For the second year in a row, the top defensive backs in the central Florida area gathered at the Central Florida Elite DB showcase held by coach Rod Lindsey, who is widely considered one of the very best DB coaches in all of Orlando. Here are our top 6 standouts of another solid showcase of Central Florida’s Elite.
James Little, Bishop Verot, 2025
An instant standout from individual drills and on, it was clear that Little was one of the most technically sound players on the field pretty early in the workout. Possessing great technique and elite footwork, as well as being smooth and disciplined, can be some of the highest praise to give a DB. James was comfortable, quick, and composed in any drill he was performing and seemed to have all the tools to be a complete and versatile player at any position in the back end. The 2025 3 star holds ten offers, including Illinois USF and Toledo, who all are heavily interested in adding the savant to their secondary.
Noah Flores, Melbourne Central Catholic, 2027
A true technician dedicated to leveling up his craft as fast as possible, Noah is well advanced as a defensive back for his age. Owning disciplined and quick feet allows him to irritate receivers off the line and get in and out of his breaks while sticking like glue to his matchup. Fluid hips and great ball skills pair nicely in the compact versatile DB that will be a chess piece on both sides of the ball for the class of 2027. In a workout that showcased a bevy of solid players much older than Noah he still rose towards the top in almost all the drils, as he did for the second year in a row at this exact camp.
James Jones, Lake Nona, 2025
A defensive back who is blessed with size and long arms will always hold tremendous value to any defense no matter the scheme, and class of 2025 Lake Nona DB James Jones fits the bill. His long arms allow him to make a play on any shot across the middle or deep wherever he lines up pre snap. Jones has size to play nickel boundary or even safety and was a bright spot in individual and group workouts today. He has the ability to get range and depth quickly covering ground in a hurry. Jones should be a solid piece in the backend for the lions this season who looks prime to be a playmaker in the secondary.
Chakai Scott, West Orange, 2026
With the departure of some key players, leading what has quietly been one of the best DB rooms in Central Florida over the last couple years, is Chakai Scott of West Orange. The DB showed extremely fluidity and sound technique at the showcase over the weekend. We’ve gotten to see a good amount of Chakai over the off season, and one thing that has constantly stood out is his ball skills. He has a natural ability to attack the ball at its highest point, and run through the catch point, allowing him to make several plays on opposing receivers. While there was no 1 on 1 competition at the event, he was still able to show off his strong hands and ability to go get the ball. We expect Scott to have a big year on the defensive backend out in Winter Garden.
Ja’Kyri Watson, Osceola, 2026
Watson impressed at the showcase this past weekend, showing off great change of direction & patience from the DB position in the drills. Watson plays for a loaded Osceola defense that could see opponents throw the ball a lot this coming season. If this is true, we can definitely see Watson being a big riser this year, as he should make a lot of plays and prove that he can stand tall in a defense filled with some very good ball players.
Devin Carson, University, 2025
If we had to use one word to describe how Carson looked today, it would be “comfortable.” The ‘25 Safety/Linebacker out of Orange City excelled in his individual workout and the group drills at the DB showcase. He showed off athleticism and an ability to flip his hips and run, as well as his ability to find the ball when it was in the air. Seeing him move like he did with a frame as big as his made us curious as to why he didn’t have any college looks. After cutting on his junior film, we only had more questions. We certainly feel that, if this weekend is any indication of the growth that Carson has made over the off season, a very lucky school will end up with a stud in their defense in about a year.