2021 CB Recruiting Overview

Top 20 CB

1. Nyland Green – Georgia
2. Jordan Hancock – Ohio State
3. Jason Marshall – Florida
4. Ga’Quincy Mckinstry – Alabama
5. Jakailin Johnson – Ohio State
6. Nathaniel Wiggins – Clemson
7. Ceyair Wright – USC
8. Avante Dickerson – Oregon
9. Kalen King – Penn State
10. Denzel Burke – Ohio State
11. Damarius McGhee – LSU
12. Kamari Lassiter – Georgia
13. Devonta Smith – Alabama
14. Deuce Harmon – Texas A&M
15. Markevious Brown – Mississippi
16. Latrell McCutchin – Oklahoma
17. Alijah Clark – Rutgers
18. Jaylin Davies – Oregon
19. Clinton Burton Jr – Boston College
20. Steven Ortiz – Minnesota

DB-U Top 5

1. LSU
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. Florida
5. Clemson

For the complete WRU rankings click here.

Top CB Tandems

• Ohio State – The Buckeyes have three cornerbacks committed among our top 20 at the position. Jordan Hancock and Jakailin Johnson both have good size and excellent coverage skills, while Denzel Burke is a perfect fit as the slot corner in Ohio State’s 3 CB base defense. The Buckeyes signed a talented group of prospects that fit their scheme well.

• Georgia – The Bulldogs landed the top cornerback in our rankings and paired him with an intriguing prospect in Kamari Lassiter. Green is a rare athlete with great size and Lassiter has grown into his frame well and will be an asset on outside. Georgia regularly fields one of the best defenses in college football and corners like these will continue to add to the talent in Athens.

• Alabama – During the Nick Saban era the Crimson Tide recruit well at every position. Their cornerback duo in the 2021 class continues that trend. Ga’Quincy McKinstry is a phenomenal athlete and Devonta Smith has grown into an excellent prospect over the past year as well. Both players have the high end potential to make an impact for a talented Alabama defense.

• Oregon – With Avante Dickerson and Jaylin Davies in the fold the Ducks have two top 20 cornerbacks in their class. Both have good cover skill and some versatility that will help them get on the field early. Oregon has recruited very well under Mario Cristobal and the cornerback room should be in good shape going forward.

• USC – The Trojans landed a top prospect in Ceyair Wright to go with Prophet Brown who narrowly missed our top 20 list. Wright is the taller, more polished prospect but Brown has a lot of potential as well. USC was able to keep two top defensive back recruits from leaving the state and they should be assets in the secondary in the near future.

Key Flips

• Jordan Hancock to Ohio State – Hancock appeared to be favoring the Buckeyes early last year but committed to Clemson right before Covid hit in March. Ohio State continued to recruit Hancock and their perseverance paid off when Hancock flipped to the Buckeyes in July.

• Nathaniel Wiggins to Clemson – Clemson rebounded quickly after losing Hancock’s commitment. The Tigers took advantage of a disappointing season in Baton Rouge and flipped Wiggins who had been committed to LSU since August. Wiggins replaced Hancock in the Clemson recruiting class right before the early signing day.

• Damarius McGhee to LSU – LSU was able to rebound as well. The Tigers made a quick pivot and were able to secure a commitment from McGhee, who had de-committed from Tennessee in late November and committed to LSU on early signing day.

• Avante Dickerson to Oregon – Dickerson committed to Minnesota in April, but did not sign during the early signing period and on National Signing Day flipped his commitment to Oregon. The Ducks get another high end athlete to add to their young and talented secondary.

• Devonta Smith to Alabama – Smith originally committed to Ohio State in March, but the Ohio native had a change of heart during the summer and flipped to Alabama. Smith was committed to both of the teams in the national championship game during this past cycle.

• Clinton Burton Jr to Boston College – Burton was committed to Florida since September of 2019. This past July, Burton flipped his commitment to Jeff Hafley and Boston College. Burton is a perfect fit for Jeff Hafley’s defense and is the type of talent the Eagles are looking to add.