Daymeion Hughes attended Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, California where he was a four-sport athlete as a member of the football, basketball, tennis and track teams. As a junior, Hughes had over 2,000 total yards (1,500 rushing, 520 receiving). On defense he recorded 49 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 2 sacks. He was named all-league and all-city for his play as a junior. As a senior, Daymeion rushed for over 600 yards and added 720 receiving yards. He scored a total of 15 touchdowns on the season. On the defensive side of the ball he racked up 48 tackles and 10 interceptions. He was an all-region player and was named league player of the year. He finished second for California prep player of the year. Daymeion was considered to be one of the top cornerback prospects in the nation. He accepted a scholarship to the University of California where he became an immediate contributor as a true freshman. He started 5 games and finished his first season at Cal with 30 tackles and 2 interceptions. He received Cal’s Bob Simmons Award for the team’s most valuable freshman. As a sophomore, Daymeion totaled 26 tackles and finished second on the team with 6 pass break-ups. His junior season would be a breakout year for the young cornerback. He finished with 62 tackles, 12 pass break-ups and 5 interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. His 17 passes defended were good for first in the Pac Ten.

Daymeion Hughes has a great deal of experience, having started at cornerback for Cal since his true freshman season. He has a good combination of size, speed, and athleticism for the position. He’s a tall, slender cornerback with long arms. Over the past couple years, Hughes has greatly improved his overall technique as well as his recognition skills. He has great ball skills and is a very good open field runner who is a threat to take it the distance after the interception. His height allows him to matchup well against taller receivers but he is a bit thin and can be outmuscled by stronger receivers. He would benefit from adding a few pounds of bulk and increasing his strength. His speed is good enough to stay with most receivers but he doesn’t possess elite speed for a defensive back. He is fooled by the playaction too often and also needs to improve his backpedal. Daymeion is a solid run defender but I would like to see him be more aggressive in that area. Daymeion Hughes has the height that scouts love to see in a cornerback. He has a lot of upside and all the tools to develop into an excellent cornerback at the next level. His poor 40 time has dropped him from the late first round to the second-third round area. He will likely be selected by a team that doesn't play alot of man to man.