Top 4-Star Safety Rejects Four College Football Powers in Major Recruitment Update

These four college football programs missed out on the commitment of a 2027 four-star safety prospect.

Oct 11, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) carries during the fourth quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Four-star safety Davion Jones is part of the flurry of 2027 prospects to announce their college commitments to open July.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pounder announced his commitment to South Carolina on Thursday. He chose the Gamecocks over LSU, Georgia, Auburn and Indiana.

A glance at Jones' recruiting profile

Jones is the No. 9 safety, No. 6 prospect in North Carolina and No. 139 overall prospect in the class of 2027, according to Rivals' industry rankings.

In his last two seasons at Hough High School, Jones combined for 118 tackles, three tackles for loss, 19 pass breakups, a pair of forced fumbles and 11 interceptions. Jones also runs in the 100-meter dash for Hough's track and field team.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins called Jones a "playmaking safety that could play over the top or underneath" and "quick to get on his horse and to the football, whether that be in zone coverage or run support" in a scouting report from August of 2025.

Impact of Jones' commitment on South Carolina's 2027 recruiting class

South Carolina defensive back Jalon Kilgore (24) intercepts a pass meant for Clemson running back Adam Randall (8) during the first quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C. Saturday, November 29, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Gamecocks' 2027 recruiting class has nearly doubled in number since the back half of June. Of South Carolina's 15 commitments, Jones is the second-highest rated prospect in the class.

The highest-rated prospect is five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson, who happens to be Jones' teammate at Hough. Rivals considers Dobson the No. 3 cornerback in the class of 2027.

In addition to the duo at Hough, South Carolina also holds a blue-chip commitment from four-star cornerback Kelvin Millington. The 6-foot-3, 180-pounder is the No. 40 cornerback in the class of 2027 in Rivals industry rankings.

Impact of Jones' commitment on his other finalists

Of Jones' other four finalists in his recruitment, LSU is the only one with a blue-chip safety commitment in its class. The Tigers flipped Greedy James away from Texas following a seven-month-long commitment to the Longhorns; he ranks as the No. 28 safety in the class.

While they have yet to land a commitment from a blue-chip safety, Indiana and Auburn hold a pair of safety commitments each.

Hoosier commits Brady Scott and Garyon Hobbs both rank as top-60 safety prospects in the class. For the Tigers, Knyair Crumb ranks as the No. 51 safety in the class, while Nasir Banks sits just outside the top 100 safety prospects.

Georgia has not yet recruited a safety, let alone a defensive back, to its 2027 class. However, the Bulldogs are firmly in the mix for a coveted in-state target in Adryan Cole, who is the No. 4 safety in the Rivals 300 rankings.