Top Safeties in the 2027 Rivals300: Elite athletes shining on Friday nights

NCAAF College Football
September 17, 2026
Adryan Cole (27 - Douglas County), AL), Andre Hyppolite (27 - North Miami Beach), Broken Arrow Tigers (Broken Arrow, Clemson Tigers Network, Douglas County Tigers (Douglasville, Effingham County Rebels (Springfield, FL), Florida State Seminoles Network, GA), Georgia Bulldogs Network, Halls Red Devils (Knoxville, Hampton Hornets (Hampton, Howard Huskies (Macon, Jarrell Chandler (27 - Halls), Jayden Aparicio-Bailey (27 - Prattville), JayQuan Snell (27 - Waxahachie), Jernard Albright (27 - Effingham County), Kamarui Dorsey (27 - Hampton), MD), Miami Hurricanes Network, Millard North Mustangs (Omaha, NE), Nebraska Cornhuskers Network, North Miami Beach Chargers (Miami, OK), Oregon Ducks Network, Prattville Lions (Prattville, Rivals, Rivals Football Recruiting, Semaj Stanford (27 - Broken Arrow), Sports, St. Frances Academy Panthers (Baltimore, Ta'Shawn Poole (27 - Howard), Texas A&M Aggies Network, TN), Tory Pittman (27 - Omaha Central), TX), Waxahachie Indians (Waxahachie

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Some of the best overall high school football players are viewed as safety prospects at the next level. The updated 2027 Rivals300 rankings are loaded with exciting two-way playmakers who will likely end up in the secondary next year.

Of Rivals’ top 300 prospects in the 2027 cycle, 28 are safeties. As of Sept. 17, all 28 are committed. Eleven of those commitments have landed in the Big Ten. The SEC is next with eight, leaving seven for the ACC, one for the Big 12 and one for the Notre Dame.

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Rivals is taking a look at the top 10 safety prospects in the 2027 Rivals300, along with how well their high school programs have performed so far this fall, now that the season is at least a couple weeks old across most of the nation.

1. Kamarui Dorsey — Texas A&M

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 18 NATL.
School: Hampton (Ga.)
Committed Since: Nov. 1, 2025

Dorsey just put together one of the best individual performances you’ll ever see from a defensive back. In a win over North Clayton, he picked off four passes and scored a touchdown, leading Hampton to its first win of the season. Last fall, Dorsey had 61 tackles and four INTs while also totaling 13 TDs on the offensive side of the ball. The Hornets are 1-2 entering this week.

2. JayQuan Snell — Texas A&M

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 35 NATL.
School: Waxahachie (Texas)
Committed Since: Nov. 16, 2025

Through three games for Waxahachie, Snell has 19 tackles and a pair of pass deflections. He stacked over 140 tackles over his sophomore and junior campaigns. The Indians are currently 3-0 and rank as the No. 25 team in the nation and No. 4 team in Texas, per the Rivals Composite Rankings.

3. Tory Pittman — Nebraska

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 43 NATL.
School: Millard North (Neb.)
Committed Since: Aug. 15, 2025

In two games, Pittman has tallied nine catches for 282 yards and four touchdowns, 40 rushing yards and one score on the ground, as well as 11 tackles and a pass deflection. Millard North is now 2-1 and ranks as the No. 7 team in Nebraska, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. Across the previous three seasons for Omaha Central, Pittman picked off eight passes and had more than 150 tackles.

4. Adryan Cole — Georgia

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 76 NATL.
School: Douglas County (Ga.)
Committed Since: July 18

Normally one of the top HSFB programs in Georgia, Douglas County is off to a 1-2 start and ranks as the No. 36 team in the Peach State. In the first game of the season, Cole had nine tackles and a fumble recovery, according to MaxPreps.

5. Semaj Stanford — Oregon

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 83 NATL.
School: Broken Arrow (Okla.)
Committed Since: April 23

After a massive win over Owasso, Broken Arrow is now 3-0 and ranks as the No. 2 team in Oklahoma, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. In two games, Stanford has caught six passes and turned them into 131 yards and a touchdown. He’s also notched seven tackles.

6. Ta’Shawn Poole — Florida State

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 85 NATL.
School: Howard (Ga.)
Committed Since: July 17

Howard is 1-2 thus far, but Poole has been the star of the show for the Huskies. He’s got two interceptions and seven tackles as a DB. On the offensive side of the ball, he’s caught seven passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 59 yards and a TD.

7. Jarrell Chandler — Clemson

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 91 NATL.
School: Halls (Tenn.)
Committed Since: May 18

Chandler is the top prospect on Halls, which is 0-4 early on this season. The Clemson commit remains dynamic on both sides of the ball, despite the rough start. In a season-opening loss to Oak Ridge, he had 11 tackles and a sack, per MaxPreps.

8. Andre Hyppolite — Miami

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 105 NATL.
School: North Miami Beach (Fla.)
Committed Since: June 14

Hyppolite has been excelling on both sides of the ball for a while. Playing quarterback in a win over North Miami last month, he threw for 181 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 69 yards. North Miami Beach is now 3-1 and ranks as the No. 120 team in the Sunshine State, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. Last season, he had 63 tackles, 405 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

9. Jernard Albright — Florida State

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 109 NATL.
School: Effingham County (Ga.)
Committed Since: June 7

Back in the spring, Albright was expected to transfer to St. Frances, the No. 2 overall team in the Rivals Composite Rankings. Instead, he’s back at Effingham County, and according to MaxPreps, he’s got 17 tackles, an interception and a rushing touchdown through three games. The Rebels are 1-2 entering this week.

10. Jayden Aparicio-Bailey — Clemson

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 117 NATL.
School: Prattville (Ala.)
Committed Since: June 27

Prattville is now 4-0 and checks in at No. 5 in the Alabama Rivals Composite Rankings. Aparicio-Bailey has led the charge on defense, racking up 19 total tackles, two pass deflections, two forced fumbles, one recovery and an interception. He transferred to the Lions from Oak Mountain.

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