Vote: Who is the top defensive back in Minnesota high school football?

Read through the nominees and vote for who is the best entering the 2023 season

Let’s take a closer look at some of the top returning defensive back in high school football for the 2023 season in Minnesota.

Plenty of worthy names are on this list, so be sure to read through the nominees and vote in our poll for who you think will be the top returning defensive back for the upcoming season.

Voting will close on September 4 at 11:59 p.m.

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player who may not be mentioned in our poll.

If you are a coach and you'd like to add a nominee before the poll closes, please email butler@scorebooklive.com.

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Koi Perich, senior, Esko

Perich is the second-highest rated recruit in Minnesota, according to 247sports. He is committed to the University of Minnesota. Last season, Perich had 75 tackles, three interceptions, four forced fumbles and two sacks.

Will Steil, senior, Rocori

A three-year starter at defensive back, Steil was awarded Defensive Back of the Year in his conference last season and is committed to play safety next fall at North Dakota State. 

Steil is a two-time all-district player and a captain who is the “ultimate competitor and teammate,” according to coach James Herberg. “He puts the team first and will do anything to make the team better.”

Photo by Jason Soria

Jalen Smith, senior, Mankato West

A 3-star Minnesota commit and both an all-district and all-city player, Smith was both the Scarlets No. 1 wideout, and cornerback, during a 12-1 season in 2022. On offense, he was Mankato West’s “go-to guy when we needed a big play or drive extended,” coach JJ Helget said. 

Defensively, he routinely shadowed the opposition’s top threat in man coverage and didn’t surrender a single touchdown all season. 

Smith, with his blinding speed — he ran a 10.87 100-meter dash this spring — will be a nightmare matchup once more in 2023.

Photo by Jeff Lawler

Tate Nelson, junior, Two Harbors

A standout defensive back and elite athlete (Class A 100-meter state champion), Nelson averaged 9.7 yards per carry as a running back, while also leading the team in receptions when split out wide. 

On defense, his elite athleticism has allowed him to start at cornerback since he was a freshman. 

Nelson was also a runner up in 200-meter, has a school-record and state champion-sealing long jump and a 35-inch vertical leap. He tallied 50 tackles this past season.

Brayden Sturm, junior, Springfield

Strum is a standout at both wideout and defensive back for Adam Meyer’s program. 

Last year, as a member of the Class A runner-up, he was voted all-district and area after a 75-tackle, 10-interception (led the state), 11-pass breakup season. 

“He has a knack for the big play, sparking the offense with a touchdown reception or flipping the field with an interception,” Meyer said.

John Jeanetta, sophomore, North St. Paul

Jeanetta had one of the most impactful and productive freshman years state-wide. At defensive back, the rising-sophomore totaled 75 tackles, nine pass breakups, five interceptions, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 2022. 

“He is only getting better,” coach Justin McDonald said. “He is bigger, stronger and faster and leads the team upperclassmen to look to him for football guidance, which is unheard of. John's potential is through the roof. He will go down as one of the best players to come out of Minnesota.”

RJ Wyatt, senior, Minneapolis Patrick Henry

In terms of pure, statistical production, few put up better numbers than Wyatt in 2022. 

As a junior, the 5-foot-10, 165-pound, defensive back accumulated 100 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, six sacks and two forced fumbles. He led his team in each category.

Tate McDonald, senior, Waconia

McDonald was named to Scorebook Live Minnesota’s all-state second team at defensive back. 

He helped lead a 7-3 Wildcats team on the defensive end, finishing second in the state with eight interceptions in just eight games. 

He added 18 tackles.

Tyler Smith, senior, Chanhassen

Smith joined McDonald on Scorebook Live Minnesota’s all-state second team. 

He was a critical piece of a Chanhassen program that knocked Waconia out of the playoffs in the semifinals, before losing to Mankato West in the title game. In 10 games, Smith recorded 64 tackles, three tackles for loss, nine passes defended and five interceptions.

Henry Stang, senior, Maple Grove

Stang played a key role on a senior-heavy defense in 2022 — one that helped power a Crimson 6A state title. 

The rising-senior safety was a force all over the field, accounting for 80 tackles (fourth on the team), six tackles for loss, a sack, two passes defended, and two interceptions, while appearing in 11 of the team’s 13 games. 

He’s back in 2023 in what should be an important leadership role on the Crimson defense.

Photo by Jeff Lawler

Victor Ruhland, senior, Orono

Ruhland was a two-way starter last season and is a “dynamic” player at both running back and defensive back. 

“He is a difference maker for us,” coach Joe McPherson said. 

Ruhland, who runs a 4.6 40-yard dash, also runs for the school’s track program in the spring. The all-district football player is an acting track and field captain.

Cayden Tollefsrud, senior, Mabel-Canton

Tollefsrud has started for Mabel-Canton since he was in eighth grade and won his district’s Defensive Player of the Year award last season in addition to acting as one of the top tailbacks. 

He rushed for 1,010 yards and 11 touchdowns, adding 498 yards and another five scores through the air. Defensively, the three-time all-district player tallied 101 tackles and four interceptions. 

He even returned three kickoffs for six. 

“Cayden loves football,” coach Paul Tollesfrud said. “He is not afraid to put himself out there. He is a competitor and expects the best out of himself.”

Zashon Rich, senior, Minneapolis North

Rich is the state’s second highest rated defensive back, and a 3-star according to 247Sports. He remains uncommitted, but holds offers from Illinois State, North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota and Northern Iowa. 

