Rivals Rankings Week: Breaking down the 2024 DBs

With the updated Rivals250 being unveiled Tuesday, it's now time to dive into the position rankings. The defensive position rankings are being released today and up next are the defensive backs.

NEW POSITION RANKINGS: Cornerback | Safety | Inside linebacker | Outside linebacker | Strongside DE | Weakside DE | Defensive tackle | Offensive tackle | Offensive guard | Center | Tight end | Wide receiver | Running back | All-purpose RB | Pro-style QB | Dual-threat QB

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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Sunday: Who should be No. 1?

Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Meet the new five-stars

Tuesday: Rivals250 revealed | Biggest risers | Gorney's position-by-position

Wednesday: Offensive position rankings revealed | Teams that should be pleased | Recruiting update on top 25 players | QB rankings spotlight | RB rankings spotlight | WR/TE rankings spotlight | OL rankings spotlight

Thursday: Defensive position rankings revealed | Will there be another five-star QB? | DL rankings spotlight | LB rankings spotlight

Friday: State rankings revealed

Ricks retains his top spot once again and continues to remain the lone five-star defensive back in the 2024 class. Had Dylan Raiola not separated himself from the pack of quarterbacks since our last rankings release, Ricks would likely be the No. 1 prospect and he will continue to make his case for being so moving forward.

Ricks is a special player in many ways but it is his combination of size and athleticism that makes him one of the nation's top defensive back recruits regardless of class. He is fast and physical with impressive hip mobility and the dog factor to match his skill-set.

Alabama was considered an early leader in Ricks' recruitment and should remain a top contender for his pledge, but Florida is another team to keep a close eye on as the Gators along with their defensive backs coach Corey Raymond have been gaining plenty of ground with the five-star corner. Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Miami, Jackson State, USC, Ohio State, LSU and Oregon are the other programs that made Ricks top 10.

Alabama is always in the mix for top defensive back recruits and the 2024 class doesn't appear to be any different. The Tide already have one Rivals250 commit from in-state cornerback Jaylen Mbakwe and remain a top contender for many of the nation's remaining elite defensive secondary players. Among Nick Saban's top targets are the Nos. 1, 2 and 4 corners Desmond Ricks, Charles Lester III and Ellis Robinson IV. All seem to have a similar amount of interest in Alabama as the Tide's staff does in them.

Ohio State is another interesting school to watch. It likely has the edge for No. 3 corner Bryce West who comes in as the Buckeye State's top prospects. Springfield, Ohio, standout Aaron Scott is another highly rated in-state defensive back target who the Buckeyes are likely to land as well. In addition to the two in-state Rivals250 prospects, newly minted four-star safety/linebacker Garrett Stover is another talented recruit who could end up calling Columbus home.

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Black jumped more than 50 spots in our latest rankings release and with continued development he has a chance to be one of the top defensive back recruits in the 2024 class. Black recently told Rivals that Oklahoma, Oklahoma State (where his brother plays), LSU and Arkansas are the teams recruiting him the hardest. Should he choose to leave his home state for college, it would be a big loss for the Texas programs.

Mack is another defensive back that made a jump in the latest rankings release and now sits as the No. 82 overall prospect in the nation. He has all of the tools to be a great player at the next level and as additional top defensive backs come off the board, his recruitment should only become more contested. As things stand today, however, it may be hard to steal the Louisiana native from taking his talents to LSU.

Stover continues to develop and his physical gifts combined with his athletic ability are a major reason why the Ohio native was just awarded his fourth star. The Sanbury (Ohio) Big Walnut standout has a big frame which could potentially lead to him kicking down to linebacker at the college level, but that versatility is one of his traits that stands out the most. Stover's ability to play the run combined with his ability to cover talented receiving threats makes him a recruit that you will definitely want to keep an eye on this season.

Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan State and Cincinnati are a few of the schools that should be in the mix for Stover's pledge.