As the 2024 Texas high school football season draws near, the American-Statesman is ranking the best players by each position group.

High school reporters Rick Cantu and Colby Gordon will start with offensive linemen and end with quarterbacks this week.

OUR TEAM RANKINGS: The 10 best Austin-area teams heading into 2024 season

OUR PLAYER RANKINGS: Top 10 OL | Top 10 DL | Top 10 LBs

ANSWERING KEY QUESTIONS: Which are high school is most likely to win state? Which nonplayoff team from 2023 will get in this year?

Top 10 defensive backs in the Austin area

(Players listed in alphabetical order)

Cam’Ren-Chance Brooks, Lake Travis safety

Helped the Cavs go 11-3 and reach the regional final while earning second-team all-Central Texas honors. A Stephen F. Austin pledge, he also has an offer from Colorado State.

[ Why Lake Travis comes in as the No. 2 team in our preseason area countdown ]

Kaden Cook, Stony Point cornerback

The Cal commit was a unanimous all-district pick last fall and leads an underrated Tigers defense. 

Jorian Guinn, Weiss safety

The district defensive newcomer of the year and a second-team all-Central Texas pick recorded 73 tackles and 11 passes defended a year ago. The junior is part of a loaded Wolves secondary. 

Aidan Jones, Vandegrift cornerback

Recorded 44 tackles, three interceptions and blocked three punts for the district champion Vipers last year. Voted third-team all-Central Texas as a junior.

No. 5 Vandegrift will rely on defense while revamped offense makes its mark this fall

Eyan Jones, Liberty Hill cornerback

A first-team all-district pick for Glenn, the senior transfer gives the Panthers a lockdown corner who is getting Division I looks.  

Payton Luther, Westlake safety

A first-team all-district pick last fall, he returns to help lead a loaded Chaps defense. 

Coleman Patmon, Del Valle cornerback

The unanimous first-team all-district pick and third-team all-Central Texas selection paces the Cardinals’ playoff hopes. Patmon, a senior, is committed to Arizona. 

Yaheim Reilly, LBJ safety 

The district co-defensive MVP was also a third-team all-Central Texas pick. Just a junior, he already has offers from Baylor, Houston and Texas Tech. 

3 KEY QUESTIONS: LBJ, No. 6 in our preseason countdown, may be state contender after realignment

Jason Stokes, Weiss cornerback

A lockdown defender, the Utah commit takes away half the field for the Wolves. Combines with Guinn to make up half of the best secondary in the area. 

[ The best WR-CB battle in the state doesn’t wait for Fridays. It happens every day on a Weiss practice field ]

Aiden Walker, Round Rock cornerback/safety

A very physical player who is underrated, he was voted first-team all-district and helped the Dragons to the playoffs.  

Keep an eye on: CJ Anderson, Connally; Judson Mann, Rouse; Jordan Davis, Travis; KJ Houston, LBJ; Jayden Riley, Bastrop; Jaheim Dowd, Georgetown; Timothy Boyd, Johnson

AUSTIN – Authorities in Austin are urgently seeking information on the whereabouts of 29-year-old Brenna Swindell, a single mother of three who has been missing since Thursday, Aug. 22.

Brenna was last seen in Austin, and her family became alarmed when they could no longer reach her and discovered that her phone had been turned off. Adding to the concern, Brenna’s white Kia Carnival, bearing Texas plates VFS7528, is also missing.

It is believed that Brenna may be in the company of her ex-boyfriend, Morgan Guidry. According to a Facebook post by Brenna’s family, sightings of Brenna’s vehicle were reported on I-25 in Colorado on Friday evening, with additional possible sightings in Colorado Springs on Sunday evening.

The Austin Police Department is leading the investigation, and efforts are being made to activate the GPS on Brenna’s vehicle to pinpoint its location. However, challenges remain as both Brenna’s and Morgan’s cell phones are turned off, making it difficult to trace their movements.

Greg Swindell, a Houston native, Texas Longhorn legend, and former Astros player, is actively involved in the search for his daughter Brenna. The family is urging anyone with information to come forward, emphasizing that Brenna would never willingly abandon her children, and they fear she may be in serious danger.

Brenna is described as 5′5″, weighing around 120 pounds, with brown shoulder-length hair often worn in a high ponytail. She has distinctive tattoos, including a sleeve with flowers on one arm and a spider web on her other shoulder.

If you have any information regarding Brenna Swindell or Morgan Guidry, please contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-5000.