5 of the Best Edge Defender Duos in the State

Setting and rushing the edge of the offensive line is arguably the most important position on the defensive side of the ball. Having the strength to contain the run game, and also the flexibility and athleticism to rush the edge is not easy to do and it is hard to find at the high school level. However, I have dug through tons of film and found five of the best tandems to do just those things. Ahead we will take a look at who each player is, the best traits they have to offer, and end with a quick look into the college interest they may have or need to start receiving. Let’s get into the first team! Brookfield East [player_tooltip player_id="30803" first="Harrison" last="Kielar"] and [player_tooltip player_id="30845" first="Ryan" last="Bromberg"] Harrison is an impressive talent off the edge. He has excellent size and length with a frame that looks like it is ready to hold more. His quickness off the line gives him the upper hand against offensive linemen and then his hand usage gives him further advantage over linemen helping him create separation to make a move and close on the quarterback. Harrison’s strength is noticeable throughout his film as well. Even when blockers get a good shot on him they seem to be the ones who bounce off or change direction. Harrison stays on his path to the QB. Thanks to that strength and athleticism combination I believe could become a solid three down contributor at the next level. Bromberg’s major strength is his speed and overall athletic ability off the edge. He has a quick burst off the line and really nice speed to put pressure on O-linemen and RBs staying in to block. His ability to eat up space quickly leaves them little time to react and effectively block him. Ryan’s hand fighting and ability to maneuver through traffic make him a really nice pass rushing prospect for the next level. His frame might not allow him to play with his hand in the dirt, but he will be able to rush the edge from a two point stance effectively. As for offers, Harrison’s offers match the talent. He has three D1 level offers to go along with a handful of offers. That strongly matches the film he has put out there. Bromberg currently sits with two offers, one from St. Norbert’s College and one from Simpson College. Those should just be the beginning. With his athletic traits and motor I expect to see more and more D3 teams and maybe even some D2 programs take notice. Sun Prairie [player_tooltip player_id="31201" first="Isaac" last="Hamm"] and [player_tooltip player_id="30815" first="Carter" last="Helt"] There isn’t much of a secret when it comes to Hamm. He is one of the most elite prospects that Wisconsin has to offer. His first step off the ball makes him essentially unblockable for one man. He has the perfect blend of size, speed, and strength. On any snap he can win with quick twitch and speed or he can use his strength to reset the line of scrimmage three yards in the backfield. He has everything you want in an edge defender making it obvious why he is so highly sought after by the elite programs. This season will be a big opportunity for Helt. He will have the chance to have a big role on the Sun Prairie defense and he has the tools to do so. He may have to stand up at the next level instead of playing with his hand in the dirt, but Carter can definitely play at the next level. His speed off the edge is his greatest strength. He can rush around the edge or he can quickly cross the lineman’s face and break through the inside gap to create pressure. Helt’s first step is surprising. There are plays in his film where he will be halfway through the gap before he gets touched. The raw athleticism will be fun to work with at the next season and the next level. Hamm’s recruitment is exactly what you expect for what might be the best defensive player in the state. His recruitment includes offers from Penn State, Purdue, and Minnesota. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more D1 teams follow suit. Helt has been able to gather a good amount of D3 interest from the likes of Carthage, Simpson College, Hamline University, Loras College, and Culver- Stockton. I wouldn’t be surprised if that haul continues to grow with a strong 2020 season for Helt. Muskego [player_tooltip player_id="30789" first="Jared" last="Beilfuss"] and [player_tooltip player_id="30993" first="Brian" last="Radish"] Beilfuss wins with speed and a high motor. From snap to whistle, Jared is going 100 mph in an attempt to make a play. He is relentless in his efforts, especially his pass rush. His best trait to create plays is his first step off the ball. Jared has shown that he can burst through gaps almost untouched and when he pursues from the backside of plays he is able to close the gap quickly and make plays in the backfield. At the next level he will most likely have to rush from a two point stance so that he can start with a