Top Defensive Backs
Class of 2026 -- ranked by measurables, physical ceiling, and recruiting validation
Already signed with Texas — the gold standard for Colorado 2026 DBs. 6'2" 190 with elite two-way production (1,557 rec yds, 6 INT) at the 5A level against legit competition; his ball skills, frame, and offer sheet speak for themselves.
Already off the board -- signed with Texas. The measuring stick for what elite Colorado DB production looks like in a college-relevant frame. 6'2", runs 4.5, plays both ways at 5A, had a 7th pick wiped by penalty. 1,557 receiving yards and 39 TDs on offense, 6 INTs on defense. His coach referenced the dictionary definition of Superman.
Verified 4.47 laser 40 and 4.24 shuttle at 190 lbs is legit D1 testing, and 4 INTs plus 871 rush yards at 5A Douglas County shows he produces against real competition. The lack of offers is baffling — this kid should be getting FCS and Group of 5 looks immediately.
Nolan Case is a dynamic, multi-positional athlete with verified speed (4.47 laser 40, 4.24 shuttle) and impressive senior production across offense (871 rush yds/10 TD, 167 rec yds/3 TD) and defense (4 INT, 2 TFL). His junior-year receiving production (59 rec/834 yds) combined with senior-year rushing dominance (10.0 YPC) makes him a legitimate FCS or lower-end FBS prospect as a slot/RB/athlete. The lack of current offers is surprising given his testing numbers and versatility, and he projects as a player who could earn opportunities through camps and spring evaluation periods.
Led Colorado in interceptions (8) at a 0.73 picks-per-game clip with legitimate camp validation (FBU All-Camp Team, National Top Gun invite) and a 6'0" frame that projects to safety. The 4.78 forty is a concern for corner but his ball skills and football IQ are elite — he'll find the ball at the next level.
0.73 picks-per-game rate is elite at literally any level of football. 2 INT return yards is either the most hilarious stat on this list or evidence he's making every pick at the sideline with one toe on the chalk. 10 total turnovers created. On offense, 4 TDs in a single game against Steamboat. Go look about 1:32 into his Hudl film if you want to see how fast he makes up ground.
Self-reported 4.45 forty at 6'0" 175 with 4 INTs and 505 receiving yards as a two-way player gives him a real speed-and-ball-skills profile for FCS. Northern Colorado commit who could outplay his recruiting level if the speed verifies.
Six interceptions including multiple pick-sixes from free safety at 4A Grand Junction, and the scouting report suggests he's closer to 210-215 than the listed 195. The 4.68 forty limits his ceiling, but his instincts, physicality, and ball-hawking ability make him a productive college safety.
On film he looks like he's smuggling a second human being inside his jersey. We are not buying 195 -- this kid looks 210-215 with a bad scale. Does everything: WR, FS, punter, special teams gunner. As a punt coverage gunner, he might send your 140-pound returner into the third row. Western Slope competition is the question mark but the film, size, and multi-phase versatility check every box.
5 INTs and 9 PBUs on a 4A state championship team at 6'2" with an 83% solo tackle rate — that's a lockdown corner profile with legit length. Needs to add 20 lbs but the frame is there, and the fact that he's barely recruited playing at that level in that conference is a market inefficiency.
MaxPreps lists him at 140 pounds and that is a bald-faced lie. Whatever he actually weighs, he's throwing tight ends around on film like they insulted his family. 83% solo tackle rate. Opponents can't even complete flats against him. On a state championship team with 5 picks and 9 PD at 6'1" and nobody's called. Somebody please explain Colorado recruiting to us.
6'3" with a 6'8" high jump PR and 4.59 forty is a rare athletic combination — 16 career INTs and a breakout 52-catch senior season show the ball skills are real. At 170 lbs he's a developmental project physically, but the length, vertical athleticism, and ball production make him a fascinating safety or big nickel prospect if he commits to football over track.
Jayce Newbill is a supremely athletic, lean 6'3" multi-sport talent who dominated at the 3A level in Colorado with elite ball skills (16 career INTs) and a breakout senior receiving season (52 rec, 697 yds, 9 TD). His 6'8" high jump PR and 4.59 forty demonstrate rare vertical/speed combination, but at 165-170 lbs he is significantly undersized for college football and would need to add 30+ lbs. He projects best as a developmental WR or safety at the FCS/D2 level, with his track commitment to Colorado State suggesting that may be his primary collegiate path.
