The regional schedule of the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas has now completed after 12 stops from California to Florida to New Jersey, and many cities in between. Today, we continue our look back at the top performances, position-by-position, with an examination of the top defensive backs.
Ringo staked his claim as the top defensive back of the tour on its first stop, wowing with his size, speed and playmaking ability at his camp stop in Los Angeles. It’s extremely rare for a player built like Ringo to not only be fast enough to play cornerback, but also to have the flexibility to turn and run and use that speed to keep up with wide receivers. Ringo’s ability to do it all is why programs such as Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio State are all jockeying for his services.
The Texas A&M commit made a strong impression at the Houston stop of the tour, showing an ability to cover and a willingness to be physical when needed. Jones is another tall defensive back with good speed and his excellent length helps him knock receivers off balance right from the line of scrimmage.
The Oregon commit is one of the nation’s top safeties and he showed why at the Tampa stop of this year’s tour. Williams has been on the camp circuit since he was in middle school and every time he performs like a veteran. This year, he showed not only the ability cover down the field, but was also impressive in the open-field tackling portion of the event, something that is a valuable skill for a future college safety.
One of the top underclassmen regardless of position at any camp stop this season, Grimes made quite the impression at the Washington, D.C. stop of the tour. The future Rivals100 cornerback impressed with his length and coverage ability and despite the best efforts of his opponents in camp, barely lost a rep. With early offers from Alabama, Clemson, LSU and several others, Grimes will be a national name by this time next year.
5. ANTONIO JOHNSON
Antonio Johnson
Johnson had to wait until the last stop of the series to make his mark but it turned out to be well worth it as he impressed quite a bit at the St. Louis camp. Johnson, a hard-hitting safety on film, showed that he’s also very good in coverage, making several pass deflections and interceptions as the day went along. Missouri, Texas A&M, Iowa and several others are in the mix for Johnson,
