With the 2023 draft prospects being set in stone A lot of the nation’s best cornerbacks are still in college and a few are in college for a couple more years. This is a list of what I believe are the top cornerbacks in the nation that are still in college.
The first CB and the one I truly to believe to be the best SHUTDOWN corner is Denzel Burke out of THE Ohio State University. Burke has that new age corner frame standing above 6’0 and weighing in at about 195 and having experience playing WR. Coming out of high school Burke had offers from multiple big name schools such as Oregon, Texas, and Auburn to name a few, but they wanted Burke to play receiver. When you watch Burke he reminds me of another buckeye corner Denzel Ward. He’s very physical at the line and makes you work for every yard that you get. While using his knowledge of the route tree he is able to knock off receivers and read the QB in order to get interceptions or pass break ups. I believe that Denzel Burke will be a key anchor for the Buckeyes run this year and will be a top 5 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The 2nd CB on my list has to win the award for best name in the country and that is Kool-Aid McKinstry out of Alabama. In my opinion Kool-Aid may be one of the most athletic players not only at his position but in the country. Again fitting into that new mold of corners standing taller than 6 ‘0 Kool-Aid has really long arms which help him make up ground and force pass break ups. Has the speed and the skill set to play on the boundaries and in the slot most of the time lining up against the opponents best wide receiver and playing lockdown defense as expected by a Nick Saban corner. The only knock on Kool-Aid is he’s only 188 lbs and can be outmuscled by more physical wide receivers. If he can fix that one flaw he has a legit chance of being CB1 next year. In my opinion though Kool-Aid McKinstry may be one of the best corners to ever play for Nick Saban.
The next CB on my list is one that I’m really excited and curious to see as the expectations will be sky high, and that is Travis Hunter out of Colorado. Travis came out of high school as the number one recruit in the nation and turned a lot of heads when he committed to Jackson State led by then coach (and recently hired by Colorado) Deion Sanders. While at Jackson State he played both on offense amounting for 18 receptions for 190 yards and 4 touchdowns, to go with 8 pass break ups, 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown on defense. My immediate thought when I looked at this stat line was former Ohio State and NFL star Chris Gamble or should I even go a step further and say Heisman trophy winner Charles Woodson out of Michigan, who also played both ways. It will be curious to see if Coach Sanders continues to play him both ways in the upcoming season. With the move to the Pac12 I’m excited to see Travis’ potential being fully displayed against a rise in talent (No disrespect towards the FCS). Travis will have to play against QBs such as Caleb Williams and the bounty of weapons he has at USC, and also Bo Nix and the fast pace that Oregon plays. Regardless of how coach Sanders plays him I am excited to see him in Boulder this year and what he can do to help the resurgence of a once proud program.
The next CB on my list was only a Freshman last year and I already think he’s one of the best corners in the nation and that is Will Johnson out of Michigan. Standing at 6’3 he has the size and the speed to play with any wide receiver in the country. He has long arms that help him reach in and break up passes and the smoothness of the hips is just something that you can’t teach. To be honest I had never heard of Will Johnson until the end of the season last year when Michigan played Ohio state. It was in that game that I saw the true freshman go up against the best receiver in college football Marvin Harrison Jr. and play him pretty well. Yes, I’m aware that Harrison Jr. went for 7 catches and 120 yards and one touchdown, but that isn’t all against Johnson. When Harrison was lined up against Johnson he actually only had 2 catches for 36 yards. As an upcoming Sophomore I’m expecting Johnson to take that next step and by the end of the season I wouldn’t be surprised if he finishes higher on this list.
Other CBs to follow: Domani Jackson (USC), Jyaire Brown (Ohio State), Jason Marshall (Florida), and Kamari Lassiter (Georgia).