6 INTs over a full 14-game championship season at Windsor (3A) with 58 tackles shows he's a legitimate ball hawk in a quality program. The 6'1" frame with room to grow to 190 projects well at safety — needs speed verification and college S&C but the instincts and physicality are clearly there on film.
He is the hammer. You are the nail. 170 pounds should not punish the way this kid punishes. He hits like he's personally offended by the concept of forward progress. 6 picks over a full 14-game title season at Windsor -- not a 9-game 3A season inflated by blowouts. Get him in a college S&C program for 18 months and you're looking at a 190-pound safety with ball skills and plus-physicality. If you're an FCS or D2 program and you're not calling Windsor, we do not know what you're doing with your recruiting budget.
Listed as LB but his 4 INTs, 4.5 forty, and 113 tackles with 21 TFL at 6'1" 195 give him a hybrid safety/linebacker profile that modern defenses covet. Wrestling background at 190 lbs translates to leverage and physicality — the 1A competition is the question, but the verified testing and All-State production deserve a camp invite.
5 INTs and 62 tackles (39 solo) as a 4A safety with Prep Redzone recognition — he's finding the ball in traffic, not in blowouts. Undersized at 5'10" 165 but the ball skills and football IQ project; needs a camp performance to turn the UNC PWO into a scholarship offer somewhere.
The one-handed supinated pick artist. Classic do-everything safety. 39 of 62 tackles are solo. He's catching picks in traffic, not in open space. Quiet production at a 4A program that deserves a second look.
6'2" corners with 8 career INTs and a 94-inch standing reach are unicorn measurables at any level — he just needs 30 lbs of good weight. At 150 he's a skeleton, but the frame, ball skills, and basketball athleticism (15.2 PPG with elite steals) scream long-term upside if a program is patient enough to develop him.
6'2" corners do not grow on trees. At 155 he obviously needs weight, but the length is there, the ball skills are there, and 4 picks in 8 games is efficient, not volume-inflated. Imagine being an opposing OC game-planning for Coal Ridge and realizing both your outside corners are on a statewide top-25 DB list. At some point you just run the ball and pray.
75 career catches, 22 receiving TDs, and 9 career INTs at 5A Westminster show elite ball skills on both sides, but the generous 5'9" 160 listing (possibly 5'7" 145) creates a hard ceiling. CSU Pueblo commitment is the right level — productive player who wins with instincts rather than measurables.
Adrian Moreno is a productive, versatile multi-sport athlete who projects as a D2/NAIA-level wide receiver and return specialist with kicking upside. His 75-catch, 22-TD receiving career and 9 interceptions on defense demonstrate elite ball skills and football IQ, but his size (generously 5'9" 160) and lack of verified speed testing create a low ceiling for FBS programs. His commitment to CSU Pueblo is an appropriate fit where he can contribute immediately as a WR/DB/kicker.
20 career INTs and 2,462 career rush yards as a two-way 8-man player with All-State honors is absurd production, but zero verified measurables and zero recruiting interest at the 8-man level make him impossible to project. If he's 5'11"+ and runs a 4.6, someone should take a shot — but until he gets to a camp, he's a complete unknown physically.
Mason Barr is a prolific two-way 8-man football player with elite production (2,462 career rush yards, 1,023 career receiving yards, 20 career INTs) and CHSAA All-State recognition. However, the complete absence of verified measurables, the small-school 8-man competition level, and zero recruiting interest from college programs make him a significant projection. He profiles as a potential small-college or NAIA prospect who would need a camp performance with verified testing numbers to generate any D1 interest.
108 tackles, 6 INTs, and 809 receiving yards as an 8-man All-State First Team selection shows rare football instincts and versatility, but the 5'10" 175 frame and complete lack of verified speed testing at the 1A 8-man level make D1 projection very difficult. Needs a camp evaluation badly.
Jace Curtis is a tremendously productive 8-man football player who earned CHSAA All-State First Team honors as a true do-everything athlete, but his lack of verified measurables, undersized frame, and small-school competition level make a D1 projection very difficult. His ball-hawking ability (14 career INTs) and explosive receiving numbers (18.8 YPR as a senior) suggest high-level football instincts and athleticism, but he would likely need to attend camps and post verified testing numbers to generate FCS or lower-level D1 interest.
