5 of the Best Defensive Backfields in the State

You have entered the no fly zone! The defensive backfield is home to some of the most athletically gifted recruits thanks to the requirements of the position. Being able to read what is happening and react in time to make plays consistently is no easy task. Neither is the ability to line up across from a receiver and copy his moves so quickly and smoothly that it looks like he is getting covered by his own reflection. Wisconsin is home to several teams containing kids that can do just that. Ahead, we will take a look at five of the best defensive backfields in the state. We will look at what they return from last season and who the potential next men up will be this season in place of the 2019 graduates. So, let’s get into it! Muskego Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="30725" first="Hunter" last="Wohler"], [player_tooltip player_id="30749" first="Mason" last="Buehler"] Potential Next Men Up: Eyan Ven Roy, Jake Schalk, Luke Manegold, Max Mlachnik, Drew Dahlman, Kaden Reid. Muskego is returning two of the most talented defensive backs in the state this season. Wohler, a Badger commit, and Buehler, the recipient of several D2 offers, lead a defensive backfield that looks to continue to put the clamps down on the opposing offenses in the Classic 8 Conference. Wohler’s range and ability to play at all three levels of the field paired with Buehler’s loose hips, fast play speed, and reactive athleticism make for what looks like the best duo in the state. Pair that with the team’s consistent ability to develop impactful players year after year and you end up with little doubt that they should remain as one of the best, even after the loss of a few graduates from 2019. Muskego has plenty of potential guys with some varsity experience to fill those voids including Eyan Ven Roy, and Max Mlachnik. That will be key as they look to replace players like Tyler Arthur in the defensive backfield. Both Eyan and Max have the skills to make the jump to being consistent contributors this season. Eyan will be one of four defenders returning with an interception to his name. Their development is going to be one of the key areas to watch as Muskego attempts to defend their 2019 state championship. Indian Trail Hawks Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="30737" first="Clayton" last="Bishop"], [player_tooltip player_id="30764" first="Raymone" last="Jones"], [player_tooltip player_id="31333" first="Stefon" last="Mitchell"] Potential Next Men Up: [player_tooltip player_id="31331" first="Dilan" last="Williamson"], Jamar Thompson, Aiden Burrell- Warfield, Brett Preston Indian Trail will field one of the deepest backfields in the state this season. [player_tooltip player_id="30737" first="Clayton" last="Bishop"] is one of the top individual DBs in the state. He holds several offers including NDSU and SDSU and it is easy to see why. He is a playmaker on defense. He can get sideline to sideline in no time and is just as dangerous in the run game as he is against the pass. [player_tooltip player_id="30764" first="Raymone" last="Jones"] will be a key new addition. He is a dangerous two way option for the Hawks this season. I expect to watch him dominate on offense as a receiver, but he could also make a big time impact on the defense with his aggressiveness, speed, and ball skills. They also return [player_tooltip player_id="31333" first="Stefon" last="Mitchell"], who was a big time impact player as a sophomore. His read and reaction traits are very high. His ability to process what he is seeing and then make a play based off that is impressive for an athlete his age. He is going to a player to watch over the next couple years because he has next level abilities. They also return several kids who saw playing time during varsity games. [player_tooltip player_id="31331" first="Dilan" last="Williamson"] returns with the most experience of the kids looking to step in as the next man up. A lot of the returning players and Dilan have experience at safety at it shows. This backfield is looking like it is shaping up to be one of the hardest hitting units in the state. They are going to be fun watch as they come together this season. DeForest Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="31001" first="Trace" last="Grundahl"], [player_tooltip player_id="31220" first="Deven" last="Magli"], and [player_tooltip player_id="31282" first="Logan" last="Engeseth"] Potential Next Men Up: Kase Reierson, Peyton Laufenberg, Bennet Girten. Interesting to see that we have our second state champion of the article here. DeForest has a lot of talent ready to take the field among their defensive backs group. Players with experience and players with high upside and potential. [player_tooltip player_id="31001" first="Trace" last="Grundahl"] and [player_tooltip player_id="31220" first="Deven" last="Magli"], both recipients of D2 offers, are exceptional talents. Grundahl is a a hard hitting