Scouting Journals for Zay Mincey

Tall, athletic and versatile defensive back with signs that point to a high developmental upside. Measured at over 6-foot-2.5 and around 180 pounds prior to his senior season. Has plus length with a wing-span over 6-foot-7. Primarily lines up at corner for his high school team. Shows good coverage instincts. Undercuts routes to make plays on the ball. Runs well in coverage and stays attached on vertical routes. Can flip his hips as a taller defensive back. Uses his length to disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage and make plays on the ball. Can track and locate the football over his shoulder. A three-sport athlete. Backs up his athleticism in track and field with a 6-4 high jump and 43-foot triple jump. Also plays basketball for a team that made a deep playoff run. Needs to continue adding strength and can improve his tackling. While widely viewed as a safety, could feasibly play as a bump and run cornerback in certain schemes.

No cornerback in San Antonio showed more traits or pure upside than Zay Mincey. The Daytona (Fla.) Mainland pairs plus size and length at 6-foot-1.5, 185 pounds with an 80-inch wing span with strong athleticism and movement skills. Mincey was good in coverage throughout the practice and seemed to get better as the week wore on. In Saturday’s game, we saw him make a great play in coverage, intercepting pass in the end zone. Mincey was able to stay in phase with Gatlin Bair – likely the fastest player in the cycle – and turned to locate the ball and come down with the pick. We also like his ability in run support. Cornerback is a traits-based position and he has that type of high-end ability in spades. Mincey, who committed to Alabama during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game, gives the Crimson Tide another top talent at corner.

Alabama signee Zay Mincey (No. 17) has the best pure physical traits among top cornerbacks in the 2024 cycle. He checks in at around 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with plus length, paring the big frame with plus athleticism. Mincey was a lockdown boundary corner for Daytona (Fla.) Mainland as a senior and backed that up with a strong showing at the All-American Bowl, where On3 tabbed him as the top corner in attendance. The athletic profile is strong and points to a high developmental upside. Mincey is a strong track athlete and doubles as a good high school basketball player.