Vote: Who Are The Top Returning Mississippi High School Defensive Backs for 2025?

We have selected 14 individuals to watch for this season

Hartfield's Bralan Womack (2) and the Hawks take on MRA in Madison, Miss., Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. / Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As we continue previewing the top returning high school football players from across the country, we turn our attention to the top returning defensive backs in Mississippi.

This position group might be the best in the state, and this group is headlined by Bralan Womack who is touted as one of the top recruits in the country. Braylen Bedford of Vardaman is set to build upon his dominant freshman season, and Iverson McCoy looks to be the next great defensive back for Pete Goulding's defense.

All of these nominees are worthy of your consideration, and as always, we ask you, the fans, to vote on who you think is the top returning defensive back in Mississippi for 2025.

Here are the nominations:

Bralan Womack, Hartfield Academy

Womack enters the 2025 season as the top rated safety in the country according to 247 Sports. In 2024, he finished with 28 solo tackles, 39 total tackles, one tackle for a loss, eight interceptions and two pass breakups. He took back four of his interceptions for touchdowns.

Braylen Bedford, Vardaman

He finished with 29 solo tackles, 67 total tackles and one tackle for a loss. Bedford intercepted one pass which he took back for a touchdown, forced six fumbles, recovered three fumbles and blocked one field goal. One of the fumbles he forced, he also recovered and took it back for a 92-yard touchdown. He currently holds 24 scholarship offers which is the most of any incoming sophomore in Mississippi, and these include offers from Penn State, Tennessee, Florida State, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

Preston Ashley, Brandon

The composite four-star cornerback recently committed to play for the Colorado Buffaloes and Deion Sanders, and it's easy to see why Sanders recruited him. In 2024, Ashley finished with 26 solo tackles, 68 total tackles, one sack, two hurries and three tackles for a loss. Ashley blanketed one side of the field by tallying one interception with five pass breakups. He also forced one fumbled and recovered one fumble which he took back for a touchdown.

Iverson McCoy, Tupelo

McCoy is one of the defensive standouts from last year's Class 7A state champion team who returns for another season in 2025. Last season, McCoy finished with 41 solo tackles, 65 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss. He also recorded 12 pass breakups, three interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Collin Flanigan, Oxford

The Vanderbilt Commodore commit finished with 28 solo tackles, 35 total tackles and one tackle for a loss last season. He also recorded two interceptions, 11 pass breakups and one fumble recovery.

Tylan Wilson, Pascagoula

Wilson is another elite high school defensive back in Mississippi who is back for another season. The Texas A&M commit finished the 2024 season with 73 total tackles, two tackles for a loss, six interceptions and six pass breakups.

Dolph McDonald, Morton

In the first nine of the season in 2024, McDonald finished with 31 solo tackles, 51 total tackles, three interceptions and nine pass breakups. His size and length gives him a greater advantage on the perimeter that helps him better defend passes in the red zone as well.

De'Anthony Miller, Jefferson County

Miller finished 57 solo tackles, 62 total tackles, nine interceptions, 30 pass breakups and one forced fumble in 2024. He also took one of his interceptions back from a touchdown.

Jordan Rogers, Horn Lake

Last season, Rogers finished with 40 solo tackles, 78 total tackles, seven interceptions, nine pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recover.

Harlem McClendon, Myrtle

In his junior season, McClendon finished with 33 solo tackles, 43 total tackles, five interceptions, one pass breakup, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery that he took back for a touchdown.

Favian Dawkins, Stone

Dawkins had an exceptional 2024 season, and he hopes to further build upon that this season. Last season Dawkins finished with 82 total tackles, nine pass breakups, five interceptions and one interception return for a touchdown.

Trey Wallace, DeSoto Central

Wallace finished with 27 solo tackles, 30 total tackles, one tackle for a loss, four interceptions and 10 pass breakups in 2024.

Raderrion Daniels, Lake Cormorant

In 2024, the Purdue Boilermaker commit finished with 21 solo tackles, 28 total tackles, three interceptions, 12 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Brendan Harper, Raleigh

Harper finished his 2024 campaign with 21 solo tackles, 40 total tackles, eight interceptions and two interception returns for a touchdown.

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll.