He took over an outside corner spot in Week 8 of 2021 his first year in Morgantown and legitimately locked down his side of the field. Phillips is hands down the top returning corner on the west coast and capable of reaching elite status in 2022. McCreary held his own against the Alabama receivers and generated five solo tackles, including one from behind the line of scrimmage. He was also the No. A college football website covering the power five conferences, Indiana's Tiawan Mullen after a 38-31 victory over Nebraska, Saturday October 26, 2019 at Memorial Stadium. *Patrick Surtain II 6-1, 203 Alabama 3. The former five-star recruit has been volatile in two years in Chapel Hill. Although he left Georgia right before they won the National Championship, Stevenson played well for Miami in 2021. 48 ranked overall player in the recruiting class of 2019. Likely first player off the board. Karon Prunty, N/A: The Virginia native started all nine games as a true freshman last season and broke up 10 passes along the way. Similar to cover 2, made famous by Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay, but with a twist; the middle linebacker drops into a deeper zone than usual, creating a hybrid cover 2/cover 3 look. However, Booth is the real deal and will shore up any voids left by the previous regime. Led the way for BC's 2021 class that was the Eagles' top-ranked group in the modern recruiting era. Top Cornerback Prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft | BNB Football Gainesville, FL, USA; LSU defensive back Eli Ricks (1) runs with the ball after making an interception during a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. Dec. 12, 2020. 4. Listed in alphabetical order. 265. Standing six-foot and weighing 205 pounds, Taylor-Britt is built more like a safety and he definitely hits like one. Throwing the ball in the grass every play would generate a passer rating of 39.6.". With the 2021 college football season right around the corner,. In high school, he clocked a verified 4.35 40 time. All defensive backs are either blitzing or in man coverage (no help over the top). Alabama and Tennessee gave him fits, and there were some late-reaction plays that led to positive plays for the opposition. Stingley recorded a 91.7 PFF grade and 0.97wins above average (WAA)in that 2019 season, the latter being the best mark among non-quarterbacks all year.". 15 Best Cornerbacks in College Football in 2023. Take a look at PFF's top tencornerbacks for the 2021 college football season below. Here are the top 25 college football cornerbacks heading into the 2022 season. He plays in control and isnt going to lose at the catch point with his physical frame. Before his injury-riddled 2021 campaign, Ricks produced at an extraordinarily high level for a true freshman. Hell have more responsibility this fall, with fellow corner Olaijah Griffin off to the NFL. On top of that, he was faced with overcoming an injury and learning how to run and cut at a high . For his success on the field, Forbes earned Freshman All-SEC honors. We are on to the 2022 season, where teams across the country will compete for a chance to play for the College Football Playoff National Championship at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. Theres still a lot to be figured out between now and then with team rosters and depth charts the transfer portal deadline is months away. Last season, he allowed a completion percentage of just 40.7%. He has earned an 83.5 coverage grade since 2020 with zero catches allowed in 10 of his games played. He finished the season with one interception and 12 passes defended, showing off his great potential for the future. Marshall didnt record a penalty in that span, nor did he allow any of his eight deep targets to be caught. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5). ), Rankings&Projections |WR/CB Matchup Chart |NFL & NCAA Betting Dashboards | NFL Player Props Tool | NFL & NCAA Power Rankings Syracuse has a talented secondary and Chestnut will have a lot of eyes on him in 2022. In the 2021 NFL Draft, five cornerbacks were drafted in the first round, including two that were selected as top-ten picks. Boston College has a few key players on offense, but DeBerry is by far the best player on their defense. After being the third corner behind Ahmad Gardner and Coby Bryant in 2021, Bush is now the leader in the secondary. 3. Privacy Policy. He followed up that performance with three solo tackles and three pass breakups in the victory over USC in the Pac-12 Championship. These 2022 college football recruiting rankings have been compiled after sifting through well over 2,000 names and even more video clips and highlight reels of the best high school football players in the country. Luter missed the final two outings due to injury, but we wont let that take away from what he did in 10 games as a starter. Now he heads into the 2022 season hoping to lead the Hurricanes to an ACC title. For his height, he also redirects forward as receivers break in front of him when he does play off pretty well. And Turner did that despite playing a decent amount of press-man and being picked on with the 13th-highest target rate among that group at 17.4%. "Stingley might be the best athlete to take the field this fall," Treash wrote. 