5 Defensive Tackles From the Sac-Joaquin Section You Should Know About

Out of all the positions on the football field, defensive tackle is the most physically demanding. Interior d-linemen are the first line of defense and have to hold their ground against a lot of double, and sometimes even triple teams. It's not a spot for the weak or faint of heart. Defensive coordinators around the country are continually trying to find people who can clog up the middle of the field and luckily, the Sac-Joaquin Section has plenty of talent in that department. Below is a look at five noteworthy defensive tackles in the area and a snapshot of what they bring to the table. <strong>Jalen Bryant - Inderkum - Class of 2021</strong> <em><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/jalen-bryant/nV9BILcQEemA0ZFtwg1OMQ/football/stats.htm#year=19-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019 Stats</a>: 88 total tackles, 7.5 sacks, 22 TFLs</em> As alluded to above, being hard to move is one of the most important qualities for a defensive tackle and that's exactly the type of player Bryant is. He has good pad level, play strength, and physicality at the point of attack to hold his ground against base blocks and double teams. When unblocked, he has good mental processing to recognize inside runs and break down to be in a good position to make tackles for loss instead of just flying straight up the field. The Tiger also displays good hustle and angles in pursuit to help his teammates on gang tackles down the field. As a pass rusher, he has a good motor with a solid bull rush to put pressure on the quarterback and get coverage sacks. If Bryant starts shooting his hands more consistently against the run and the pass, he'll constantly play in the offense's backfield and be able to add a couple more pass rush moves to his arsenal. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/9821001/Jalen-J-Bryant/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hudl Profile</a> <strong>Shelton Foster - Cordova - Class of 2021</strong> <em><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/shelton-foster/kowhc3yjEeiAyNdjx8XCRA/football/stats.htm#year=19-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019 Stats</a>: 53 total tackles, 1 sack, 10 TFLs</em> At 6'1" 285 pounds, there's no shortage of power in Foster's game. Against the run, he has a good get-off combined with good use of hands and very good play strength to displace offensive lineman and hold his ground against double teams. His strength also allows him to shed blocks with ease and knock running backs backward when tackling in his gap. If the Rancho Cordova native gets a hold of you, even on an arm tackle, you're going down. As a pass rusher, he can win with brut strength on a bull rush and has a solid arm over move with good acceleration for his size to close on the quarterback. If Foster can start playing with a little more knee bend to improve his pad level, and add some quickness and bend to be a more efficient pass rusher, he'll be a dominating force at the Division IV level of the section next season. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/11178309/Shelton-Foster/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hudl Profile</a> <strong>Benjamin Newman - Granite Bay - Class of 2021</strong> <em><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/benjamin-newman/Wc_16L-hEemAzfp8ouYFiw/football/stats.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019 Stats</a>: 31 total tackles, 1 sack, 15 pressures</em> This is the second time Newman has been featured as one of PrepRedzone's top players in the area after making the cut at offensive as well. At defensive line, he has a very good get-off to immediately get penteration off the snap of the ball. He's physical at the point of attack with good play strength to shed blocks and good agility to make plays outisde of his gap responsibility. The Grizzly is also a good tackler in his gap as he plays with good pad level and has enough force to limit the ball carrier's yards after contact. As a pass rusher, he has very good use of hands on all of his moves to swat the offensive lineman's arms away combined with very good quickness to execute stick and arm over moves. His play strength, pad level, and motor also allow him to win with a bull rush. When playing wider alignments, the Granite Bay product has good bend to take efficient routes to the quarterback. Newman enters the 2020 campaign as one of the top players in the Sac-Joaquin Section and should have no problem garnering attention from coaches at the next level. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/9772326/Benjamin-Newman/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hudl Profile</a> <strong>Julius Gandy - Pacheco - Class of 2021</strong> <em><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/julius-gandy/XVovYHqOEeiAyNdjx8XCRA/football/stats.htm#year=19-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019 Stats</a>: 41 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4.1 tackles per game</em> As evidenced by his ability to play tight end and multiple spots along the defensive line, Gandy might be one of the most athletic defensive tackles in the area. Off the snap of the ball, he has a good get-off to get into the offense's backfield combined with good change of direction skills to avoid overrunning the play and make tackles for loss. Also, his good quickness and agility allow him to make plays a gap or two outside of his responsibility when engaged with offensive linemen. As a pass rusher, the Los Banos native is able to win with stick and spin moves due to his good quickness, use of hands, and agility. Also, he displays a good pass rush motor and acceleration to close on the quarterback. Gandy does play with some high pad level and has a habit of taking on blocks with his shoulder against the run, which can cause him some trouble against double teams, but his athletic profile is one that any coach at the next level will be more than happy to work with. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/9511384/Julius-Gandy/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hudl Profile</a> <strong>Tobias Scott - Rosemont - Class of 2021</strong> <em><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/tobias-scott/ddJRRSIuEeiT-Oz0u-e-FA/football/stats.htm#year=19-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2019 Stats</a>: 52 total tackles,1 sack, 6 TFLs</em> Heart is an underrated quality when it comes to any football player and Scott has plenty of it. He's a snap to whistle type of player which shows up in pursuit as he displays good effort and angles to help his teammates in gang tackle situations down the field. In the trenches, he has a good get-off and solid play strength to hold his ground against base blocks. The Rosemont product is good at making tackles in his gap as he uses good pad level and consistently wraps up. Adding some agility and foot quickness will help Scott become a more effective pass rusher, but he has plenty of qualities that any coach would be willing to work with, including the versatility to play on both sides of the ball and special teams. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/10805306/Tobias-Scott/videos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hudl Profile</a> &nbsp;