The 4A Watchlist: Defensive Backs

The 4A Watchlist is where I list out my top 75 football players coming into this season in Class 4A. This year, I have 10 players who primarily played in the Defensive Backfield last season that are worth noting heading into the 2020 season.   [player_tooltip player_id="23845" first="Cael" last="Boyd"], Ankeny, SR A fourth-year starter for the Hawks, [player_tooltip player_id="23845" first="Cael" last="Boyd"] is looking to end his prep career as a key player on a state title contender. As a junior, Boyd made 42.5 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 interception in a return to the defensive backfield after spending his sophomore season as Ankeny's starting Running Back. Boyd has both the speed and hit power (combined with the experience at the varsity level) to make him one of the class’s best returning safeties. Currently, Cael’s offers are mostly from D-2 schools out of the NSIC and a few NAIA offers too, but he does have an offer from the newly D-1 St. Thomas as well.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>   [player_tooltip player_id="23848" first="Ryan" last="Cole"], Bettendorf, SR [player_tooltip player_id="23848" first="Ryan" last="Cole"] emerged as a new leader on Bettendorf’s defense last season. As a junior, he made a team-high 73.5 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception. Cole combines both speed and power into his hits to make him a devastating tackler who can drive the ball carrier a few yards backwards. Although Ryan led the Bulldogs in tackles and tackles for loss, he was a bit overshadowed by the rest of his teammates, and as a result, it doesn’t look like he has any offers just yet.   Cooper Cox, Ankeny, SR For the second straight season, Cooper Cox is the Hawks top returning corner. As a junior, he made 35 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions, including a pick-six. Cox is a quick kid who has good enough agility to switch gears after covering their top receiver to stop the ball carrier from going far on a short dump-off pass. Currently, Cooper only has three NAIA offers from Graceland, Northwestern College, and Culver-Stockton.   [player_tooltip player_id="23955" first="Ryan" last="Crandall"], Ankeny, JR<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> [player_tooltip player_id="23955" first="Ryan" last="Crandall"] was last season's breakout star of Ankeny’s trio of excellent DB’s returning from last season. As a sophomore, he made 39 tackles, 1 TFL, a fumble recovery, and a team-high 5 interceptions, one of which he took back to the house. At 6’2 190 lbs, Crandall certainly has the size of a future D-1 prospect, and he also has good speed to help him get out of zone coverage and over to the intended receiver or player with the ball. Since Ryan’s an incoming junior flying below the national radar, he doesn’t have any offers just yet. But once the season starts rolling, you shouldn’t expect schools to be hesitant to give him some offers.   [player_tooltip player_id="23838" first="Logan" last="Flanagan"], Dubuque Senior, SR [player_tooltip player_id="23838" first="Logan" last="Flanagan"] has the tools to be one of the state’s best free safeties in 2020. Last season he made a total of 23 tackles and 4 interceptions, with all of those picks coming in one game against Davenport North. Listed at 6’5 191 lbs, he already has the size plus the agility to be great this season, as he’s also Senior’s top high jumper too. Currently, a few schools have given him offers, those being D-2’s Upper Iowa and Concordia-St. Paul, NAIA Grand View, and JuCo Iowa Western.   [player_tooltip player_id="23834" first="Joe" last="Morrison"], Waukee, SR A starter since his sophomore season, [player_tooltip player_id="23834" first="Joe" last="Morrison"] is considered one of Class 4A’s top returning free safeties as a senior. In 2019 he made 49.5 tackles, 6.5 TFL, a sack, and an interception. Morrison plays like a linebacker in the secondary because he’s got great speed and can use the hit stick. Oddly enough he’s also pretty elusive in the return game too, as he scored 2 touchdowns off of punt returns, both of which came against Ottumwa. Currently, Joe’s offer sheet mostly consists of D-2 NSIC schools with a couple of NAIA offers from Graceland and Grand View, a JuCo offer from Iowa Western, and a D-1 offer from St. Thomas.   [player_tooltip player_id="23960" first="Clayton" last="Muszynski"], Linn-Mar, JR One of Linn-Mar’s breakout first-year starters from last season, [player_tooltip player_id="23960" first="Clayton" last="Muszynski"] is looking to build a strong resume before the colleges start calling. In 2019 he made a Class 4A-high 87 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 interceptions, and a 60 yard pick six against Iowa City High. Muszynski is very quick in getting to the ball carrier, he has some really good instincts, and he’s good at reading where the QB is gonna throw to. Right now Clayton doesn’t have any offers, but like I just stated this should be a resume-building year for him.   [player_tooltip player_id="23942" first="Xavier" last="Nwankpa"], Southeast Polk, JR Iowa doesn’t get many nationally-ranked players like [player_tooltip player_id="23942" first="Xavier" last="Nwankpa"] very often, so when we do, they’re already ranked among some of the all-time best this state’s seen at the prep level. In his sophomore season, he made 52.5 tackles for loss and 3 interceptions, with two of those going back for a touchdown. Nwankpa can do it all as a free safety. You want him to stop a rusher dead in his tracks? he’s got it. Need someone to cover the other team’s top receiver with the game on the line? you already know who’s number to call on. A bunch of colleges have already given him offers before his junior season, these include local universities like Iowa, Iowa State and Nebraska, some other local schools that don’t really pay too much attention over here like Kansas State and Missouri, Michigan State, Florida Atlantic, and even a few CFB blue bloods like Michigan, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma want him in their programs.   [player_tooltip player_id="23997" first="Jeron" last="Senters"], Linn-Mar, JR Another Linn-Mar junior who made big strides as a sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id="23997" first="Jeron" last="Senters"] is one of Class 4A’s best-returning cornerbacks. Last season he made 23 tackles and a class-high 7 interceptions. Senters is excellent in coverage, as he locks down the opposing team’s top receiver and disrupts the attempted catch in any way he can. Right now Jeron is flying a bit under the radar, so he’s not getting any offers just yet.   [player_tooltip player_id="23824" first="Aaron" last="Smith"], Waukee, SR One of the state’s quickest players, [player_tooltip player_id="23824" first="Aaron" last="Smith"] is looking to make the 2020 season his best football season yet. Last season he made 27 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and an interception which he took back 67 yards for a Warrior touchdown. Offensively he made 829 yards and a combined 8 touchdowns through the passing and rushing game too, along with 2 kick return touchdowns with an amazing 34.2 yards per return. In man-to-man coverage, Smith has the speed and athleticism to keep up with the best receivers the CIML has to offer and swat catchable balls out of their hands. Aaron has one of the richest offer sheets of any Iowa prospect, with all three D-1 Armed Forces schools represented and 6 out of the 8 Ivy League schools to go along with MVFC schools UNI, Indiana State, and North Dakota.   Other notable names [player_tooltip player_id="23852" first="Mohamed" last="Bass"], Des Moines North, SR [player_tooltip player_id="23876" first="Sam" last="Daniel"], Fort Dodge, SR [player_tooltip player_id="23922" first="Zach" last="Sabers"], Dubuque Hempstead, SR [player_tooltip player_id="23853" first="Kelby" last="Telander"], Iowa City Liberty, SR [player_tooltip player_id="23885" first="Prince" last="Wei"], Muscatine, SR