California has been a hotbed for quality defensive backs and there is a lot of talent in the secondary heading into the 2026 season.
The top college football programs in the nation have gone shopping for defensive backs in California for many years. Heading into the 2026 season, there are plenty of talented defensive backs in the state who will be playing on Saturdays and Sundays in the future.
Breaking Down the Top 10 Defensive Backs in California
Here are the top 10 defensive backs in California to watch as the 2026 season approaches.
Donte Wright
High School: Long Beach Poly
Commitment: Miami
Breakdown: Donte Wright had 25 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, a forced fumble and 7 pass deflections for Long Beach Poly in seven games last season. He committed to Georgia way back in June of 2025 and flipped his commitment to Miami this past May. Wright is good in press man coverage and can turn and run with anyone with his speed.
JuJu Johnson
High School: Long Beach Poly
Commitment: UCLA
Breakdown: JuJu Johnson missed his junior season due to a leg injury but is one of the fastest players in the state and ran a 10.34 in the 100 meters as a sophomore. He is a ball hawk that tracks the ball well and can get up there on 50/50 balls despite being a smaller defensive back. Johnson can play corner or safety at the college level and is committed to UCLA.
Danny Lang
High School: Mater Dei
Commitment: USC
Breakdown: Danny Lang had 31 tackles, 10 pass deflections and a fumble recovery for Mater Dei last season. He made the move from safety to corner last season and transitioned to the position well. Lang is a sticky corner who can stay in the hip pocket of receivers down the field without drawing flags. He is also a very good run defender who can tackle in the open field and dodge blocks from receivers.
Gavin Williams
High School: Damien
Commitment: USC
Breakdown: Gavin Williams had 63 tackles, 5 for a loss, one blocked field goal, 3 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and 2 interceptions for Damien last season. He covers a ton of the field as a safety and excels in single-high zone coverages. Williams is good in run support, can tackle in the open field and diagnoses plays quickly.
Pole Moala
High School: Serra (Gardena)
Commitment: UCLA
Breakdown: Pole Moala had 45 tackles with a forced fumble and 3 interceptions for Leuzinger last season. He had an eventful offseason transferring to Santa Margarita, then landing back at Leuzinger this summer before transferring to Serra of Gardena. Moala is one of the hardest hitting safeties in the class and closes to the ball very quickly. He can play man coverage outside or move up into the box to stop the run.
Duvay Williams
High School: Sierra Canyon
Commitment: Cal
Breakdown: Duvay Williams had 25 tackles, 3 interceptions and a fumble recovery for Serra of Gardena last season. He spent the offseason at Inglewood and recently transferred to Sierra Canyon. He is smooth in his movements as a corner with good hip fluidity and he can close open windows quickly with his recovery speed.
Myles Baker
High School: Sierra Canyon
Commitment: UCLA
Breakdown: Myles Baker had 34 tackles, 10 for a loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions for Sierra Canyon last season. He had a busy offseason committing to Cal in March and flipping to UCLA in late June. Baker was arguably the MVP at the South County Classic passing tournament in July and had the game-winning interception in the championship game against Santa Margarita.
Malakai Taufoou
High School: Serra (San Mateo)
Commitment: Oregon
Breakdown: Malakai Taufoou had 46 tackles, 2 blocked field goals, 2 blocked punts and 4 interceptions for Serra last season. He is a very good safety in zone coverage and is a good run defender. Taufoou can get to his top speed quickly which is why he’s so effective at blocking kicks.
Isala Wily-Ava
High School: St. John Bosco
Commitment: Washington
Breakdown: Isala Wily-Ava had 40 tackles with 2 for a loss, 1 forced fumble and an interception for St. John Bosco last season and had a monster sophomore season in 2024. He’s a jack-of-all-trades type of safety who can play in the box, cover people in man coverage or patrol big chunks of the field in zone coverage. Wily-Ava has started at St. John Bosco since he was a freshman and is a high IQ defender.
Jaden Walk-Green
High School: Centennial
Commitment: Washington
Breakdown: Jaden Walk-Green had an incredible junior season with 125 tackles, 10 interceptions, a blocked field goal, a fumble recovery, 5 interception returns for touchdowns and a fumble return for a touchdown. He had a breakout junior season and quickly rose up the recruiting boards as a versatile safety who can also play some nickel if needed.
Jalen Flowers
High School: Palos Verdes
Top Offers: Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Texas
Breakdown: Jalen Flowers had 50 tackles and 5 interceptions for Palos Verdes last season. He changes direction seamlessly and has long speed to close open throwing lanes. Flowers has excellent ball skills and times his pass breakups well.
