Top Ten Defensive Backs of 2011

1. ••••• Landon Collins 6-1, 205, 4.4 Geismar Dutchtown, LA
Ranked #9 overall nationally, Landon has what it takes to become an impact player at the FS position as a true freshman.
On Film–He possesses all the tools for greatness size, speed, instincts, reactions, attitude, aggressiveness, and most of all production. A very confident FS who reads well, takes very few missed steps, and when he does he shows great recovery speed. He’s a talented center fielder who makes plays from sideline to sideline. He’s instinctive in coverage, shows great awareness and range, above average acceleration and athleticism, he can quickly change directions, and closes on the ball like no other FS in the country.
Stats–Earned 1st Team All-State honors in 2010 after totaling 102 tackles, 5 picks, and 3 caused fumbles. He also returned a kickoff back for 84 yds and a score, and a punt back 89 yds and a TD.
Other Sports–He’s been timed in a 10.8 100, a 22 flat 200 meters, and long jumped 20′ in track.
Grades–His GPA is 3.0.

2. ••••• Travis Blanks 6-1, 195, 4.5 Tallahassee North Florida Christian, FL
A big, thick bodied DB who played CB his junior year and could wind up playing CB or FS in college.
On Film–He’s as athletic as they come, can turn and run with the swiftest of receivers, shows a smooth backpedal, and fluid hips. He does a great job of playing the ball, is as physical as they come, accelerates quickly, and has a great knowledge of the game. #8 covers a lot of ground and shows very good makeup speed. He’s a big CB who loves to mix it up. You would have to search a long time to find a corner as physical as Mr. Blanks. He will also play CB this season and wants to play CB in college. A four-year starter who helped lead his team to a state championship in 2008.
Stats–Recorded 104 stops, 4 picks, broke up 13 passes, and returned 2 punts back for scores in 2010. Also caught 36 passes for 385 yds at WR.
Other Sports–He’s been timed in a 22.5 200 meters in track.
Grades–His GPA is 3.4 and he scored an 18 on the ACT. Benches 290 and has a 31″ VJ.
Favorite Schools–Originally from North Fort Myers, he’s good friends with Jordan Diggs and there’s a chance they may want to play for the same school. Committed to CLEMSON.

3. ••••• Geno Smith 6-0, 165, 4.4 Atlanta St. Pius X, GA
The #1 prospect in the state of Georgia and one of the nation’s premier cover corners.
On Film–This rather tall, skinny CB is fiercely competitive, blessed with great hips, and overall athletic ability. He shows supreme ball skills when the ball is in the air and he’s a smart, instinctive defender who reads and reacts quickly to the play. He shows the ability to turn and run with the best of them and shows the natural explosiveness to close on the ball that only the great ones have. Over the past two years Geno has shown the ability to stay with the Atlanta area’s top receivers. He displays remarkable speed and quickness. Also shows tremendous footwork and can make a play on the ball even when initially beaten using his remarkable recovery speed to do the job. An impact player at the high school level, he should also be one in college.
Stats–Carried the ball 71 times for 731 yds and 7 TDs on offense. Totaled 47 solo tackles, 8 picks, and broke up 14 passes on defense on his way to earning All-State honors.
Other Sports–He’s been timed in a 10.8 100, a 22.1 200 meters, and has long jumped over 20′ in track.
Grades–His GPA is 3.0. Benches 235 and has a 33″ VJ.
Favorite Schools– Committed to ALABAMA

4. ••••• Shaquille Roland 6-2, 180, 4.39 Lexington High, SC
The #1 player in the state is also one of the nation’s finest athletes.
On Film–He ranks 20th overall and Shaq has what it takes to become an All-American at the WR or DB positions. On offense he runs precise routes, does a great job of slipping jams, finding the open seam, catching the ball with his hands, and then the fun starts. He shows blazing speed, tremendous moves in the open field, and has proven to be a very difficult tackler. A great leaper, he catches the ball at its highest point and he proves to be one of the most explosive and elusive receivers in the country. On defense he’s smooth in transition, active, physical, and aggressive. He supports the run well and shows tremendous natural cover skills. Loose hipped and quick footed, if he chooses to become a cover corner, he should become one of the nation’s finest. He plays the game fast and with good recovery speed. Shows super quick feet and flexible hips, he’s a prep superstar in three sports. He loves basketball but is a difference maker in football.
Stats–Earned All-League and All-Area honors for his play on both sides of the ball.
Other Sports–Averages 20 points and 10 rebounds a game as a shooting guard in basketball and runs the sprints in track.
Grades–His GPA is over a 2.5.
Favorite Schools– Committed to SOUTH CAROLINA.

5. ••••• Terry Richardson 5-9½, 165, 4.45 Detroit Cass Tech, MI
Ranks as the #1 prospect in the state of Michigan and one of the nation’s finest cover corners.
On Film–#9 is all that you can ask for in a cover corner except possibly for ideal height. He shows a smooth backpedal, fluid hips, can turn and run with the swiftest of receivers, closes quickly on the ball, he’s a great leaper, fluid in coverage, can get in and out of breaks quickly, and shows great awareness.
Stats–Recorded 28 solo tackles, 8 picks, and broke up 13 passes in 2010. On offense he caught 20 passes for 350 yds and 5 TDs at WR.
Other Sports–In track he’s been timed in a 10.8 100 and a 22.3 200 meters.
Grades–His GPA is 2.8 and he scored a 17 on the ACT. Benches 240.
Favorite Schools– Committed to MICHIGAN.

