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ESPN - Kirkpatrick leads class of big, fast CBs - Football Recruiting

As a whole, this '09 class is a feisty, physical group of corners who take pride in stepping up hard to defend the perimeter run or the pass. Our top seven prospects, Dre Kirkpatrick (Gadsden, Ala.), Darius Winston (Helena, Ark./West Helena), Prince Kent (Norcross, Ga.), Darrell Givens (Indian Head, Md./Lackey), C.J. Barnett (Clayton, Ohio/Northmont), Janzen Jackson (Lake Charles, La./Barbe) and Marcus Davis (League City, Texas/Clear Creek), claim average measurables of approximately 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds. Collectively, they have the physical demeanor needed to play aggressively at the next level and, more importantly, the natural size to back it up.

In terms of a total football player at the position, it's hard to find a more savvy, more instinctive and more athletic corner than Givens, ESPN's No. 4-rated prospect. The Penn State pledge needs some technique refinement but flashes the skills and ability to be effective in a variety of different schemes and defenses. Givens can press, mirror in off-man or break with great burst undercutting routes. The Maryland native's ability to also get over the trash quickly and find the football on run support make him one of the more well-rounded corners of this class.