Ranking the top five DB classes in the 2025 recruiting cycle
The dust has settled in the college football recruiting class of 2025 and Rivals is putting a bow on the cycle by looking at the top programs by position. We conclude today with the defensive backs.
RELATED: Final cornerback rankings | Final safety rankings
1. OHIO STATE
Few cornerbacks in recent memory have played at such a high level during so many in-person evaluations as Devin Sanchez, the crown jewel of the Buckeyes’ 2025 class. Only Derek Stingley Jr. comes to mind.
The top-ranked cornerback in the Rivals250 was joined by four-star corner Deshawn Stewart, four-star safety Faheem Delane and four-star safety Cody Haddad. Delane and Haddad were the Nos. 5 and 20 safeties, respectively, in the Rivals250 – a 2025 haul rich with Rivals250 talent en route to the “BIA.”
2. OREGON
Dan Lanning and the Ducks won a national recruiting battle for five-star safety Trey McNutt, who will play an array of different positions for Oregon before long. McNutt is one of two five-stars in the class, along with athlete Na’eem Offord, a projected nickel that should also cross-train at multiple positions and on special teams.
The Ducks’ star-studded secondary haul also includes top-100 cornerbacks Brandon Finney and Dorian Brew.
3. ALABAMA
Kalen DeBoer is adding two of the top-three cornerbacks in the class – a dynamic 1-2 punch in five-star Dijon Lee and four-star Chuck McDonald, who ascended in the final Rivals250 after an eye-grabbing week in San Antonio during the Navy All-American Bowl.
The Crimson Tide also brought in four-star safety Ivan Taylor, the son of former NFL cornerback Ike Taylor. That’s plenty of blue-chip talent heading to the secondary.
4. TEXAS
The Longhorns’ secondary was a major bright spot during their run to the College Football Playoff last season. They’re adding a stable of talent to replace the 2024 Jim Thorpe Award winner Jahdae Barron and Co.
In their stead is five-star athlete Jonah Williams, who will play safety, among other roles on the back end of the Longhorns’ defense. Texas also inked top-10 cornerback Kade Phillips, who after a brilliant senior season playing both sides of the ball at Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Hightower, was a standout performer during Navy AAB Week.
Also in this 2025 haul were speedy four-star Florida cornerback Graceson Littleton, four-star safety Zelus Hicks out of Georgia and in-state cornerback Caleb Chester.
5. FLORIDA
Florida‘s late-season surge on the field behind DJ Lagway led to fireworks on the recruiting trail to close out the 2025 class. Among the big flips that Billy Napier and the Gators’ staff pulled off were five-star safety Hylton Stubbs from Miami and four-star safety Lagonza Hayward from Tennessee.
They weren’t done there. The Gators also beat out Miami for four-star cornerback Ben Hanks Jr. and flipped four-star cornerback Onis Konanbanny away from the Vols.
