Safety recruits often prove to be some of the most versatile and athletic in every recruiting class and that looks to be the case once more in the 2027 cycle.
There’s a hefty wave of blue-chippers at the position this cycle. When looking at the updated Rivals300 rankings, there are 31 five and four-star safeties among the 300 featured recruits. Of those 31 safeties, 20 are committed, as of June 3.
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Those 20 commitments have dispersed among 17 schools. Three programs — Texas A&M, Nebraska and UCLA — each have a pair in the fold thus far. A&M owns commitments from each of the nation’s top two safeties.
Below is a look at the top safety recruits in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals300:
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 18
School: Hampton (Ga.)
Scouting Summary: Physically imposing, versatile safety prospect that plays with violence in the run game who has massive range as a middle of the field rover. Verified 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with great length. Two-way player who doubles as a receiver for his high school program. Shows excellent movement skills on tape on both sides of the ball and in the camp circuit. Has great long-speed in order to cover sideline to sideline as a center fielder or when coming downhill to run the alley. Excellent trigger when working downhill and has no problem detonating ball carriers, very comfortable around the box. Has the ability to play man coverage in the slot or outside. Needs to continue developing hip flexibility and fluidity in order to be more reliable as a coverage player in the underneath and intermediate levels of the field. Has the ability to walk in and compete as a heavy nickel early on at the next level that will eventually develop into a true three-dimensional defensive back that has the ability to play man, zone, and stop the run.
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Rivals300 Ranking: No. 35
School: Waxahachie (Texas)
Scouting Summary: In what is shaping up to be a strong safety class, Snell is the most physical and biggest hitter in the group. Has a long, lean frame with room to add good weight and has incredible striking ability for a player of his stature. Decisive getting down hill, running the ally and is very quick to trigger. Can run through lanes, find the football and does not miss. Excellent open field tackler and is able to break down in space. Might not have the frame to ever be as big, but has a similar play style of Seattle Seahawk hybrid Nick Emmanwori. Looks like a player you can line up all over the field to take advantage of his physical style, range and high end athleticism. Has some strong metrics with a 23’ long jump and 45’3” triple jump. Love the motor and high end compete level as well and if he stays healthy, it’s difficult to imagine Snell not playing on Sundays.
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 43
School: Millard North (Neb.)
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Scouting Summary: Great natural feel for the position with high end football instincts. Not a big framed safety but will hot you and plays a physical game. Ability to quickly read and react jumps out on tape. Really flashes to the football, takes great angles and is one of the better open field tacklers in this year’s class. Strong track profile with back to back top 5 state finishes in the long jump and a personal bet of 23’4.5”. Has some offensive production and shows value in the return game as well. Explosive football player who just makes plays and has the type of all around game where we can see him playing early in his college career. High power 4 prospect with the talent to play for anyone and an NFL ceiling.
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 80
School: Douglas County (Ga.)
Georgia trending for Cole: “I can really see myself fitting into that program and developing there,” Cole said of UGA when speaking with Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “Practice was competitive and high-tempo. You can tell there’s a strong standard. Guys are coached hard and held accountable, but they also support each other. I really like the energy around the program and how intentional everything is. Seeing how the coaches interact with players and getting a better feel for the culture and expectations day-to-day keeps Georgia high on my list.”
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Rivals300 Ranking: No. 85
School: Howard (Ga.)
The Skinny: Poole’s recruitment has carried an expected SEC flavor, but it’s Clemson that’s garnered some momentum as of late. Dabo Swinney and the Tigers are red-hot on the recruiting trail and Poole was among the blue-chippers in Death Valley last weekend. That round of official visits has led to myriad commitments already and Poole is one to keep an eye on as he gears up for a busy summer.
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 91
School: Halls (Tenn.)
Scouting Summary: Big-framed two-way athlete who projects as a big safety with the potential to grow into a linebacker. Measured in at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds with solid length and 10-inch hands prior to his senior season. Strong overall football player on Friday nights, making big plays as a safety and wide receiver. Primarily lines up covering the slot on defense, but will move around depending on matchups. Projects as a plus run defender. A physical presence when operating in the flats. Diagnoses, breaks down in space, and closes quickly. Quality form tackler and finishes with authority. Also sticky in coverage. Has fluid movement skills and the ability to redirect in coverage. Has fared well in 1-on-1 matchups against Power 4 pass-catchers on Friday nights. Finds a way to be around the football. Makes high-end grabs, with interceptions as a defender and contested catches as wide receiver, showing top notch ball skills. The coordination he shows as a receiver bodes well when projecting the ability to play the ball in-air on defense. Finished his junior season with 94 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 interception and three forced fumbles on defense along with 42 catches for 691 yards and seven touchdowns on offense. Has posted an 11.37 second mark in the 100 meters along with a 6-2 foot high jump in track and field. Will be interesting to see where he ends up size-wise given his larger frame, but has the skill set to be a defensive playmaker regardless of which position he ends up playing.
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Rivals300 Ranking: No. 95
School: Broken Arrow (Okla.)
About: As a junior in 2025 the 5-foot-10, 185-pound safety made a huge impact on the field for Broken Arrow. He accounted for 743 yards and 14 total touchdowns while logging 109 total tackles, five interceptions, two of which he returned for a touchdown. He also had five pass breakups and forced two fumbles while contributing on special teams by blocking two field goals, one of which was returned for a touchdown. — via ScoopDuck’s Max Torres
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 97
School: St. Frances Academy (Md.)
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Scouting Summary: Three-phase playmaker who along with safety, sees action at receiver and special teams. Physical player and one of the biggest hitters in the ’27 class. Can get downhill in a hurry and is a heat seeking missile from his safety position. Big frame at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds and plays with an enforcer mentality. Runs well and shows plenty of range. Makes plays sideline to sideline and has the size and athleticism to move around and play multiple spots in a defense. Has the toughness and physicality to play some in the box if you wanted more speed in your front 7 but projects at safety and looks like a potential early impact player in college with an NFL ceiling.
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 105
School: North Miami Beach (Fla.)
Miami trending for Hyppolite: “They show a lot of love,” Hyppolite told CaneSport last month. “They were one of the first schools to offer me during the recruiting process. I definitely have a lot of love for them. I’ve been to campus a couple of times, and they let me know I’m a priority. They just went to the national championship. It means a lot that they think highly of me.”
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Rivals300 Ranking: No. 117
School: Prattville (Ala.)
Scouting Summary: Versatile defensive back with a really nice all around game. Has a safety frame but a corner skill set and could legitimately play anywhere in the secondary. Plays more safety in order ti impact the game more but being recruited more as a corner. Long and rangy and covers a ton of ground. Gets great jumps on the ball and is one of the more instinctive defensive backs in the country. Flys off the hash and shows knock back ability at the point of contact. Plays the ball well in the air and is able to cover down the field without being to handsy. Has shown at various 7v7 events he’s very capable as a potential lock down corner. Strong in press coverage and can bully opposing receivers at the line of scrimmage. Does a nice job high pointing the football and flashes big play ability with the ball in his hands. Big frame and still filling out and his likely college position will be determined by how much size he puts on over the next few years. Very talented around player and should see the field early in his college career.
Other top safeties in the 2027 Rivals300
11. Corey Hadley — Nebraska commit
12. Pole Moala — UCLA commit
13. Kaston Lewis
14. Jaden Walk-Green
15. Tavares Harrington — Michigan commit
16. Gavin Williams — USC commit
17. Marcus Jones
18. Davion Jones
19. Myles Baker — Cal commit
20. Eli Johnson — Ohio State commit
