Traeviss Stevenson
Bio
Recruiting
Scouting Report
Traeviss 'Trae' Stevenson Jr. is a 6-1, 195-pound defensive back from Brooks County (Quitman, GA) who was Georgia Tech's first 2026 commit (3/18/2025), held firm through summer pushes from Georgia, Texas, Florida State, Auburn, Florida and Michigan, signed 12/3/2025 and is enrolled as a true freshman. He was a late riser, moving from a high three-star (88) to four-star status on both 247Sports (90, No. 23 safety at the time of the bump) and Rivals (91, No. 16 CB, No. 129 nationally); the 0.9195 composite and No. 224 national figure in the record are consistent with his final industry ranking (~No. 213). The stored 'Unknown' position is a data gap, not a scouting signal: he is a versatile secondary piece whose best fit is likely low safety or nickel rather than boundary corner.
Physical Profile
Listed 6-1, 195 on the Georgia Tech roster after being 6-0.5/175-181 on the camp circuit, so he has added roughly 15 pounds in a college strength program without any reported loss of twitch. Length and frame profile better at safety/nickel than at outside corner. Verified testing from an Under Armour camp: 4.51 laser 40 and 4.46 shuttle, which is good, not elite, straight-line speed paired with genuinely quick change of direction. That combination (adequate long speed, plus short-area burst, plus a frame that can carry 200) is the classic overhang/nickel or box-safety build, and it lines up with why 247Sports slid him to the safety board even as Rivals kept him at CB.
Play Style
Aggressive, downhill defensive back who plays like a small linebacker in run support and like a free safety in coverage. He triggers fast on run/pass keys, fills the alley willingly, and wraps up in space. In coverage he is more of a zone-eyes, break-on-the-ball player than a sticky man-cover corner, which is why the interception and PBU totals are high relative to his timed speed. He also brings tangible special-teams value (247 explicitly notes it) and a physical edge; the two-way workload and 18 carries for 136 yards show he is comfortable with the ball in his hands after a takeaway.
Strengths
- Ball production and instincts: 4 interceptions and 10 pass deflections as a junior on a state runner-up team, including two picks in the 2024 opener vs. Cook. 247's Andrew Ivins calls him a 'quick read-and-react defender' who 'finds ways to make plays.' Prep Redzone's Matt DeBary credits him with strong instincts and ball skills in both man and zone.
- Tackling and physicality for a DB: 74 tackles (third on the team) with multiple double-digit tackle games, plus a 10-tackle, forced-fumble, fumble-recovery game vs. Irwin County. Ivins specifically flags him as a 'consistently successful open-field tackler' who 'embraces alley-filling duties,' which is rare and valuable in a high school corner.
- Positional versatility and two-way athleticism: repped at multiple secondary spots for Brooks County and also produced on offense (29 catches for 244 yards and a TD, 18 carries for 136 yards). All-state (GACA) on defense and all-region on offense in 2024. That flexibility is why GT is trying him at safety/nickel rather than locking him at one spot.
Areas to Improve
- Long speed for boundary corner: a 4.51 is fine for safety/nickel but is the main reason he projects inside rather than as a true island cover corner against Power 4 vertical threats. Refinement of press technique and transition at the top of routes will decide if outside corner stays an option.
- Level of competition and unknowns: Brooks County plays GHSA Class A Division I, and no verified 2025 senior stat line or college snaps exist yet. His junior tape carried the ranking bump; the jump to ACC receivers is the first real test of whether the instincts hold up at speed.
College Projection
Georgia Tech lists him at cornerback but fall-camp coverage tracked him among the freshmen possibly entering the rotation at safety. Realistic year-one path: special teams contributor and situational nickel/dime snaps, with Jaedyn Terry the other freshman DB drawing the same 'keep an eye on' language in the late-August depth-chart projection. Neither was projected as a starter. By year two or three he profiles as a starting nickel or strong/low safety in a scheme that values tackling from the secondary, with a multi-year starter ceiling if the ball skills translate.
NFL Outlook
Legitimate but developmental. 247's scouting staff explicitly notes 'long-term professional prospects,' and the profile (6-1, 195 and growing, 4.5 speed, plus-quick shuttle, high-end tackling, ball production, special-teams willingness) matches the modern hybrid safety/nickel that gets drafted on Day 3 when the college production is there. He will need to prove he can hold up against Power 4 slot receivers and show more than 4.51 speed on tape. Draft radar is real if he becomes a two- or three-year starter at GT; nothing about the physical tools screams early-round.
Best Fit
A defense that uses a versatile overhang/nickel or a rover-type safety who is asked to tackle in space, blitz off the edge occasionally, and play zone with his eyes on the quarterback. Georgia Tech under Brent Key fits that mold well, which is likely why he never wavered despite SEC offers. He is less suited to a pure press-man, boundary-corner-heavy scheme that isolates him on outside speed receivers.
Player Comparison
Similar physical frame at 6'0" 180 lbs with elite athleticism and versatility that made him valuable despite not being a blue-chip recruit initially. Both possess the type of dynamic playmaking ability and speed that translates well from Georgia's talent-rich high school football scene to major college programs, with Hardman developing from a 3-star recruit into an NFL contributor through his explosive athletic traits.