safety who can line up anywhere on the field and win the rep. Magli is an uber talented junior who looks like he could be just getting into his potential after a 10 interception season as a sophomore. I wouldn’t be shocked to see those D2 offers turn into even higher offers. [player_tooltip player_id="31282" first="Logan" last="Engeseth"] joins them as another player who looks to just be tapping into his potential after a strong sophomore season that saw him make plays on offense and defense. Logan has a nose for the ball and knows how to make a play with it in his hands thanks to his strong play speed. They look to lead and continue to develop with a solid group of players looking to step up and make consistent plays for them this season. Kase Reierson enters the year with the most varsity experience of the group that are looking to make the next step to being consistent playmakers for the DeForest defense. He enters his junior season with a handful of varsity games under his belt. Kase, along with Peyton and Bennet, will look to be the next man up for a defensive backfield that houses some serious individual and combined talent. Brookfield Central Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="31236" first="Jack" last="Tinnen"] and [player_tooltip player_id="31316" first="Michael" last="Hankinson"] Potential Next Men Up: Jack Ockwood, Danny Assimakopoulos, Evan Neubauer, Eddie Ayala. Brookfield Central enters the 2020 season with one of the younger defensive backfields. Don’t let that mislead you. [player_tooltip player_id="31316" first="Michael" last="Hankinson"] and [player_tooltip player_id="31236" first="Jack" last="Tinnen"] are both incoming juniors with high ceilings. Hankinson has already began to receive some D3 interest and I expect Tinnen to be close behind. The potential these two have with two seasons still ahead of them is imense. Tinnen is a hard hitting safety who might be best as a safety/LB hybrid where he can line up all over the field. He is excellent filling against the run game and makes kids remember it when he hits them. Hankinson is an intriguing cornerback. He already has great length for the position and his read and reaction in zone coverage is excellent. The speed that he can process what is happening in front of him and make a play is next level. Plus he has a knack for always ending up where the ball is. The group looking to step up is made up of several players who have the key to continuing to have success in the defensive backfield, varsity experience. Jack Ockwood leads them with the most experience as he actually played in the majority of games last season. Danny, Evan, and Eddie have lesser experience, but have still felt what it is like to play under the lights. This is going to be a talented and pretty sufficiently experience group for Brookfield Central. It should be a unit they can rely on. Franklin Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="30873" first="Dyson" last="Klubertanz"], [player_tooltip player_id="31089" first="Jarrick" last="Miller"], [player_tooltip player_id="31243" first="Daniel" last="Martens"], Will Henschel Potential Next Men Up: Logan Matthews, John Do, Kaden Rosas, Franklin football have hit the lottery with their defensive backfield. They return three key players to the unit as well as two more who have a ton of experience from last season leaving them with the least amount of questions compared to the other teams on this list. Klubertanz, Miller, and Martens are going to make it tough to find any sort of openings to throw into. QBs attempt passes at your own risk this season. Miller is an exceptional athlete. Last season we saw him play safety, QB, and receiver. While at safety you can see his exceptional processing skills and very good closing speed. Dyson is a playmaker as a corner and return man. He does a great job at the catch point. He can make the pick, dislodge the receiver from the ball, or disrupt the receiver’s hands at the catch point. His football intelligence is evident in his film. The only non- incoming senior of the three is Martens, but don’t let that fool you. He has plenty of experience flying around the field making plays for Franklin. As a junior, Martens has the traits you look for. He has the range to cover deep, he can play close to the line of scrimmage and in the box, and he can deliver a big hit. I expect his recruitment to be an exciting one. Just because they have a ton of returning players doesn’t mean they don’t have exceptional players ready to step up. Henschel is undersized for the position, but he is scrappy and fearless. He has quick feet and isn’t afraid to come up and make a play or deliver a hit on plays in front of him. Logan Matthews had a role in nearly every game last season, John Do was able to get some Friday night game time in, as has Kaden Rosas. Franklin football is going to have one of the deepest defensive backfields in the state. A unit that really could enforce a no fly zone.