Top 40 Missouri high school defensive backs to watch in 2024

Kansas State commit RJ Collins and UNLV pledges Antonio Parker Jr. and Vi'Naz Cobb highlight strong group of defensive backs in Missouri

Lutheran North safety Karvon Jefferson / Photo by Nate Latsch, SBLive

The 2024 Missouri high school football season is quickly approaching. With fall practices starting soon and Week 1 only a few weeks away, SBLive is taking a look at the top returning players across every position. 

We took a look at the top 30 quarterbacks in the Show-Me State, top 50 running backs, top 40 wide receivers, top 25 tight ends, top 50 offensive linemen, top 40 defensive linemen and top 40 linebackers and now we turn our attention to the top defensive backs to watch this fall.

TOP RETURNING DEFENSIVE BACKS IN MISSOURI IN 2024

Names are listed in alphabetical order

Jermonte Alexander, sr., Caruthersville

A 6-foot, 180-pound safety who also plays wide receiver, Alexander was a second-team all-state selection in Class 2 a year ago. Alexander also plays basketball for Caruthersville.

Mikell Burden, sr., Lift for Life

Burden, a 6-1, 180-pounder who also plays wide receiver, earned third-team all-state honors in Class 2 a year ago as a defensive back after recording 37 tackles and three interceptions. Offensively, he racked up 612 yards and scored seven TDs.

Cameron Cason, sr., Francis Howell

A 6-0, 170-pound cornerback and wide receiver who also competes in track and field, Cason had 25 tackles and one interception on defense as a junior and caught 15 passes for 231 yards and five TDs. He received offers this offseason from Ball State, Tennessee-Martin, Kent State, Indiana State and Wyoming.

Landon Childs, sr., School of the Osage 

Childs, a 6-0, 170-pounder, was a Class 4 third-team all-state honoree a year ago. He’s also had success in track and field. He won the Class 4 pole vault state championship, clearing a school-record 15 feet 6 inches.

Vi'Naz Cobb, sr., Cardinal Ritter (committed to UNLV)

Ranked as the No. 27 prospect in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. Cardinal Ritter safety racked up 58 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and one fumble recovery as a junior as Ritter won its second straight state title.

Deandre Colbert, sr., Grandview

Colbert, a 5-10, 160-pounder, earned third-team all-state honors in Class 4 a year ago. 

Trevon Collard, jr., De Smet

Collard, a 6-1, 160-pound safety, recorded 24 tackles, three interceptions, one sack and one fumble recovery as a sophomore. This offseason he received offers from Miami (Ohio), Kent State, UNLV and Ball State. 

RJ Collins, sr., Staley (committed to Kansas State)

A 5-11, 175-pound track standout who plays cornerback and wide receiver, Collins is ranked as the No. 28 prospect in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. Ran 10.56 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 21.23 in the 200 at the Missouri Class 5 track and field championships. Received an offer from Kansas State in late June and committed to the Wildcats on July 4.

Gabe DeFily, sr., Fulton

DeFily, a 5-10, 145-pounder, earned third-team all-state honors in Class 4 a year ago. 

Dante Dixon, jr., Park Hill

Dixon, a 5-10, 170-pounder, is a three-sport athlete (football, basketball and baseball) who earned Class 6 first-team all-state honors a year ago as a sophomore. He also plays wide receiver.

Carter Foote, sr., John Burroughs (committed to Fordham)

An athletic, 6-2, 180-pound cornerback and wide receiver, Foote is ranked as the No. 34 prospect in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. Had 18 catches for 169 yards and recorded 17 tackles as a junior. He committed to Fordham on June 22.

Maverick Gentry, sr., Polo

Gentry, a 6-2, 185-pounder, is a rare four-sport athlete (football, basketball, baseball and track and field) who excels at all four sports. He was a second-team all-state honoree in Class 1 as a defensive back and a first-team all-state pick as a punter. Gentry recorded 44 tackles, seven interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He returned two fumbles for TDs and returned one interception for a score. As a QB, he passed for 1,811 yards and 18 TDs and ran for 453 yards. 

Bryer Guerin, jr., Marionville

The Comets’ state-championship quarterback also had a monster sophomore season as a defensive back as he snagged eight interceptions. He earned first-team all-state honors in Class 1.

TaMarkus Holmes, jr., Forsyth

Holmes, a 6-1, 180-pounder, was a second-team all-state honoree in Class 2 a year ago after intercepting four passes. He’s also a dangerous threat wherever he lines up on the offensive side of the ball. 

Josiah Houston, sr., De Smet

A 5-9, 160-pound cornerback, Houston recorded 17 tackles and three interceptions as a junior. He has received several scholarship offers, including from Missouri Southern. 

Karvon Jefferson, sr., Lutheran North

A 6-0, 195-pound safety, Jefferson is ranked as the No. 21 prospect in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. Racked up 156 tackles (25 for losses) and seven sacks as a junior. Has offers from Miami-Ohio, Ball State, Kent State, Wyoming, Missouri State, Southeast Missouri State and Lindenwood, among others. 

Kendric Johnson Jr., sr., Jefferson City

Johnson, a 5-10, 165-pound cornerback and wide receiver who also plays basketball, was a second-team all-state honoree in Class 4 a year ago after recording 33 tackles and four pass break-ups. He had 524 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns.