2023 NFL Draft Prospect - cornerbacks Rankings - CBSSports.com "The 6-foot-2, 188-pound cornerback has seen 84 targets in press coverage since landing in Cincinnati, and he has allowed just 16 first downs while making a whopping 22 plays on the ball, the most in the FBS over that time. Hell likely be an early favorite for the Jim Thorpe Award. He was also the No. If he bounces back from his foot injury, he'll be back in the mix as one of the top players at his position in the country. There are some very talented cornerbacks in this draft class. The former four-star prospect broke up at least one pass in six of Oregons seven games. Luter missed the final two outings due to injury, but we wont let that take away from what he did in 10 games as a starter. His best year came when he was a freshman, as he had four interceptions and five passes defended. The six-foot, 182-pounder picked off a pass against Georgia and Auburn. The 2019 No. Porter Jr. needs to watch how physical he is with wide receivers this season to avoid flags. He was targeted 13 times over those two games, but he allowed just four catches for 31 yards while forcing five incompletions.". Im in the business of projecting forward and evaluating them as draft prospects, but for this exercise, I tried to isolate them from their team and purely judge them on who can help win games at the CFB level right now. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. For a lanky outside corner, he doesnt look uncomfortable playing off and getting in a back-pedal. Taking a look at the list based on conferences, the SEC leads the way with four players ranked. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Two of the top three corners happen to play on the same team. As such, there's no better time to dive into early position rankings of the top returning players in college football. Lets take a look at some of this years CB prospects. Prunty recorded a career-high, six total tackles against Iowa State. He was also the No. McDuffie didn't have a chance to stuff the stat sheet in 2020 because of the Pac-12's shortened schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was able to display his awareness in coverage last season and now hell be counted on again in 2022. I was just talking about the biggest corner Ive probably ever seen on a college football field, so now its appropriate to mention that this guy may be the longest. Abrams-Draine moved from slot corner (nickelback) in the 2021 scheme to outside corner last fall and still gave receivers trouble, finishing the year with 14 pass break-ups, second-most in the SEC. He broke up three passes apiece against Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia. Patrick Surtain II, JR, Alabama. McMillan saved his best efforts for last against SMU, when he racked up five solo tackles, to go along with two interceptions. 2022 College Football Recruiting Rankings: Cornerbacks "Hes such a rare one that even Coach O is, (Photo: James Guillory, USA TODAY Sports), (Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports), "Hes at his best at the line of scrimmage playing in press coverage when he's allowed to rely on his length and physicality," Treash wrote. 6-4. At Oklahoma State in 2021, Bernard-Converse had 11 passes defended as the Cowboys had their best defensive season in years. 24. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. (Photo: Derick E. Hingle, USA TODAY Sports), "Stingley might be the best athlete to take the field this fall," Treash wrote. A formation in which 6 defensive backs are in the field (two in the slot). Kansas State cornerback Omar Daniels enters transfer portal In that 2020 season, Ricks was tasked with a high dose of man coverage and handled it like a pro. Coming off an 11-interception season during the 2021 NFL season expectations were set high for Diggs entering the 2022 NFL season. In that 2020 season, Ricks was tasked with a high dose of man coverage and handled it like a professional, as his man-coverage grade ranked first among all Power Five cornerbacks in 2020. Tre Avery, Rutgers: The former Ohio State recruit broke up a pass in seven of the Scarlet Knights first eight games last season. Its quite clear he already has an excellent feel for the position and could be the first Thorpe Award winner from Alabama since star safety, Across 530 snaps as a true freshman in 2019, Duck recorded a 78.7 PFF grade a top-12 mark among Power Five true freshmen in the, CHARLES WOODS, WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS. Oregon's Christian Gonzalez and Illinois' Devon