On3/Rivals: NJS Prospect Watch Defense, Day 2
- Will Garlick, Rivals/On3
- Jun 15
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
The National Junior Showcase was held in Houston, and here are the defensive players who stood out on Day 2:
Defensive Backs
My top prospect at the YAA Junior Nationals in Houston was cornerback Tyson Davis, who will be entering the 8th grade this season. Davis projects as a D1 defensive back, with advanced cover skills and intelligence for his age. He stands 5-9, which is tall for a defensive back who still has a year before entering high school. I believe Davis could have competed against the receivers at the YouAreAthlete High School Nationals back in May. He should continue to grow and develop, and I see him as a Rivals star recruit.
I was surprised to see that Jarrett Smith didn’t receive an award for defensive back. I thought he was one of the best defensive backs and one of the top players at the camp. He signed up as a receiver but switched to defensive back to get more reps. Smith hails from Fairfield, North Carolina, and will attend Westover High School.
Linebacker
Jaxson Houston is 6-1, 195 from L.D. Bell High School in Texas. He was selected as one of the top linebacker performances MVPs. Houston was one of the taller linebackers at the camp. He is a player who started off as an edge rusher and can go between defensive line and linebacker.
Linebacker Javion Lewis (5-10, 183) was listed as a top performer on the first day and also a camp MVP award on day two at the YAA Nationals. Lewis is from Monticello, Arkansas, and he plans to attend Drew Central in Oklahoma City. Lewis won an award for a camp MVP for running back at the Kansas City camp in March. This time, he worked out at linebacker and won a camp MVP award for that position.
Linebacker Dylan Washington (5-8, 165) was a top performer on Day 1 and only sealed the deal as the top linebacker with a solid Day 2 performance. He plans on attending Klein High School.
Channing Wran III (5-7, 180), who will attend Friendship Collegiate Academy, was selected as a top linebacker. He has a compact, stocky build better suited for inside linebacker. He did well in the cat-and-mouse chase drill against the running backs.
Defensive Line
Zakeem Ruff attends Toledo Central. Talking to the camp coaches, they said Ruff had a rough first day, but he improved a lot on the second day. He was named one of the camp MVPs on the defensive line. Sakeem Ruff is listed at 6-4, 190, and he has an 83-inch wingspan. Ruff will attend Central Catholic Toledo in the fall.
Edge Gregory Hampton III (6-2, 180) lined up at Defensive End and was one of the top pass rushers. Hampton is a member of the National Honor Society and has a 3.9 GPA across all AP classes. He received a camp honorable mention award, with only five defensive linemen being selected for Camp MVP awards. He will attend North Little Rock in Arkansas and plans to play Edge and Tight End.
I thought 2031 Oliver Miller (6-2, 190) was one of the top edge rushers in the drills and during the one-on-ones, but he was not selected by the camp coaches. Still, he did enough to earn a Rivals profile as a rising 8th-grader. During one pass rush, he used one arm to move the offensive tackle away for a “sack”. He was explosive, navigating the pylons and quick through the footwork drills.
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