C.J. Coombes looks like Wofford’s tone-setting safety with All-America upside
In the 2025 season, C.J. Coombes entered as a preseason All-America and Buck Buchanan Award watch-list safety after a breakout 2024 in which he started all 12 games, posted 88 tackles, 5 tackles for loss and an interception, and earned SoCon All-Freshman honors.[3][5] He stands out for production, range and ball skills, and the praise is backed by the fact that he was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award and drew multiple Freshman All-America nods.[3][11] If a team wants a safety who shows up early, plays physical and can be a centerpiece on defense, Coombes is a strong fit—though his 2025 season was interrupted by injury after five starts and 31 tackles.[4]