3 INTs in a state championship game is a ridiculous performance, and 65 tackles with 13 TFL from the secondary shows rare physicality. The 6'1" 175 frame is projectable, but 8-man competition and no verified testing keep him in the developmental bucket until he proves it at a camp.
121 tackles and 4 INTs on defense plus 808 receiving yards on offense at 6'1" is intriguing two-way production, but the 155-165 lb frame at a 1A school means he needs 25-30 lbs and a major competition-level jump. The tackling volume is elite and suggests real effort, but the weight and level of play are significant concerns.
1,389 rushing yards with 4 INTs on defense as a two-way 2A player shows impressive production, but the 160-lb frame and Dordt NAIA commitment indicate the recruiting market has appropriately evaluated his ceiling. Good small-college player, but not a D1 projection.
Cade Hemphill is an exceptionally productive and versatile Colorado 2A athlete who dominated at the small-school level with 1,389 rushing yards, 27 total offensive TDs, and 4 INTs on defense as a senior. His frame (6'0", 160 lbs) and competition level are the primary limiters -- he needs significant weight and could struggle against higher-level athletes. He's committed to Dordt (NAIA) which appears to be the appropriate level; his multi-sport athleticism and two-way production suggest he'll be a valuable college player, but the lack of verified measurables and low recruiting buzz make a D1 projection unlikely.
2,011 rushing yards and 5 INTs as a 6-man All-State selection with 90 tackles shows a complete football player, but 5'8" 155 in 6-man football is as far from D1 as you can get. NAIA/D3 is the realistic ceiling.
Zachary Yost is an extraordinary 6-man football player who dominated at the Class A level in Colorado with 2,011 rushing yards, 33 TDs, and 5 INTs as a senior, earning CHSAA All-State Second Team honors. However, at 5'8" 155 lbs with no verified athletic testing and playing in a 6-man format, he does not currently project as a D1 FBS prospect. His elite production, work ethic, and two-way impact could make him a fit at the NAIA or D3 level, or potentially a preferred walk-on at a smaller D1 FCS program if he can add significant weight and demonstrate verifiable speed at a camp or combine.
Has a brother, Zander Yost, who also plays varsity football at Caliche High School. Zander rushed for 161 yards and 3 TDs in a game during the 2024-25 season. Local media covered the 'brotherly love' dynamic on the team.
10 career INTs as a 1A QB/CB shows legit ball skills, but 5'10" 140 lbs with 12 interceptions thrown on offense and no verified testing makes him a small-college prospect at best. The four-sport athleticism is real but the frame and competition level are non-starters for D1.
Colby Weber is a high-production, four-sport athlete at a tiny Colorado 1A school who put up impressive aggregate numbers (4,504 career total yards, 28 passing TDs, 21 rushing TDs, 10 career INTs on defense) but faces extreme headwinds for college football recruiting. At 5'10" 140 lbs with no verified testing, no offers, and competition exclusively against 1A-level opponents, Weber profiles as a potential small-college or NAIA athlete/defensive back rather than a D1 prospect. His ball-hawking ability on defense (10 career INTs) and multi-sport athleticism give him a floor at the small-college level, but he would need to gain significant weight and attend camps to generate any college interest.
Has a sibling Cash Weber who played varsity basketball at Holyoke High School (Class of 2024, listed at 5'8" 150 lbs). No other family athletic background found.
Nearly 2,000 rushing yards and 5 INTs in 6-man football is dominant production, but 5'10" 145 lbs with no verified measurables in the smallest classification makes any college projection extremely difficult. Needs 35+ lbs and a format upgrade to even enter the conversation.
Mitchell Stivers is an extremely productive 6-man football player with elite instincts, elusiveness, and multi-sport athleticism, earning CHSAA All-State honors as a senior. However, at 5'10" 145 lbs playing 6-man football in rural Colorado with no verified testing data and no recruiting interest from D1 programs, he projects as a small-college prospect (NAIA/D3) unless he can add significant weight and post strong camp numbers. His 4-sport athletic background and 10 career INTs suggest real athletic ability that needs to be validated against higher-level competition.
Blake Stivers (Sr., 5'5" 153 lbs) and Tristen Stivers (Jr.) are teammates at Otis -- likely siblings/brothers, both multi-sport athletes playing football and baseball. No additional family athletic background found.