Rivals Camp Series: Ranking the defensive backs

The 2024 Rivals Camp Series regional stops are finished and the Rivals Five-Star is on the horizon. We have been taking a position-by-position look at which prospects impressed us the most at the regional events this year.

The defensive backs conclude the eight-day series.

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RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: QB storylines to follow

ROAD TO JACKSONVILLE: Roster | Rivals Five-Star set for Jacksonville

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CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | State

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1. HYLTON STUBBS

The Rivals Camp Series in Miami is always one of the most talented stops of the series and this year was no different. Dozens of talented defensive backs put on excellent performances that day but Stubbs was the best of the bunch.

The USC commit was able to get his hands on the ball a lot thanks to his length and ability to quickly diagnose the receiver’s route. Receivers weren’t able to shake Stubbs so quarterbacks had a really hard time finding openings fit the ball into.

Stubbs will line up as a safety at the next level but clearly has high-end man coverage abilities.

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2. JIREH EDWARDS

Edwards backed up his lofty ranking with a dominant performance at the Rivals Camp Series in Charlotte. The physical safety showed he has the speed to match up with nearly any receiver in man coverage and has a good sense of timing and anticipation.

Edwards did have a number of interceptions on the day thanks to his ability to quickly find the ball when it was in the air. With his size/speed combination, Edwards has the versatile skill set to play a variety of positions in the back half of the defense.

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3. GREGORY THOMAS

At 6-foot-2, Thomas is a difficult matchup for any receiver. At that size and with his track background, Thomas was able to blanket receivers, making sure quarterbacks didn’t have an easy window to throw into.

He has the skill set to excel in press coverage and zone coverage. Thomas breaks on passes well and routinely got his hands on the ball.

Clemson and Florida State are his top contenders.

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4. ERIC WINTERS

Winters was once thought to be a linebacker but he proved that projection wrong with his MVP performance at the Rivals Camp Series in Atlanta. A whopping four interceptions during one-on-ones made it clear the recent Auburn commitment has the speed, instincts, footwork and natural feel to effectively cover in space.

Showing off the way he did after weighing in at more than 200 pounds was awfully impressive.

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5. FAHEEM DELANE

Delane made the trip from Maryland to Atlanta and did not disappoint. The physical safety is known for his devastating hits during the season and that physical style was on display in the camp setting.

That’s not all Delane can do, though. He breaks on passes well, has crisp footwork and shows solid short area quickness for a 6-foot-2 defensive back.

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6. SHAMAR ARNOUX

Receivers in Atlanta could not create separation when Arnoux was lined up against them. The Georgia native has the short area quickness, leaping ability, long arms, and explosiveness to excel in zone coverage.

When playing from depth, Arnoux showed the ability to effectively break on passes thrown in front of him and either force an off-target pass or get his hands on the ball. He also has the footwork to turn and run with receivers if they tried to beat him on a deep route.

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7. DARYUS DIXSON

Dixson was one of the most competitive defensive backs at any Rivals Camp Series event this year. The recent Penn State commit made the trip from California to compete at the Rivals Camp Series in Miami and he made his presence felt.

Measuring in at 6-foot, Dixson was able to handle the bigger receivers who challenged him down the field just as well as he did the shorter receivers who tried to beat him on short and intermediate routes. His long wingspan made it almost impossible for quarterbacks to connect with receivers on routes toward the sideline.

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8. JAYDEN CROWDER

Crowder stood out at the Rivals Camp Series in Los Angeles but not because he is a flashy defensive back. He was consistently in position and forced bad passes from quarterbacks throughout the camp.

Crowder’s long arms and excellent footwork kept receivers from breaking free down the field. His competitiveness during the one-on-one session led to plenty of success and, ultimately, the MVP award.

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9. NASSIR MCCOY

McCoy was very comfortable playing from depth and that led to a very successful outing in Atlanta. The 2026 Rivals250 Peach State product showed excellent patience in coverage and he was consistently in position to make a play on the ball.

When passes were thrown in front of him, McCoy’s explosiveness off his plant foot helped him knock passes down. When he was able to correctly anticipate the pass, McCoy’s sticky fingers allowed him to come up with a few interceptions.

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10. CHASTON SMITH

Smith set the tone at the Rivals Camp Series in Indianapolis early during the position drills portion of camp. His crisp footwork and explosiveness carried over to the one-on-one session as well. Smith was able to knock down plenty of passes and forced a number of bad throws.

His 33-inch arms, which put him in the top 10-percent of defensive backs drafted in the first three rounds since 2019, really gave quarterbacks and receivers fits.

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RIVALS CAMP SERIES REGIONAL COVERAGE