A Step Ahead: Jim Stefani's Underclassmen Football Recruiting Blog

Class of 2008: Some Elite Defensive Backs

Will Hill DB/QB 6'2 195 4.40 Jersey City St. Peter's Prep New Jersey

Hill ranks with the very best overall prospects in the Class of 2008 and could emerge as the top DB in the nation…………A First Team AP All-State selection as a sophomore, his junior year he earnd many honors, including being named the Newark Star Ledger’s State Offensive Player of the Year…….Does it all for St. Peter’s Prep, playing QB, WR, S and returning kicks and punts…………As a junior, he completed 39 of 67 passes for 758 yards and 11 TDs and rushed for 682 yards on 58 carries and 15 TDs. He also averaged 36.4 yards per kick return and 20.8 yards per punt return. On defense, he posted 61 tackles, 2 sacks, and 3 INTs. He topped things off with 427 return yards………As a sophomore, Hill led his team to a perfect record and a state title, passing for almost 800 yards and 9 TDs, and rushing for 533 more and 2 TDs. On defense, he recorded 56 tackles and 3 INTs………..An athletic, versatile and exciting athlete who I already had rated as the top overall prospect in the state as a junior……..I project him as a college safety, due to his outstanding size (perfect for a safety), speed, leaping ability (great vertical), nose for the ball and, in particular, his hitting ability. He just loves to hit and is a tremendous tackler.……At quarterback, he’s a versatile run-pass combo athlete in the mold of Vince Young or Troy Smith. He has improved his passing dramatically and has put in a great deal of time studying film and improving his mechanics. His coach feels that he would be just a dynamite D-1 QB….."The Thrill" definitely has the game to back up the nickname. A very special player……By the end of 2006 he had already received offers from such powers as Notre Dame, Florida, Florida State, Michigan and Ohio State


Boubacar Cissoko DB/WR 5'9 175 4.40 Detroit Cass Tech Michigan

Cissiko is the top prospect in Michigan’s Class of 2008 and arguably the top pure cover corner in the nation………….First exploded onto the national scene with an outstanding performance at the 2006 Columbus Nike, outshining highly touted rising senior DBs……..Followed that up by being named the overall combine MVP at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine in San Antonio, showing off his tremendous coverage ability and sticking like glue to every one of the combine’s top receivers………..Exceptionally quick, very aggressive and second to none in the prep ranks when it comes to press coverage. Is really outstanding in the bump-and-run. Has outstanding recovery speed. Is also a real hard hitter. He has that confidence and swagger needed to excel out there on that island known as cornerback. The only trait he lacks is ideal height…….Returned 2 kicks for TDs and had 52 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 3 INTs as a junior in earning Detroit Free Press First Team All-Detroit honors…..As a sophomore, he registered 29 tackles…..Plays for a program that is among the Detroit PSL’s best, having produced the likes of Class of 2007 star Joseph Barksdale……..2.9 GPA….As of the end of 2006 he had offers from schools such as Michigan, Tennessee, Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa.


Darius Barksdale DB/RB 6'1 190 Batesville South Panola Mississippi

Barksdale ranks right up there with the very best DBs in the nation.....A two-way prep star at RB and FS for the most powerful program in Mississippi, he projects as a free safety in college…..A consensus First Team All-Stater as a junior after tallying 35 tackles and 4 INTs on defense and rushing for 1,042 yards and 9 TDs………..Nicknamed “Tig”………On film as a safety, he displays tremendous speed in getting up to the line and closing gaps and is very, very physical. He shows a lot of emotion but always plays under control…….Some scouts felt he was already the top overall prospect in the state as a mere sophomore……..2.8 core GPA and a 20 on the ACT…..Very impressive at the 2006 Mississippi summer camp…………The top player in Mississippi.


Patrick Johnson DB 6'0 191 4.47 Pompano Beach Ely Florida

Johnson came on like gangbusters as a junior and is now considered to be one of the top overall DBs in the nation……….An outstanding CB/S prospect who really wowed onlookers at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, walking away with Defensive MVP honors. He has the size to play safety but the quickness and open hips to play CB………As a first year starter his junior season he earned consensus First Team All-Broward County honors after recording 54 tackles and 7 INTs and scoring 10 TDs (3 on kick returns)……One scout who saw him early in his junior season said: “He has really come out of nowhere to become he top underclassman in Broward. I guarantee you, he’s good enough to be playing for a school like Miami or Florida State right now.”…..As of early January he had received offers from Florida and Florida State.


T.J. Bryant DB 6'1 175 4.40 Tallahassee Lincoln Florida

Bryant is one of the nation’s elite DBs………As a junior, he was named First Team All-Big Bend by the Tallahassee Democrat after recording 27 tackles, 3 INTs and 2 PBUs………As a sophomore, he tallied a team-high 7 INTs……..Plays for a program that regularly produces just about as much talent as any school in the nation……Considered by some analysts to be the top overall prospect on the team as a junior, which says something as there are at least 7 or 8 BCS caliber seniors on the tam, including a couple of All-Americans. In fact, his coaches feel that he could be the best player ever to emerge from Lincoln (which says something, as super DBs Antonio Cromartie, Greg Threat and Pat Watkins all played at Lincoln)...…..A young junior, he has pretty good size, outstanding athleticism, a real nose for the ball and excellent speed. As a sophomore, he had the fastest time in the state in the 300-meter hurdles (38.02 seconds) and finished third in the state meet……By the end of 2006 he had early offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Illinois.

posted by Jim Stefani @ 9:42 AM