Top interior defensive line tacklers to watch

The defensive tackle position has seen a shift. Once thought of as a big guy to plug up holes on the interior of the line, players at that position now need to have speed, power and the ability to take up space to be productive. Whether they are the traditional big guy or a smaller, quicker lineman who uses their speed to excel, many defensive tackles were productive in Colorado during the 2019 season. Here is a look at some of the top defensive tackles who made plays against the run and the pass last fall. <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="22564" first="Matthew" last="Baer"], 2021, 6’0, 225, DL, Regis Jesuit</strong></span> A versatile defensive lineman who possesses both quickness and power. He played both defensive tackle and defensive end at a high level for Regis Jesuit. His quick first step and rip move allows him to come off the edge and rush the quarterback, but it’s his power that makes him shine on the interior. He has a violent punch with his hands and can shed blockers quickly. He’s not afraid to take on contact and has a high motor and plays through the whistle. Baer finished 2019 with 91 total tackles, 47 solo stops and 22 tackles for loss. His most dominant performance of the season came against Overland where he recorded 15 tackles and five sacks, making for one of the top single-game performances by a defensive lineman in the state. Yale has already expressed some interest in him on the recruiting trail. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="22534" first="Gus" last="Zilinskas"], 2021, 6’3, 260, TE/DT, Cherry Creek</span></strong> The Rutgers commit has excellent build at 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds and made many plays for the Cherry Creek defense to help them win the state title in Class 5A. He does not get pushed off the line of scrimmage by opposing lineman and can handle many blockers he faces with his strength. In a 3-4 defense, he usually plays at defensive end but can also slide inside at tackle. He uses his hands well and has good length in his arms that makes it difficult to get your hands on him. If he does not get to the quarterback and get the sack, he has active hands and can bat the ball out of the air in passing lanes as well. Zilinskas saw his production increase in his junior season with six sacks (up from one in 2018) and 72 total tackles (up from 57). <span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Spencer Hard, 2021, 6’0, 220, FB/DL, Dakota Ridge</strong></span> A bruiser who does not shy away from contact. He fights through contact and will keep fighting in the trenches until the whistle blows. Hard is an athlete who always plays with good leverage which helps him win 1-on-1 battles in the trenches as well. While the physicality stands out, he does possess good speed and can chase down ball carriers in the backfield. An underrated but not underappreciated player on a talented Dakota Ridge roster, Hard proved his worth in his first season as a starter in 2019. He recorded 67 total tackles and made 20 tackles in the backfield, including 1.5 sacks. Look for Hard to anchor the interior of the defensive line again in the spring. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">Jose Castorena, 2021, 6’0, 190, OL/DL, Basalt</span></strong> He may not look like the typical defensive lineman at 6-foot and 190 pounds, but Castorena was a productive defensive player for the Basalt defense. He seems to find his way around the ball and finished three games with double-digit tackles. His play on the interior helped Basalt hold opponents to 21 or fewer points in 11 of 12 games played and to reach the semifinals of the Class 2A state playoffs. Don’t underestimate his size also: Castorena routinely faced double-team blocks and showed he could face them head on. Castorena will be one of the senior leaders for a Basalt team that will try to take one more step forward in the playoffs and make it to the state championship game. <strong><span style="font-size: 18pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="22565" first="Cyrus" last="Goldsmith"], 2021, 6’3, 285, OL/DL, Far Northeast</span></strong> Look for Goldsmith to take his game to the next level this spring. There were times in his junior season he looked unblockable against smaller interior offensive linemen. He has excellent size at 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds and he comes off the line like a freight train. He can rely on his strength plenty of times, but there are also some good moves with his hands that allow him to shed blocks as well. Another positive trait is his ability to split the gap between two linemen and create penetration into the backfield to wreak havoc. The end result in 2019 for Goldsmith was 59 total tackles, seven sacks and 17 hurries in the backfield. His first official offer came from Missouri Western University, per his social media page.