Davyne Jones, sr., Lincoln College Prep

Jones, a 5-10, 170-pounder, is a playmaker as a cornerback, wide receiver and returner and earned third-team all-state honors in Class 4 last season. He recorded 39 tackles, three interceptions and one forced fumble on defense with 890 all-purpose yards and nine TDs, including two kickoff returns.

Trey Lacey, sr., Festus

A 6-0, 175-pound cornerback, Lacey picked up offers from Tennessee-Martin and Southeast Missouri State this offseason. He had 38 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one sack as a junior last season. 

Sam Lopez, sr., Helias 

A 5-10, 165-pound strong safety and wide receiver, Lopez earned third-team all-state honors in Class 5 a year ago after recording 56 tackles (three for losses), two interceptions and one forced fumble. 

Langston Morgan, sr., Carthage

Morgan, a 5-10, 160-pounder who also plays wide receiver, earned third-team all-state honors in Class 5 a year ago after breaking up five passes and snagging one interception. 

Gionni McBride, sr., North Kansas City

A 6-3 cornerback, McBride is ranked as the No. 26 prospect in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. Has received offers from Kansas, Northern Iowa, Tennessee-Martin, Missouri State and Army. 

Isaac McIntosh, sr., Lee’s Summit North

A 5-8, 170-pound safety who also plays baseball, McIntosh was a key contributor on the Broncos’ 10-1 squad a year ago with 48 tackles and three interceptions. He received a scholarship offer from Drake this offseason. 

Grant Noland, sr., Kearney (committed to North Dakota)

Noland, a 6-0, 180-pounder who plays safety and wide receiver, committed to North Dakota on July 21. In the state title game last season, Noland had eight tackles, an interception and forced a fumble. 

Antonio Parker Jr., sr., Cardinal Ritter (committed to UNLV)

Ranked by Rivals as the No. 6 prospect in Missouri in the Class of 2025, by On3 as the No. 7 prospect, by On3 (industry) as No. 17 and by 247Sports as the No. 29 prospect. Parker was credited with 17 tackles and one interception as a junior during Ritter’s state championship campaign.

Brady Roe, sr., Pleasant Hill

Roe, a 6-2, 185-pound free safety, was a first-team all-state honoree in Class 4 a year after snagging nine interceptions and scoring two touchdowns on defensive returns. 

Chaun Robinson, sr., Fort Zumwalt North

A 5-11, 185-pounder, Robinson earned second-team all-state honors in Class 5 a year ago when he recorded 60 tackles and one interception. 

Josiah Robinson, soph., Lee’s Summit North

Robinson is one of the top prospects in Missouri in the Class of 2027 after picking up early scholarship offers from Arkansas, Central Florida, Kent State and Miami (Ohio). Also runs track. 

Xavier Robinson, sr., Clever

A threat on both sides of the ball as a defensive back or wide receiver, Robinson snagged five interceptions a year ago. 

Roman Roske, sr., Smithville

Roske, a 5-9, 180-pound strong safety, recorded 42 tackles and a team-best four interceptions as a junior a year ago. 

Charles Ross III, sr., St. Pius X (KC) (committed to North Dakota)

A 5-11, 180-pounder, Ross is a playmaker as a defensive back and a returner. 

John Schwartz, sr., St. Vincent

A 6-3, 180-pound cornerback who also plays wide receiver, Schwartz was a first-team all-state honoree in Class 1 a year ago after helping St. Vincent win its first district title since 2006. 

Zakiese Smith, sr., CBC (committed to Indiana State)

Smith, a 5-11, 155-pounder, earned third-team all-state honors in Class 6 as a junior after recording 75 tackles and eight interceptions. Committed to Indiana State on August 1.

Donivan Taylor, sr., Rock Bridge

An athletic cornerback, Taylor recorded 51 tackles, nine pass break-ups, one forced fumble, one interception, one safety and one blocked punt as a junior. 

Austin Tillman, sr., CBC (committed to Northern Illinois)

Ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports, Tillman is a 5-11, 175-pounder. Recorded 19 tackles and one interception during junior season. Ran the 100-meter dash in 10.6 seconds this spring. 

Brooks Volkart, sr., California

A 5-7, 155-pounder, Volkart was a second-team all-state honoree in Class 3 a year ago. 

Dekarai Weaver, jr., Chaminade

Weaver, a 6-0, 160-pound cornerback, earned first-team all-state honors in Class 5 as a sophomore after recording 47 tackles and a team-high four interceptions. 

Alex Wilkerson, sr., Lamar

Wilkerson, a 5-11, 190-pounder, is an impact player on both sides of the ball at quarterback and defensive back. He ran for 802 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Class 2 champs while missing time due to an injury. In the state title game, a 35-28 comeback win over Valle Catholic, he threw for 217 yards and two TDs and ran for 135 yards and two scores.

Amari Williams, jr., De Smet

Williams, a 5-11, 180-pound safety, recorded 37 tackles, four interceptions and one sack as a sophomore. He received offers from Miami (Ohio), Ball State and Kent State this offseason. 

Andrew Young, sr., Webb City

A third-team all-state selection in Class 5 a year ago, Young is a 6-0, 175-pounder who also excels on the baseball field. As a junior, the ball-hawking cornerback recorded 32 tackles and six interceptions. 

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- Nate Latsch |  latsch@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveMiz