Week 1 Indiana: Defensive Players to Watch

After all of the craziness we have endured in 2020, Friday night lights will be a welcome sight.  While many states in the Midwest have decided against playing football this fall, Indiana looks to be full go!  With a great opening slate...This weekend is sure to be packed with excitement, passion, and surprises.  Let's dissect some of this weekends important matchups, and highlight 4 defensive players to keep an eye on week 1! <ul> <li>DB [player_tooltip player_id="39028" first="Jamal" last="King"]- Columbus North</li> </ul> When it comes to Gibson Southern, one thing is for certain... They like to light up the scoreboard.  Led by 2022 Purdue QB commit, [player_tooltip player_id="39047" first="Brady" last="Allen"], Southern averaged over 42 points per game last season and they are a threat to score every time they have the ball.  In Gibson Southern’s 3 losses last year, they were held to nearly 20 points below their average... This is where [player_tooltip player_id="39028" first="Jamal" last="King"] comes into play. In order for North to contain Allen, they are going to have limit Southern’s explosive plays, and cause some turnovers. As a safety for Columbus North, King is not only tasked with patrolling the secondary, he is an extra defender in many of their run fits as well.  His ability to muddy Allen’s pre-snap reads with movement before the snap, take away the deep field throws that Southern thrives on, and be an extra run defender, are all going to be crucial to North’s success.  King is a great combination of size, quickness, speed, and physicality.  This is a matchup that I am excited to watch. <ul> <li>DL [player_tooltip player_id="38934" first="Peyton" last="Price"]- Lafayette Jefferson</li> </ul> Last years battle between West Lafayette and Jefferson was an absolute shootout with 140 combined points.  Now that Kyle Adams has moved on to James Madison, the QB spotlight for the game switches to [player_tooltip player_id="38983" first="Maximus" last="Grimes"].  Grimes had a big game in last years matchup while passing for 409 yards and 3 TD’s.  In order for Lafayette Jefferson to slow the Sr passer down, they will have to control the line of scrimmage and put pressure on him. West Lafayette will have to game plan around Sr Cincinnatti DL commit [player_tooltip player_id="38917" first="Jalen" last="Monrrow"], and this is where [player_tooltip player_id="38934" first="Peyton" last="Price"] will have a chance to make a big impact.  Price’s ability to take advantage of the attention that Monrrow will undoubtedly attract, could very well decide who controls the line of scrimmage.  At 6’2" 295, the Eastern Michigan commit is a load to handle inside, and he has the ability to establish a new line of scrimmage with his explosive first step.  With his ability to stuff the run and create an interior pass rush, I have no question that Peyton is up to the challenge! <ul> <li>LB Devin Sanders- Merrillville</li> </ul> Merrillville has a huge task in trying to contain the state’s returning rushing leader, Ryan Walsh, during week 1.  They did a good job containing him during last years game by holding him to his lowest rushing total of the year (91 yards).  Walsh did however break off a 58 yard run, and had 2 rushing touchdowns during the contest, so there is some room for improvement.  Slowing down Andrean’s running game is no small task, and if Merrillville wants to come out of the game with a similar result to last year, the pirates D is going to need a big game out of Devin Sanders.  The Sr LB is coming off an all-conference season in which he had 77 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks.  When you turn on the film you immediately see why he is so productive.  Sanders does a great job diagnosing the play, beating blocks, and chasing the ball carrier.  His ability to read plays early, create havoc in the backfield, and prevent the big play will be extremely important in this game.  If Sanders and crew can put pressure on the Andrean run game early, and get them in obvious passing situations, they may just have another recipe for success. <ul> <li>DB [player_tooltip player_id="38989" first="Antwain" last="Wade"]- Avon</li> </ul> The Avon Defense will have their hands full with a Lawrence North offense that has some big time playmakers.  With players like Prep Redzone’s #1 2021 (IN) QB [player_tooltip player_id="38897" first="Donaven" last="McCulley"], and #1 2022 (IN) WR [player_tooltip player_id="39048" first="Omar" last="Cooper"], the Wildcats are very explosive and capable of scoring fast. The Orioles are no stranger to playing good D, and It will be a team effort if they are able to slow McCulley down.  The Sr QB is one of the best Dual Threat prospects in the nation, and he is just as capable running the ball as he is throwing.  If Avon is able to keep McCulley in the pocket and force him to throw, then our attention immediately jumps to the matchup on the outside between [player_tooltip player_id="39048" first="Omar" last="Cooper"] and [player_tooltip player_id="38989" first="Antwain" last="Wade"].  While Cooper has a size advantage on paper, Wade plays bigger than his frame would suggest.  The Sr DB has great coverage ability, is fast out of his breaks, can bait a QB into bad throws, and rarely gives WR’s separation.  I don’t know if Cooper can be totally shut down, but if Wade can challenge him throughout the night, prevent the big play, and potentially create a turnover... It will go a long way in terms of Avon’s success. &nbsp;