Pac-12 Football 

Jack Follman’s 2022 Preseason Pac-12 DB Rankings

The deep group of defensive backs is led by a big-time star and quality transfers and returners
, 5 min read
Clark Phillips III could be one of the best cornerbacks in America after showing what he can do in the Rose Bowl. | Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Posted on June 14, 2022


  By Jack Follman, SuperWest Sports
We have a very, very deep group of Pac-12 DBs coming into the season this year, led by a big-time star and filled with quality transfers, a few from within the Conference.

This is a group that was really hard to rank and trim to 12.

It’s all really about Number One, though, a major All-American candidate for Utah.

Clark Phillips | 247Sports
1. Clark Phillips III, Sophomore, Cornerback, Utah
CP III could be one of the best cornerbacks in America after showing what he can do in the Rose Bowl. He’ll have a full season in 2022 to be on the national stage and possibly become a Thorpe Award winner.

Kyu Blu Kelly | Getty Images via 247Sports
2. Kyu Blu Kelly, Senior, Cornerback, Stanford
KBK has been around for years and is a long, athletic corner who looks like an NFL player. If he puts it all together he could become a First-Round pick.

Daniel Scott | Photo by Darren Yamashita
3. Daniel Scott, Senior, Safety, Cal
Super underrated, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound veteran was first-team All-Pac-12 from PFF. He had 82 tackles and three interceptions last year.

Khoury Bethley | AZCentral.com
4. Khoury Bethley, Senior, Safety, Arizona State
Bethley was a stud and tough player for Hawaii, going first-team All-Mountain West in 2021. He’s great at defending the run, rushing the passer, and picking off passes as he had five ints last season.

Jaydon Grant | Oregon State Athletics
5. Jaydon Grant, Senior, Safety, Oregon State
A super veteran who took home several All-Pac-12 honors in 2021, Grant is a versatile player who’s a leader in the Beaver secondary.

Armani Marsh | Associated Press photo
6. Armani Marsh, Senior, Cornerback, Washington State
Marsh had an impressive 80 tackles as a corner in 2021. A super complete DB, he also had three interceptions and can play physical and with precision.

Cole Bishop | Scott G Winterton/Deseret News
7. Cole Bishop, Sophomore, Safety, Utah
Bishop is a future star in the Conference who could be much higher on this list by the end of the season.

He had more than 50 tackles as a freshman and has all the tools to be another scary Utah defender.

Rezjohn Wright | Oregon State Athletics
8. Rezjohn Wright, Senior, Cornerback, Oregon State
A 6-2 veteran with great ball skills and a track record of helping the Beavers shore up their defense, Wright had more than 50 tackles and two ints last year.

Lu-Magia Hearns | Al Sermano/KLC fotos
9. Lu-Magia Hearns, Sophomore, Cornerback, Cal
Hearns looked like the next great Cal DB as a freshman. He had more than 10 pass breakups in 2021 and earned All-Conference honors.

Mehki Blackmon | 247Sports
10. Mekhi Blackmon, Senior, Cornerback, USC
Blackmon was a serious standout throughout his career at Colorado. He’ll immediately make an impact at USC after earning All-Pac-12 honors last year.

Alton Julian | Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
11. Alton Julian, Junior, Safety, Oregon State
Julian stepped up as a starter in 2021 and made second-team PFF All-Pac-12 honors. He’s versatile and is super efficient in coverage.

Christian Gonzalez | Scott Boodt/Ducks Digest
12. Christian Gonzalez, Sophomore, Cornerback, Oregon
The Ducks scored big in getting Gonzalez from Colorado. He has great size and was starting to into a star at Colorado.



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