Witherspoon are the two best cornerbacks in this year's draft. Alabama plucked college football's top returning cornerback out of the transfer portal in Eli Ricks, who comes from LSU. Before joining the Hoosiers, Mullen was a 247Sports Composite three-star recruit out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 2023 NFL Draft: Grades for all 31 first-round picks The Cincinnati Bengals snatched up Chase Brown Stay Alive in Power 5 | 2020 All rights reserved. He was also the No. Woods is an outstanding zone corner who has the capability of being the best Big 12 defensive back in 2022. His 11 pass breakups in 202o tied for the lead in the SEC. Oregon CB Christian Gonzalez (R1, 17th overall) Georgia Tech DE Keion White (R2, 46th) Sacramento State LB Marte Mapu (R3, 76th) Troy C Jake Andrews (R4, 107th) Maryland K . The two-time, All-Big Ten performer was selected in the third round Friday night by the Philadelphia Eagles. Team: Dallas Cowboys. A technique in which the CB starts 5-8 yards away from the line of scrimmage, using read-and-react techniques with eyes on the QB. Forbes also picked off a pass and had four tackles against Texas A&M. Jarron Morris, Texas State: Last season he tied for first on the team with 69 total tackles, to go along with four interceptions and he broke up 11 passes. 6. In high school, he clocked a verified 4.35 40 time. Did Steph Curry cook up the best Game 7 performance ever? 51 overall recruit was the highest-graded outside corner in the country. Here are the top five cornerbacks in college football right now: Coming into the year with Georgias Kelee Ringo, LSU-to-Alabama transfer Eli Ricks and Cam Smith as the trio at the top in terms of draft prospects for next year, I feel like the latter has really established himself as the top guy in the group. 2022 Stats: 50 Solo, 0 FF, 3 INT, 14 PD. Forbes immediately made an impact with an interception in the opening win over LSU. You just love his play-making skills as the flat defender in cover-two, where he can sink and get his hands on passes over his head. Its quite clear he already has an excellent feel for the position and could be the first Thorpe Award winner from Alabama since star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2017. He followed up that performance with four solo tackles against Washington State. Luter was tested with 45 targets in coverage but only allowed a 26.7% catch rate and actually came up with more combined interceptions and pass breakups (14) than catches allowed (12). LSU brings in just one freshman cornerback to the . Best Bets Tool 1. KeiTrel Clark, Louisville: The former two-star prospect was a one-time Liberty recruit. There were some lofty expectations for Phillips after being a highly-touted recruit. He played just 436 snaps the past two seasons combined but still shined when on the field. He tallied six total stops, including five solo at Alabama. The 5-foot-10, 176-pounder snagged an interception the following week against Maryland. 3 Michigan 199.94. 18. He had four interceptions and 10 passes defended in 2021. No analysis available. Cornerback is a great position for NFL development if players have speed and a sense of where the ball is headed, a lot of the rest can be coached. Stingley tallied six total tackles, including five solo in the road win at Vanderbilt. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Clark finished 2020 with second-team All-ACC honors and Louisville ranked 17th in the FBS in passing yards allowed. Hell want to regain his form, as Indiana is in search of a bounce back season in 2022. Before his injury-riddled 2021 campaign, Ricks produced at an extraordinarily high level for a true freshman. "In all, 265 of his 600 coverage snaps have come in press coverage, yet he's given up only 0.47 yards per coverage snap on those reps, the best mark among Power Five cornerbacks who have played at least 250 press-coverage snaps in that span. He broke up at least two passes in four different conference clashes. The best draft prospect cornerbacks in every type of coverage Bryant left a lasting impression with three solo tackles and his fourth pick in the Peach Bowl loss to Georgia. The Eagles' defense was shredded by Patrick Mahomes Iowa had the same amount of players drafted through the first three rounds as Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State. Like Jobe, Elam also tied for the SEC lead in pass breakups with 11 last season. His breaks and processing speed shined down the stretch for Utah. LSU defensive back Eli Ricks (1) runs with the ball after making an interception against Florida during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Gainesville, Fla. Its officially reset time in college football. 5 Notre Dame 174.38. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound corner logged over 400 coverage snaps last season and didnt allow a single touchdown while intercepting one and breaking up seven others.