Kentucky safety Zion Childress is an incredibly versatile defensive back prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. Beginning his career at Texas State, Childress played all five positions in the secondary as a true freshman. He displayed a skill set that earned him a larger opportunity at Kentucky, one he took advantage of.
Childress recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network. Childress discussed his decision to bet on himself at Kentucky, which teams have shown interest in him throughout the process, and more.
JM: Now that you've had time to reflect, how do you look back on the decision to transfer from Texas State to Kentucky?
Zion Childress: I think it was a great decision honestly. It was all about playing a good brand of football for me in the beginning of the NIL era. I only took three visits. The other two schools offered me NIL money. I took zero NIL money to go to Kentucky.
I just wanted to play quality football in a great defensive system. That was my priority, that was my goal. I can happily say I achieved that.
I'm thankful for my time at Kentucky and everything they did for me. I loved everybody in that building. They helped me grow.
JM: You played in that system effectively. You recorded 114 tackles in two seasons at Kentucky. You had eight tackles for loss. You must be very comfortable with the body of work you've put on tape in that defensive system.
Zion Childress: I’m definitely proud of what I was able to do. I feel like it prepared me for what's coming next, for any aspect of life really. I was very thorough in my work because I committed to the process.
Coach White, coach Stoops, coach Collins, all of them are very detail-oriented in what they do. It became second nature to me to pick up great habits.
JM: There's no doubt about that. You leave college football with 17 career pass breakups and one interception. Is converting those opportunities into more turnovers a point of emphasis for you moving forward?
Zion Childress: It was always a point of emphasis for me. It just felt like any time I was in a spot to make a play on the ball, it wasn't thrown in my direction. I can disrupt the timing.
As for the plays I did make on the ball, I definitely wish I converted a few of those into more interceptions. It would have been a confidence booster. It's definitely a focus moving forward.
JM: You met at the Hula Bowl with all 32 teams. That must have been a fun experience. Which of those kinda stood out to you?
Zion Childress: All of them were fairly similar, though a few of them did feel more in-depth than others. I enjoyed that process. I had great interviews with the Lions, Commanders, Cowboys, Bengals, Texans, and Ravens. Those teams were very detailed and thorough with me.
Those teams enjoyed talking ball with me. Some of the other teams felt a bit more structured.
JM: There's a lot of interest in you and it's easy to see why. Your versatility really pops on tape. You come downhill and play man coverage. You play in the box. You've also played on the back end in zone coverage. It's so important in today's game.
Zion Childress: Honestly, it started at Texas State. I played every single spot in the secondary as a true freshman. That was after I actually played quarterback in high school. I made a smooth transition to the defensive backfield.
I really had to hone in. Playing on the defense became my priority, and I didn't do it until I stepped onto a college football field for the first time.
Playing all five positions in the secondary as a freshman helped prepare me. My second year at Texas State, my DB coach felt like I was a better fit at safety, so that's when I started playing both safety spots as a true sophomore.
When I transferred to Kentucky, being that versatile was pretty foreign to some of the guys. I knew multiple spots. It was very natural to me as a former quarterback. I didn't find it difficult to learn. It was all about great communication.
Playing multiple positions is still second nature to me. It makes me plug and play wherever I'm needed.
JM: This has been outstanding. We've appreciated your time today. That versatility really pops on tape. Why should a team use one of their draft picks on Zion Childress?
Zion Childress: A team should draft Zion Childress because he's a culture changer. I set the culture in the right way. I'm going to get us trending in the right direction.
I'm one of those guys you can lean on. You can trust me to become a leader. Guys can follow me. The coaching staff can depend on me to do my job at a high level.
