Preseason All-Philadelphia Team: Defense
Pennsylvania provides a steady supply of big-time prospects year in and year out. A large chunk of that player pool consists of prospects who hail from Philadelphia. In this article, we will take a look at the top defensive players…
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Continue ReadingPennsylvania provides a steady supply of big-time prospects year in and year out. A large chunk of that player pool consists of prospects who hail from Philadelphia. In this article, we will take a look at the top defensive players that reside in Philly or close to the Philly area no matter the class. With the 2020 season looming, here is the Preseason All-Philadelphia Team!
Defensive Line
- Elijah Jeudy Elijah Jeudy 6'1" | 208 lbs | DL Northeast | 2021 State PA – 6’3″, 246lbs, Northeast, c/o 2021
- Enai White Enai White 6'6" | 230 lbs | DL Imhotep Charter | 2022 State PA – 6’5″, 225lbs, Imhotep Institute, c/o 2022
- Taleeq Robbins Taleeq Robbins 6'1" | 300 lbs | DL Imhotep Institute Charter | 2021 State PA – 6’3″, 300lbs, Imhotep Institute, c/o 2021
- Shawn Williams Shawn Williams 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Imhotep Institute Charter | 2021 State PA – 6’4″, 260lbs, Imhotep Institue, c/o 2021
Jeudy and White will serve as our pass rushers. Good luck opposing tackles and quarterbacks. Both players serve as the best defensive ends in each of their classes. We are talking all of Pennsylvania here. Jeudy, a Georgia commit, has a quick first step, displays outstanding hand usage, and is an absolute game wrecker who is always looking to force fumbles. He’s a disciplined yet ferocious player who can play with his hand in or off the dirt. 6’3″ isn’t undersized but hopefully, we can see him grow an inch or two to stay playing outside at the next level. White, a junior, is a physical freak. He’s already 6’6″ and again is just a junior. He displays excellent pursuit and upper body strength to go along with his long arms. Robbins and Williams will serve as our defensive tackles. Two total monsters in the trenches who happen to play along side previously mentioned Enai White Enai White 6'6" | 230 lbs | DL Imhotep Charter | 2022 State PA . Both players, who are 260+, move with grace and agility. They both have dominant upper and lower body strength to clog running lanes and provide pressure up the middle.
Linebackers
- Jeremiah Trotter Jr. – 6’0″, 210lbs, St.Joseph’s, c/o 2021
- Eric Gentry Eric Gentry 6'7" | 210 lbs | DL Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti | 2021 State PA – 6’6″, 205lbs, Neumann & Goretti, c/o 2021
- Anthony Johnson Anthony Johnson 6'2" | 230 lbs | LB Neumann-Goretti | 2022 State PA – 6’1″, 230lbs, Neumann & Goretti, c/o 2022
Our offensive team featured the son of a former NFL star, so will our defensive team. They even happen to be on the same team. Trotter Jr., the son of former Philadelphia Eagle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, is a prototypcial middle linebacker who uses his natural-born instincts and great read and react abilities to shoot gaps and cause havoc in the backfield. He’s a bruiser who boasts great tackling technique. Nothing gets past 2021’s best linebacker. Just behind Trotter is a raw but freakish athlete who primarily plays weakside linebacker. Gentry, who is almost 6’7″, loves to rush the passer. He displays great pursuit of the quarterback and has a knack for causing strip sacks. Johnson, a junior, looks to become the best LB in his class as he currently sits as our second best 2022 LB in all of Pennsylvania.
Cornerbacks
- Tyreek Chappell Tyreek Chappell 5'11" | 165 lbs | DB Northeast | 2021 State PA – 5’11″, 177lbs, Northeast, c/o 2021
- Keenan Nelson Jr. Keenan Nelson Jr. 5'11" | 189 lbs | DB St. Joseph's Prep | 2022 State PA – 6’1″, 200lbs, St.Joseph’s, c/o 2022
It doesn’t get much better than these two as both are in consideration for the best corner in the state. Chappell ranks as our fourth best DB in the class of 2021 while Nelson Jr. ranks as the second-best overall player in his class. Chappell is a do it all player who has served as Northeast’s Kick returner and has given snaps at wideout as well. He’s a stud with the ball in his hands and that’s a pretty frequent occurrence. His combination of quick hips and feet let him stay in phase against some of Philly’s more difficult matchups. Nelson Jr. is a natural. He’s awesome when in-phase and at the point of attack. He’s a physical player who deflects a ton of passes and is a nuisance to wideouts. He locates the ball well and is not easily moved off the line of scrimmage. Great size for a junior.
Safeties
- Tysheem Johnson Tysheem Johnson 5'10" | 170 lbs | ATH Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti | 2021 State PA – 5’10″, 190lbs, Neumann & Goretti, c/o 2021
- Saint McLeod Saint McLeod 5'10" | 203 lbs | DB Imhotep Institute Charter | 2021 State PA – 5’11″, 197lbs, Imhotep Institue, c/o 2021
Tysheem Johnson Tysheem Johnson 5'10" | 170 lbs | ATH Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti | 2021 State PA is without a doubt in the discussion for best players in all of Pennsylvania no matter the position. A true free safety who has a nose for the ball and endzone. The kid is everything you can ask for in a ball-hawking defensive back despite being slightly undersized. His good range leaves him seemingly always in the right spot, ready to intercept passes. Johnson has some of the best wheels Philly has to offer as well. Saint Mcleod, a West Virginia commit, is part of a loaded Imhotep secondary that looks to their hard-hitting safety to bring energy play in and play out. He does just that. He’s a thumper that plays with his head on fire. He displays beautiful open field tackling, reading and reacting to pass plays, breaking down and squaring up to bring ball carriers down.
Honorable Mention
- Rahmir Stewart Rahmir Stewart 6'0" | 205 lbs | DB Imhotep Charter | 2023 State PA – 5’10″, 185lbs, Imhotep Institute, c/o 2023
- Javon McIntyre Javon McIntyre 6'0" | 188 lbs | DB Imhotep Charter | 2021 State PA – 6’1″, 187, Imhotep Institute, c/o 2021
- Ken Talley Ken Talley 6'2" | 220 lbs | DL Northeast | 2022 State PA – 6’2″, 220lbs, Northeast, c/o 2022