bit more space and then use his quickness to put the pressure on offensive linemen. He could really make an impact on the weakside filling cutback lanes and pressuring the QB. Radish has more of the frame to fill the 4-3 defensive end role at the next level. He has a nice combination of length, strength, and play speed. The most impressive part of his game is that he is so athletic that even though he plays with a hand in the dirt he also has the athleticism to play of kick and punt coverage teams. While on defense, Radish flies off the ball. If a linemen doesn’t get contact instantly he probably won’t at all. Lastly, his strength and hand usage really show up as he fights through multiple blocks to make plays in the backfield. He is relentless and can hold his own in the run and pass game. When looking at the offers for these two it seems that both are being under recruited based off of what they have shown on the film. I believe that they are just getting started. Beilfuss currently holds offers from Carthage and Culver- Stockton. Radish holds offers from Northern Michigan and Concordia- St. Paul. I believe the level of play showing interest for each is accurate, but the amount of interest being shown is off. Both should continue to pick up steam and interest as they play this season. Verona [player_tooltip player_id="30834" first="Tyler" last="Laham"] and [player_tooltip player_id="31147" first="Reggie" last="Sowell"] LaHam checks off a ton of boxes when watching his film. Prototypical size and length? Check. Quick off the ball? Check. Strength to hold the line of scrimmage? Check. Tyler is so versatile too. He has shown that he can line up on the interior, in a three point on the edge and in a two point stance on the edge and make an impact from each spot. He puts those traits together and adds in a high motor and you get one of the best pass rushers in the state who is just starting to break out. LaHam could see himself in the sack leader race this season while also being very stout against the run. At the next level Sowell will most likely play off the line of scrimmage and more in space unless he can bulk up a decent amount. However, at the high school level he and LaHam partner up to create one of the better overall edge setting duos. Reggie relies on his speed to make plays. He won’t stop a lineman dead in his tracks to fill against the run, but what he does do is make the offensive linemen look like they are standing still. If he gets any separation they can’t touch him giving him a free pass to the backfield. His closing speed leaves QBs and RBs with very little time to make a move to avoid him. Sowell is probably the best player out in space of anyone on this list also. He has coverage ability and looks comfortable out there in space. The recruitment of these two is a tale of two different paths. LaHam holds a D1 offer from St. Thomas and three offers from the D2 level. On the other side, teams are just starting to take notice of Sowell and his talent and by just starting I mean it. Reggie just announced on the same day as I write this that he has landed his first offer from Loras College. That could just be the start for him. New Holstein [player_tooltip player_id="30853" first="Sam" last="Casper"] and Josh Rach First up, let’s take a look at one of the leading sack generators from last season. The first thing you have to note about Casper is his elite size and length. You can’t coach 6’6" 210+ lbs or the way he carries it. While he is raw, it is impressive how well he handles that size. He comes off the line low, generating a lot of leverage. His hand usage makes it even harder to block him because he uses that length and his hands to create separation that linemen can’t deal with because they can’t get their hands on him. His strength is noteworthy as well. He has shown the ability to drive linemen into the backfield and also almost bench press linemen off him that do get into his chest. It is impressive to watch. Rach plays with such suddenness and quickness. If the opposing linemen blinks he could miss him. It isn’t just his footwork that makes him fast. His hands are just as fast. Josh has shown the ability to quickly engage and quickly defeat linemen with how fast he can jam them, create separation, and then use a move to get past them. It is eye opening to watch. You don’t find this level of quick twitch very often. At the next level, Rach might be more of a situational pass rusher where he can come in, pin his ears back, and pursue the QB, but he will make an impact in that role. Unfortunately, I was unable to find any twitter accounts for either Casper or Rach. However, I am confident that both are athletes who can play at the next level. Casper should be drawing D2 level interest, while Rach needs to be on the radar of several D3 programs. Hopefully they are on the radar of several teams because they have the talent to move on to the next level.