Top Corners, Safeties to Watch in CIF Southern Section Football (2026)

Long Beach Poly's 5-star tandem at corner, Donte Wright and Juju Johnson, are among the top defensive backs to keep an eye on this 2026 season.

Ca'ron Williams (21) returns for his junior season at Santa Margarita as one of the top corners in the the CIF Southern Section. | Jeremy Westerbeck

California's CIF Southern Section is riddled with talent, but is there a more dynamic group to keep tabs on this upcoming 2026 high school football season than defensive backs?

Some of the nation's best cornerbacks and safeties play on Friday nights in Southern California.

Here's a look at a bevy of the Southland's most dynamic athletes trying to do what most consider the hardest thing to do in football: stop the pass.

TOP DEFENSIVE BACKS TO WATCH

Sierra Canyon's Myles Baker is a UCLA commit primed for a big senior season. | Rene Morales

Donte Wright, Long Beach Poly, Sr.

College: Miami

2025 Stats: 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, seven press breakups and two sacks. Considered the top cover corner in California.

Juju Johnson, Long Beach Poly, Sr.

College: UCLA

2025 Stats: Did not play last fall due to injury.

Danny Lang, Mater Dei, Sr.

College: USC

2025 Stats: 31 tackles, 10 pass breakups and a fumble recovery. Lang was selected to the Navy All-American Bowl as an underclassman.

Gavin Williams, Damien, Sr. (S)

College: USC

2025 Stats: Had a monster junior year with 63 tackles (5 TFL), eight pass breakups, two interceptions. Also caught 23 balls for 401 yards and four TDs.

Jalen Flowers, Palos Verdes, Jr. (S)

College: Undecided (36 offers)
2025 Stats: 50 tackles, two for loss, three pass breakups and five interceptions.

Myles Baker, Sierra Canyon, Sr. (S)

College: UCLA

2025 Stats: Had 34 tackles (10 TFL), five pass breakups, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack last fall. Also runs track (100, 200, LJ).

Ca'ron Williams, Santa Margarita, Jr.

College: Undecided (25 offers)

2025 Stats: 47 tackles, two tackles for loss, four pass breakups, three INTs and one returned for a TD.

Duvay Williams, Sierra Canyon, Sr.

College: Cal

2025 Stats: In nine games for Gardena Serra, had 47 tackles, a pick and 16 pass breakups. Caught 12 balls for 196 yards at wideout.

Jaden Walk-Green, Corona Centennial, Sr. (S)

College: Washington

2025 Stats: High School On SI's Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 with 125 tackles, 10 INTs and five returned for touchdowns. Also added a punt return for TD and blocked field goal.

Jordan Hicks, Mission Viejo, Jr.

College: Undecided (31 offers)

2025 Stats: 62 tackles, 1.5 TFL, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and five picks.

Khalil Terry, Tustin, Sr. (S)

College: UCLA

2025 Stats: Four-year starter with 62 tackles, 16 pass breakups and four INTs as a junior.

MORE DBs TO WATCH

Ace Leutele, Mater Dei, Jr.; Darius Johnson, Notre Dame/Riverside, Sr.; Pole Moala, Gardena Serra, Sr.; Isala Aisa Wily-Ava, St. John Bosco, Sr.; Evan Mack, Crean Lutheran, Sr.; Dylin Bruce, Huntington Beach, Sr.; Dillon Davis, St. John Bosco, Sr.; Tahj Skinner, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks, Sr.; Noah Clark, Inglewood, Sr.; Dylan Northcutt, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks, Syracuse, Sr.; Caysen Badawi, Valencia, Sr.; Brandon Nash, St. John Bosco, Jr.; Derrick Coleman Jr., Gardena Serra, Jr.; Micah Hannah, Simi Valley, Jr.; Chauncey Washington, Orange Lutheran, Jr.; Terence Parsee, Rancho Cucamonga, Jr.; Jaxson Rex, San Clemente, Jr.; Jordan Slye, Salesian, Jr.; Kiingbaraka Kizzee, Mission Viejo, Jr.; Zion Phelps, Loyola, Sr.; Blaise Burwell, Edison, Sr.; Kayden Brooks, Cathedral, Sr.; George Hastings, Agoura, Sr.; Kanan Khansarinia, Bishop Amat, Sr.; Kyle Westbrook, Redondo Union, Sr.; Josh Tyler, Oaks Christian, Sr.; Oliver White, Crespi, Jr.; Trejean Jefferson, Rancho Cucamonga, Sr.; Zion Fasiso’o Viliahmu Alexandre Key, Charter Oak, Jr.; Tucker Murray, Corona del Mar, Sr.; Royalton Allen, Oak Hills, Jr.; Jamarcus Harmon, Pacifica, Jr.; Elias Har, Rio Hondo Prep, Sr.; Elijah Williams, Chaminade, Sr.; Faruq Muhammad, Sierra Canyon, Sr.

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2025 CIF-SS RECAP

PALMER LEADS SANTA MARGARITA TO GLORY

When looking back at the 2025 high school football season in the CIF Southern Section, the lede is undoubtedly Santa Margarita — for a multitude of reasons.

Former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer came back to his old stomping grounds and won all the big prizes in year one.

Santa Margarita shared the Trinity League title with St. John Bosco and Mater Dei before going on to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship and CIF State Open Division titles. The Eagles thumped Corona Centennial at the Rose Bowl 42-7 thanks to 10 catches for 292 yards and four touchdowns (two rushing) from Player of the Year Trent Mosley (who is now at USC).

Palmer would guide Santa Margarita to a rout of De La Salle two weeks later, 47-13, at Saddleback College in December to lift the CIF State crown and finish the season 11-3.

When Palmer lifted the CIF-SS Division 1 plaque at the championship podium in the Rose Bowl, it was the first time a program not named St. John Bosco or Mater Dei lifted the Southern Section's top division trophy since Corona Centennial did it in 2015. 

THE ‘MONEY MAN’

One of the biggest stories in recent prep sports history broke last fall when the emergence of Brett Steigh, also known as the ‘Money Man’, who made an appearance on FATTAL FACTOR, a weekly live sports show via Youtube with hosts Tarek Fattal and Aram Tolegian.

Steigh admitted to years of CIF violations at programs like Narbonne (his alma mater), St. Bernard, and most recently, Bishop Montgomery. The biggest confession came when he admitted to paying families up to $50,000 (plus expenses) to get their sons to play high school football at a program of his choice.

The fallout from the story resulted in Bishop Montgomery cancelling its varsity football season. The head football coach Ed Hodgkiss was fired and the President of the school Pat Lee was forced to resign. More than 20 players were deemed ineligible and hit with Bylaw 202 for falsifying documents, which means the student-athletes can’t participate in varsity athletics for up to 24 months.

The school ended up hiring Oscar McBride this past spring in efforts to start over. McBride is a former college and NFL standout who built Murrieta Mesa High into a CIF championship-level program. Murrieta Mesa was 0-9 before McBride was hired and led the program to a Division 6 title in 2024. 

2025 CIF-SS CHAMPIONS

Click HERE for a quick recap of all the CIF Southern Section football champions from 2025 from Divisions 1 through 14.