Addie Talbott will be a junior co-captain for Staples. (Courtesy)
Still waiting for our CIAC girls positional watch list series to lose some momentum?
It’s not happening here.
The defenders are up next, and it’s a position group in Connecticut that is once again loaded with talent. From upperclassmen committed to Division 1 schools to reigning All-State underclassmen, the CIAC has plenty of defensive talent, both in 2026 and beyond.
As with all of our positional watch lists, the goal is to pick out impact players on teams likely to make noise in the CIAC in 2026. This is not a definitive ranking of the 25 best defenders in Connecticut; the players are organized by graduating class and listed in alphabetical order within each class.
POSITIONAL WATCH LISTS: The full 2026 series
Let’s dive in:
