Top Class Of 2021 Tacklers In Iowa
Dana Becker
Good tackling is often overlooked from the outside perspective of football, but for those that play and follow the game, they know a great one when they see them.
While offense remains all the rage today, being able to slow down - and bring down - someone with the ball is just as important to winning games.
These five Class of 2021 defenders are nearly impossible to get away from once they put you in their line of sight.
<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23820" first="Zach" last="Twedt"] - Roland-Story</strong>
Originally, [player_tooltip player_id="23820" first="Zach" last="Twedt"] announced he would be attending Iowa State to continue his football career. However, the Roland-Story junior flipped to Iowa after a visit and is now part of a growing group of soon-to-be Hawkeyes.
For now, though, Twedt will continue to dominate at the prep level.
This past year, he recorded 113.5 total tackles, including 80 solo stops. Twedt also finished as one of the top offensive players for the Norsemen, scoring six touchdowns.
<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23848" first="Ryan" last="Cole"] - Bettendorf</strong>
Coming up from the secondary, Bettendorf’s [player_tooltip player_id="23848" first="Ryan" last="Cole"] was a defensive standout.
Cole recorded 73.5 tackles including 10.5 stops for loss and a pair of sacks. Of those 73.5 tackles, 62 were of the solo variety as he also recovered a fumble and picked off a pass.
The leading tackler back in Class 4A, Cole and the Bulldogs will look to build off a nine-win campaign that included a run to the state semifinals.
<strong>Nate Ewell - Waterloo West</strong>
Waterloo West’s Nate Ewell had himself quite the junior season, recording 73 tackles including 64 solo stops.
Ewell also had seven tackles for loss and a sack while recovering a fumble and intercepting a pass. He touched the ball eight times on offense and scored three touchdowns.
<strong>Tegan Bock - Boone</strong>
When you lined up against Boone, offensive players knew to spot Tegan Bock and get a man - or two - on him. It didn’t matter, though, as Bock was still able to find the ballcarrier and make the tackle.
The junior finished with 93.5 stops this past year, including 70 solo tackles. He also picked off four passes.
Bock showed his skills transitioned nicely on the offensive side, catching a team-high 29 passes for 324 yards with a pair of scores.
<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="23921" first="Blake" last="Willey"] - Dallas Center-Grimes</strong>
After a loss to Pella in Week 1, Dallas Center-Grimes won nine consecutive games to reach the state quarterfinals. [player_tooltip player_id="23921" first="Blake" last="Willey"] was a big part of that success for the Mustangs.
Willey led the team with 87.5 tackles including 12 stops for loss and four sacks. Of his tackles, 67 were solo ones as he also recovered a fumble and returned an interception for a touchdown.
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