, Michigan, and many others figure to be major contenders for the five-star out of Florida before all is said and done.
Jones is already pretty highly ranked but there’s a reason he landed on the stock risers report from the event. A very solid 6-foot-2, 211-pounds, Jones showed off elite athleticism for his size. He had no problem guarding tight ends or running backs from his linebacker position. Jones even lined up against some receivers during 1-on-1s and did a great job there. He has excellent straight line speed, changes direction well, and routinely made plays on the ball. Nebraska looks like a major contender for Jones right now, but programs like Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and others will be pushing for him before the end of the process.
Delane is one of the most consistent players in the country for the 2025 class and it showed at the event on Wednesday. He has excellent footwork, covers a ton of ground, and knows how to play physically with receivers in man coverage. Delane has the speed to cover almost anybody who comes his way, even smaller receivers who he likely won’t be matched up with in man coverage at the next level. He has a really filled out frame and very little body fat. At this point in his recruitment, it looks like USC is picking up momentum, but Alabama, LSU and Ohio State remain top contenders as well.
Just the 2026 prospect, Carey is the name that the recruiting world will become very familiar with in the not-too-distant future. The New York native measured in just shy of 6-foot-4 and more than 280-pounds. He plays with an aggressive streak and he’s very strong for his age. He’ll be an interior defensive lineman at the next level and there’s still plenty of room for him to grow. That should scare offensive linemen who he lines up across from. Carey's quickness off the line of scrimmage combined with his overall strength at this stage put him on track to be one of the highest-ranked defensive linemen in his class. His recruitment is wide open at this point, but he already has offers from the likes of Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Tennessee, and many others.
Miami was smart to prioritize Jiles early in the process because the Hurricane commit had an excellent day on Wednesday and his future looks extremely bright. He has really long arms and has solid size at 5-foot-11. His length really gave receivers and quarterbacks problems throughout the workout and that should be the case throughout the rest of his career. He has solid footwork and did a great job showing his explosiveness when redirecting. Expect Jiles to be one of the big names in the 2026 class as time goes on.
Merritt is such an interesting prospect because he is able to do so much very well along the defensive front. He didn’t have as much success as he’s used to on Wednesday but he showed off his versatility, winning reps at defensive end, defensive tackle, and showing the tools necessary to be able to stand up and play in space. Merritt has a very mature frame but he isn’t the biggest defensive lineman, measuring in around 6-foot-2, 240 pounds. Alabama, Clemson, Florida and Ohio State seem to be doing well with Merritt at this point, but there’s still plenty of time left in his recruitment.
Gilbert has been committed to Ohio State for a very long time but there are so many teams still after him. Standing tall at 6-foot-2, 184-pounds, Gilbert has great length and that really showed in 1-on-1s. He made life difficult for quarterbacks who were trying to fit passes into tight spaces and he's able to cover a ton of ground, making sure receivers weren’t able to create separation. Gilbert didn’t get his hands on the ball as much as he’s used to, but man coverage isn’t exactly where he shines. He is a pure safety who has good instincts, can cover lots of ground, and uses his ability to anticipate passes to create game changing plays.