2020 Preseason All-Missouri Area Team (Defensive Seniors)

While high schools in Kansas City and St. Louis battle to see if they will play in the fall, most of the rest of the state is already in full swing. In a season where there were no summer camps or showcases, the game film will play an even more pivotal role in colleges offering players. Here are the players who already may have offers but are looking to upgrade and a few who deserve not only media hype but college hype as well. Defensive Linemen <img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-44118" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/08/20200816_152056-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />[player_tooltip player_id="37214" first="Adison" last="Barnett-Hill"], Columbia Hickman (6’2, 250) High effort player who works to stay low off the snap and constantly works his hands to get unblocked. Unleashes all his power on contact with the ball carrier and finishes each tackle with force. Barnett-Hill may be undersized to play DE in college but if he can work on improving his lateral quickness in space, he has a spot as a 3-4 OLB at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id="37313" first="Desmond" last="Davis"], Caruthersville (6’, 270) Powerful off the line of scrimmage, Davis uses lateral quickness, short area burst and win at the snap leverage to take on blockers. For a big man, the Caruthersville product is light on his feet and if he was playing at a bigger school, would have multiple offers. Look for Davis’ recruiting to explode in 2020. [player_tooltip player_id="37338" first="Weston" last="King"], Palmyra (6’3, 246) Country strong defines King and the way he plays the game of football is how roughnecks get after each other. A solid player on both sides of the football, King has viciously powerful hands, tosses players with ease like the wrestler he is and when he can’t wrap up the ball carrier, snatches the runner by the jersey and slings him down. King still hasn’t hit his growth spurt yet. Once he gets on a college campus and learns the intricacies of the game, he can become a monster. Linebackers <img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-44881" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/08/20200819_150442-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />[player_tooltip player_id="37199" first="Daniel" last="Hutcheson"], Cabool (6’3, 233) A broken collarbone sidelined Hutcheson in 2019 but in the games he played, he was a wrecking ball. Hard to find fast players that are his size in high school. Hutcheson plays with his hair on fire and wants to hit anything getting in his way. If the Cabool product was at a larger program, he would be a top 30 recruit in the state of Missouri. If Hutcheson stays healthy in 2020, college coaches will be flocking to his school.   [player_tooltip player_id="37319" first="Randol" last="McDowell"], Jackson (6’, 225) Instincts and field awareness define the Jackson product. The dominant high school program is loaded with talent on defense but McDowell stands out for his leadership and knowledge of the game. Reacts quickly to find the football and once he locates the rock, attacks with a controlled anger. McDowell has good spatial awareness and is adept in man/zone coverages equally well. [player_tooltip player_id="37287" first="Jacob" last="Duke"], Jefferson City (6’1, 201) Duke is one of those players that always seems to put himself in the right spot at the right time. The Jeff City LB plays square to the line of scrimmage, flows with ease and strikes the ball carrier with force. Since he plays so smart, Duke causes quite a few fumbles, is around the pile to pick up turnovers or is in the passing lane to create interceptions. True middle linebacker when he makes the college ranks. [player_tooltip player_id="37291" first="Lane" last="West"], Boonesville R-1 (6’2, 217) The reason I absolutely love scouting and writing for Prep Redzone is to find players like [player_tooltip player_id="37291" first="Lane" last="West"]. The Boonesville product is a warrior on both sides of the football but will be a star LB in college. Plays the game with physicality, is a brute on contact yet has the speed and quickness to get around blocks and make plays. With another productive year in 2020, West’s recruiting will jump to the next level. Defensive Backs [player_tooltip player_id="37388" first="Carson" last="Prenger"], Blair Oaks (6’2, 185) Prenger looks and moves like a college safety on the high school field. Plays under control, comes to balance well in space and makes the sure tackle. The Blair Oaks product is rangy and has the speed to make plays on the ball from the hash to the sideline. As a savvy receiver himself, Prenger uses his knowledge of routes to anticipate and thus makes plays on the football in the air. [player_tooltip player_id="37395" first="Drake" last="Dudley"], Hannibal (5’10, 180) Dudley is just a football player. Whether the football is in his hands on offense or he is breaking up passes on defense, the Hannibal native seems to always be around the football. Dudley gets the most out of his talent by playing smart, with God-given instincts and field awareness. His leadership skills are evident as he makes all the players around him better. [player_tooltip player_id="37416" first="Bode" last="Abraham"], Buffalo (5’11, 155) Small school players litter this list yet all of them play bigger than the level they represent. Abraham is a perfect example. A long, lean player, Abraham plays to the whistle, is a smooth athlete in space, flips his hips with ease and transitions out of his backpedal quickly. The Buffalo product could compete with any bigger school players and hold his own. <img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-44361" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/08/20200817_142836-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" />[player_tooltip player_id="37409" first="DJ" last="Witt"], Carthage (5’7, 160) There is a popular phrase among football coaches that states, ’it is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.’ [player_tooltip player_id="37409" first="DJ" last="Witt"] epitomizes that phrase. Not the biggest nor fastest player on the football field, but one any team would want. A sniper from his safety position, Witt takes acute angles, plays the football well in the air and is looking for the knockout blow anytime he drops the lumber. Carthage is a better football team when Witt is on the field directing traffic.