JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Rivals Five-Star is in the books and now it’s time to conclude the position breakdowns and give thoughts on many of the players who competed at the summer’s biggest event. We break down the top 10 defensive backs.
THIS SERIES: LB analysis | DL analysis | OL analysis | TE analysis | WR analysis | RB analysis | QB analysis
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RIVALS FIVE-STAR: Big 12 impact | SEC impact | Big Ten impact | Defensive commitment predictions | Offensive commitment predictions | Prospects on flip watch | Best one-on-one matchups | Five programs that should be pleased | Gorney Awards | Position MVPs | QBs battle it out | Video recap | Biggest surprises | Prospects that boosted their stock in Jacksonville | Live from the Rivals Five-Star | Shamar Arnoux commits to USC
RIVALS FIVE-STAR MEDIA DAY: Gorney's takeaways | Rumor Mill | LIVE from media day | Inside the Rivals Five-Star | All-Lobby Team | Ranking the strength of commitments | Players predict next commit | Immanuel Iheanacho interview | Shamar Arnoux interview | Winston Watkins Jr. interview | Jaime Ffrench interview | Riley Pettijohn interview | Hylton Stubbs interview | Zelus Hicks interview
BEST OF THE RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Top 10 quarterbacks | Top 10 running backs | Top 10 receivers | Top 10 tight ends | Top 10 defensive linemen | Top 10 linebackers | Top 10 defensive backs
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1. SHAMAR ARNOUX
Arnoux kicked off the event by committing to USC over Auburn and others. Then he went out and answered any questions surrounding his game. He’s got sweet feet which is a must to play high-level cornerback. We didn’t see him hold at all, which is unusual in the camp setting.
The future Trojan was physical at the line of scrimmage. Robinson played the ball very well which was helped by his incredible makeup speed. The Georgia native made the most of his opportunity at Rivals Five-Star.
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2. OMARION ROBINSON
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Robinson has a very solid ranking of No. 121 in the Rivals250. That might not be high enough after he had a phenomenal day at defensive back during Rivals Five-Star.
The four-star from Little Rock (Ark.) Parkview has Oklahoma and Oregon on top of his list. He was not holding but stayed in phase throughout routes, knocked numerous passes away and made smart plays all day. Robinson is at No. 15 at safety for now. It’ll be an easy call to move him up the rankings in the next update.
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3. HYLTON STUBBS
When you are ranked as the third-best safety in the Rivals250 it’s hard to make a case that you should move up. However, Stubbs has a compelling case. He’s a super athletic prospect that can cover a lot of ground on the field. Stubbs covers well and in game action isn’t afraid to strike you. The Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin star also has a great vertical jump and long arms to defend passes.
He decommitted from USC at the end of the event. Local programs Florida and Miami are recruiting him very hard until he makes a new commitment.
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4. CHUCK MCDONALD III
McDonald is a very smooth cornerback prospect that seems to do everything well. The Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout stands at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds so he’s got enough size to defend bigger receivers. But he also has good technique and speed to redirect with smaller, quicker receivers.
He was a standout performer in Jacksonville because he never seemed rattled, and was always in position to play the ball. Alabama is getting a great prospect from across the country to plug into its defense.
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5. ERIC WINTERS
There was a lot of talk earlier in Winters’ high school career that he’d grow into a linebacker. That has been a trend that has worked out with great success but it looks like Winters will stay at safety.
Because of his size, he’s got great power but because he’s athletic, he’s able to patrol the field well. We saw him running with elite wide receivers all day long during the Rivals Five-Star. He made plenty of plays on the ball and we could see him be a playmaking piece of Auburn’s future defense.