Rich has great size for a defensive back at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, which he uses on the basketball court, as well. 

Last season, in seven games, he collected 13 tackles, a sack and an interception while adding 358 all-purpose yards on offense.

Cooper Crandall, junior, International Falls

Crandall plays both running back and strong safety. He’s a tough, shifty runner at 5-foot-7, 155 pounds, and a hard-nosed strong safety in the defensive backfield. 

He turned in 48 tackles last season in the Broncos’ defense. 

“I know he’s going to put up some great numbers in the next two years,” coach Seth Ettestad said. “Definitely someone to keep your eye on.”

Kyle Mages, senior, Osakis

Mages was all-district each of the last two seasons and voted team MVP as a junior, after collecting a school-record 12 interceptions. 

“[He’s] very physical on defense with ball hawk abilities to go up and take the ball out of the air and compete with tall athletic receivers for possession,” coach Bill Infanger said of Mages, who now has 18 career picks.

Oberhiri Eyafe, senior, Andover

Eyafe (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) is an extremely lengthy cornerback. As a junior in 2022, he was a standout in Andover’s secondary as the team plowed its way to the Class 5A, Section 7 championship game. 

Eyafe was fourth on the team with 58 tackles, tied for first with six passes defended, and added four tackles for loss and an interception.

Grayson Zurn, senior, Stillwater

Zurn was the leading tackler (61) on a Class 6A semifinal team last season. The Ponies defensive back added a pair of tackles for loss, an interception and five passes defended. 

While Stillwater eventually fell to Lakeville South to end last season, Zurn went out with a season-high 18 tackle performance. 

He’s one of the Ponies top returners this season and should be one of, if not their top defensive player.

Ai’Jhon Douglas, junior, Harding-Humboldt

Douglas became a focal point as a sophomore last season, playing wideout and cornerback while returning both kicks and punts. Douglas scored three touchdowns through the air, three as a returner and recorded a pick-six, too. 

“Ai'Jhon was a spark plug for our team last year,” he said.

Nate Chea, junior, Harding-Humboldt

Chea was all-district second team last year with 34 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble return for a touchdown. 

He played middle linebacker for coach Andre Creighton last season as an “undersized sophomore.” This season, he’s moving back to strong safety, his true position and Creighton is “excited about the impact he will have as a two-way player.” 

Chea will help replace a pair of all-district players in Jode and Julius Trice, who were “focal points” on both sides of the ball last season.

Reid Olson, senior, Forest Lake

Olson brings excellent length in the defensive secondary, standing at 6-foot-3, 180 pounds. As a junior, that size translated into a productive year with 10 pass breakups and an interception for the 7-3 Rangers.

Nolan Dumonceaux, senior, Forest Lake

Dumonceaux is another indispensable piece of the Rangers secondary, joining the lengthy Olson. Dumonceaux brings a punch from the strong safety position. 

He was all-district last season and at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, tallied 74 tackles.

Peyton Ransom, senior, Austin

Ransom was tied for third in the state last season with six interceptions. The 6-foot-2, 160-pound, ballhawk recorded a pick-six and added 13 tackles in what was a shut-down season. 

As for his ball skills, Ransom flashed on the offense side for Austin, too, where he hauled in 27 passes for 513 yards and a pair of scores in eight games.

Conner Martens, senior, Nicollet

Martens was a bright spot amidst a two-win season last year. 

The rising-senior caught eight-plus balls on four occasions and finished the season with 64 catches (No. 8 in state), 980 yards (No. 4 in state) and ten touchdowns at 15.3 yards per reception. 

The 6-foot-2, 160-pounder was also a standout defensively, collecting 54 tackles and five interceptions at cornerback.

Blake Femrite, senior, Spectrum

Coach Dave Hamlin is new to the Spectrum program, but Femrite’s made a great first impression. He was an all-district player last year and is “should be one of our strongest players this year, according to Hamlin. Femrite will be a senior captain.

Gabriel Swedenburg, senior, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy

Swedenburg was one of the more productive juniors state-wide in 2022. In nine games, he hauled in 67 catches (tied for No. 6 in state) for 944 yards (No. 7 in state) and 11 scores (tied for No. 10 in state). 

He eclipsed 120 yards on four occasions. Swedenburg is an impact defender in the secondary, too. 

He added 51 tackles and an interception from the cornerback position.

Will Peroutka, senior, Rosemount

The Rosemount Irish plowed their way to a Class 6A second place finish last fall and a stout defense played a key role in the dominating run. 

Peroutka, especially, stood out with his team-leading 41 tackles, to go along with a pair of sacks and interceptions.

Harrison Brun, senior, Rockford

Brun is a sizable strong safety at 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, who led Rockford with five interceptions last season — two of which he returned for scores. He’s a “hard hitter, very good athlete [and has] good ball skills,” according to coach Daniel Houghton. 

Brun was a 2022 District Defensive Back of the year, all-district first team, his team’s Defensive Back of the Year, and a 2021 all-section player. Brun has given a verbal to Minnesota as a preferred walk-on. 

William Washington, senior, Apple Valley

Washington is a playmaker for Apple Valley, and he is committed to North Dakota State.

Seth Newbern, senior, Robbinsdale Armstrong

Newbern is a 2-star prospect, according to 247sports.com, and he hold an offer from the University of Northern Iowa.

Isaac Davis, senior, Park Center

Davis is also a 2-star prospect, and he holds an offer from the University of South Dakota.

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