6. ••••• T’ajani (Tee) Shepard 6-1, 185, 4.5 Fresno Central East, CA
One of the nation’s premier defenders. We listed Tee as a future All-American in last summer’s magazine and he proved us right with his play in 2010.
On Film–An exceptionally instinctive two-way player, he shows great hands and outstanding open field moves at WR. He’s even more brilliant as a natural CB with quick feet and balance. He can turn his hips, redirect quickly, and is a solid man to man defender. He plays the game with a lot of confidence showing very good knowledge of the game and good football instincts. Because of his size he could wind up playing FS but right now he’s considered one of the nation’s premier CB prospects.
Stats–He has picked off 10 passes and broken up 30 others over the past two years on his way to earning All-City honors in 2009 and 2010.
Grades–His GPA is 3.2. Benches 260 and has a 32″ VJ.
Favorite Schools– Committed to NOTRE DAME.

7. ••••• Shaq Thompson 6-2, 210, 4.47 Sacramento Grant, CA
A five-star player and one of the country’s finest all around football players.
On Film–#22 shows All-American skills at TB and at SS. On offense he’s a big back with great vision, balance, strength, runs with his pads low, shows nifty moves, and the burst to get outside and turn the corner. On defense he is smart, quick, fast, hard working, and an incredible athlete. He shows the burst and pure speed to cut in front of a receiver and make the tough interception. Quick to diagnose, he can jump routes and has been blessed with exceptional ball skills. He hits like a Mack truck and can turn and run with the best of them. His coach reminds me that Shaq is bigger, faster, and stronger than any SS you will find, and I concur. There are no better SS prospects in the country than Mr. Thompson.
Stats–On offense he carried the ball 195 times for 2,000 yds and 25 TDs averaging 10 yds per carry. Caught 17 passes for 350 yds and 4 scores and totaled 54 tackles, 1 pick, and broke up 9 others at SS.
Other Sports–In track he’s been timed in a 10.8 100 and is the sectional champ in the 200 meters with a time of 21.6, and has long jumped 22′ 10″.
Grades–His GPA is 3.0. Benches 290 and has a 33″ VJ.
Favorite Schools–His brother, Syd’Quan Thompson, played ball at CAL and is now with the Denver Broncos. Shaq is also looking at WA, NOTRE DAME, USC, UCLA, AUBURN, and OR.

8. ••••+ Trae Elston 6-0, 181, 4.4 Oxford, AL
This team is absolutely loaded, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. When you have two All-Americans like Trae and his teammate Kwon Alexander, you provide quite a dilemma for the opposition’s offense.
On Film–He shows remarkable closing speed, has proven to be a sure tackler, is smooth in transition, flexible, and is known for his hard hitting style of play. He changes directions easily, is very active near the line of scrimmage, and plays the game with a lot of confidence, sometimes to the extent where he is a bit overaggressive but shows very good recovery speed. A high school superstar who can play on either side of the ball in college. The first game on his highlight tape has him making 16 solo tackles and 4 assists against Clay Chalkville. As physical as they come, he’s one of the best open field tacklers in the south.
Stats–Recorded 123 stops, 7 sacks, 10 tackles for losses, 4 picks and batted down a league high 17 passes in 2010. On offense he caught 55 passes for 879 yds and 8 TDs earning All-State honors for his play at FS.
Other Sports–He’s been timed in a 10.9 100 and a 22.5 200 meters in track. Averages 11 points and 5 rebounds a game as a guard in basketball.
Grades–His GPA is 3.0 and he scored a 19 on the ACT.
Favorite Schools–CLEM, AUBURN, AL, FSU, OR, MIAMI, LSU, TN, GA, NE, USC, and VA.

9. ••••+ Deon Bush 6-1, 180, 4.4 Miami Columbus, FL
A very large, active, and productive CB.
On Film–He does a good job of jamming receivers on the line, shows good anticipation, and closes on the ball quickly. Smart, technically sound, very fluid in coverage, can turn his hips, and gets in and out of his breaks quickly. He is excellent in man coverage and does everything effortlessly and athletically. Blessed with long arms, he has great acceleration.
Stats–Recorded 58 tackles and 3 picks returning one of them back for 50 yds and a score despite the fact that he missed five games due to a hamstring injury.
Other Sports–He has triple jumped 46′ in track.
Grades–His GPA is over a 3.0.
Favorite Schools–FL, AL, OH STATE, MI, FSU, MIAMI, LSU, NOTRE DAME, NE, PURDUE, TN, and AUBURN.

10. ••••• Thurston (T.J.) Davis, Jr. 6-1, 173, 4.38 Tallahassee Godby, FL
This season there’s no state in the country that comes close to Florida when it comes to cornerback prospects.
On Film–T.J. shows great ball skills. He dominates in press coverage and has proven to be a lockdown corner. He shows good acceleration, a quick burst, solid technique, and he can turn and run with the best of them. He also shows good awareness in zone coverage and is a pretty good tackler. Superior when the ball is in the air, he may need a little work in his defense against the run. Another dominating CB with All-American ability.
Stats–Recorded 17 tackles, picked off 6 passes, and broke up 6 others despite the fact that the opposition was keen on avoiding his territory.
Other Sports–He has run the 110 high hurdles in 14.6 in track.
Grades–His GPA is 3.3 and he scored a 17 on the ACT. Benches 235.
Favorite Schools– Committed to AUBURN