Scouting Profile: Maxwell Hairston - CB - Kentucky
Sales Pitch: Loose fluid corner with man and zone flexibility. A thin frame and injury history may scare off some teams, but is one of the best coverage players in this class.
*Gold Numbers Indicate NCAA T-25 for 2024*
*Red Numbers Indicate NCAA B-25 for 2024*
Scouting Report
Maxwell Hairston is a former 3-Star recruit from the state of Michigan. He was a two-year starter for the Wildcats, receiving All-SEC honors in both years. Hairston was a 20 game starter during his time at Kentucky, but did miss 5 games in 2024 with a shoulder injury.
Hairston is a loose fluid corner with excellent movement skills and elite speed. He projects well to both man and zone schemes due to his athletic ability and processing skills. Hairston is a feisty DB when in press coverage, using quick jabs to disrupt releases and his foot speed to mirror and stay attached through stems. He is easily able to open up his hips and run vertically, displaying this sub 4.3 speed on a consistent basis. Hairston is just as capable in off coverage with strong route recognition skills and agility to match his target. His closing burst out of his back pedal allows him to drive on the ball and attach to the hip of his mark. Hairston has active eyes and a good feel for jumping routes. He has put up strong ball production with 8 PBUs and 6 INTs in two years. His body control and leaping ability allow him to sky for balls and win at the catch point. Hairston will never be a plus run defender at his size, but he plays with proper leverage when forced into the play. His tremendous long speed also gives him the pursuit range to track down ball carriers from the backside.
Hairston is an undersized DB with a thin wiry frame. His size and injury history will create some durability concerns for certain teams. Hairston doesn’t shy away from bigger assignments in man coverage, but lacks the play strength to win as a press corner versus true X-WRs. He can be boxed out at the top of routes and the catch point down the field as well. Hairston is a below average run defender. His light frame is easily pushed out of the way in run fits. He lacks downhill aggression to shoot gaps and create splash plays as well. Hairston had a tough season tackling in 2024 - 27.3% missed tackle rate - most of which came after coming back from his shoulder injury. Even when healthy, his short arms and lack of play strength make taking down bigger ball carriers a challenge.
Hairston profiles as an outside CB with man and zone versatility. While his size and run defense aren’t ideal, his athletic profile and coverage ability are both first round caliber. Hairston projects as a Top-50 pick and one of the better pure coverage players in this class.