Week 5: Best Defensive Performances

Week Five is in the books. It’s crazy how fast this season has gone by. Today we are going to look at the beasts on defense and see who dominated and who has honestly been dominating all season long. If you have been a frequent reader to these weekly articles there are going to be a few familiar names that have continued to do their thing week in and week out. I also have a handful of new athletes on the list. So, let’s see who got after the QB, who shut down the running game, and who implemented a no fly zone in their defensive backfield this week! [player_tooltip player_id="30757" first="Evan" last="Ladwig"], Senior DL/OL- Plymouth Stat Line: 7 Tackles, 3 TFLs. Bonus: Lineman for an offense that rushed for 270 yards and 4 TDs Evan has been dominant all season long on both sides of the ball and Week 5 was no different. He has been one of the most impactful defensive linemen in the state, not to mention that he has been a key piece to an offensive line that is rushing for nearly 300 yards the last few weeks. Evan is a mammoth of a man at 6'5" 270 lbs, but he carries it so easily and he doesn't have a sloppy body type. There is not much of any excess weight on him and for that size Evan is athletic. For me his best trait is the way he turns all that size and movement into power. He mauls defenders in the run game and on defense he does a great job of getting separation with his hands by almost benching linemen off of him before disengaging and making the play. Evan has D1 talent and has started to see that pay off with a couple offers back in August from North Dakota and Eastern Illinois. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9627862/5f98592c578f0a085884cbd8">Evan's Week Five</a> [player_tooltip player_id="31333" first="Stefon" last="Mitchell"], Junior DB- Kenosha Indian Trail Stat Line: 8 Tackles, 1 PBU I am a big fan of Stefon and his play on the field from the safety position. You can count on him to make the touchdown saving tackle or come down against the run and make a tackle and when he tackles he delivers a nice pop at the point of contact. You don't see any quit either. There is one play in his film from this week where it looks like he got beat over the middle, but thanks to his speed and aggressive play he was able to recover and break up the pass. His versatility makes him so useful too. Stefon will play in press man in the slot, and back deep. He succeeds at both spots. That versatility and his toughness make him an exciting safety prospect. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9713843/5f949ec2a018b603d4e50614">Stefon's Week Five</a> Allen Torian, Junior DL/OL- Living Word Lutheran Stat Line: 5 Tackles, 1 FF, 1 Sack Allen made his first appearance on this list last week with a solid performance. He looks even better this week. Allen wins with speed. His first step explosion is so fun to watch. You don't see many interior defensive linemen fly through the line untouched like he does. He doesn't face the best competition, but he is clearly more athletically gifted than his opponents. He is so raw too. At 6'3" 210 lbs he has plenty of room to fill out, but he will probably have to switch to DE if he were to get to the next level. Allen could handle it though with the quickness he exhibits. With further development of his strength and hand usage we could have a real hidden gem here. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15126334/5f98264890f0550fd42a8323">Allen's Week Five</a> Will Campbell, Junior LB- Kaukauna Stat Line: 9 Tackles, 2 TFLs, 3 QB Hurries, 1 FF, 1 FR At this point I am pretty convinced that is borderline unblockable. He does such a great job of reading the play and putting himself in perfect position to make plays. When Will is faced with a blocker his ability to shed blocks is so good. He never lets a lineman get a perfect shot on him. Somehow Will always adjusts in a way that makes it so he only has to beat half a man instead of getting meeting them square. His tackling and production are off the charts as he has been on this weekly article week in and week out because of the performances he has put on. Will's ability to get through all the trash that is in the box is the other key to his game because while he making all of this look easy he is actually getting past people on the ground, or blockers trying to get in front of him, and other defenders around him. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11403077/5f9437504798130518f4bd51">Will's Week Five</a> [player_tooltip player_id="31021" first="Michael" last="Dinaso"], Senior DB- Kenosha Tremper Stat Line: 5 Tackles, 2 PBUs It is quick film, but the first trait that caught my eye from Michael this week was his closing speed. He went up against a very talented group of receivers on the Indian Trail offense, but he looked like he could hang around with them. That closing speed came out on plays where he was giving big cushions because of the down and distance. he kept the ball in front of him and as the ball was in the air he got to the catch point before the receiver could do anything with it after the catch. Michael also had a nice rep of man coverage against a slot receiver that took him deep. He was able to stay with him and get the pass breakup. He proved that he could step down into the box and stop the run too. Solid week for Dinaso. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9729315/5f9479ac5b3cd90958592ee8">Michael's Week Five</a> [player_tooltip player_id="30748" first="Austin" last="Dahlke"], Senior LB- Edgar Stat Line: 10 Tackles, 5 TFLs, 3 Sacks, 2 FF, 1 FR What a dominant night from Austin. As I watched through his film from Friday the first time I almost started laughing because he was so dominant. He is about 6'1" 190 lbs and athletic as you could want an LB to be. Austin flies around the field and he has turned that athletic ability into production as he currently leads the state in sacks. He is a true 3 down LB. He can stop the run on early down with his ability to shed blocks and fly through gaps untouched for TFLs and on third down Austin has shown over and over that he can get after the QB with relentless pressure. Austin has the best range from the LB position that I have seen in the state this season and his blitzing if crazy successful. It is no surprise why the offers have been rolling in including an Illinois State offer just this past Saturday. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9727123/5f93d058e97aa4109090e3f0">Austin's Week Five</a> [player_tooltip player_id="31273" first="Evan" last="Tyler"], Junior DL- Hudson Stat Line: 8 Tackles, 1 Sack I have become a bigger and bigger fan of Evan since I first wrote about him right before the season kicked off. It is clear he has the potential to be a special prospect at the DE position. At 6'4" 225 lbs he already has the lean frame and overall length you look for and this week he really put his traits on display. His first step off the ball is impressive and he transitions that speed into power and a nice initial punch when he first contacts the lineman against him. Against the run, Evan sets a strong edge that forces the RB back inside or he makes the tackle himself. Against the pass, Evan is a beast. He almost had multiple sacks this game. The way he can get offensive linemen off balance with his strength and then burn them with his quick hands and feet is special. I can't wait to keep watching his development. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12877860/5f95b6feb3c8020a2cf25cae">Evan's Week Five</a> [player_tooltip player_id="30842" first="Ryan" last="Verstegen"], Senior DB/LB- Little Chute Stat Line: 14 Tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 Sack, 2 PBUs Ryan is a bit of a tweener at 5'11'' 207, but one thing for sure is he is a football player. He makes such a big impact while playing out in space for the Little Chute defense and he packs a punch when he tackles. I really like watching Verstegen in coverage. His range really shines and his awareness of where receivers are around him paired with his ability to read the QB and react quickly should make him in high demand. Somehow he doesn't have any posts about offers on his Twitter. Either this is a mistake or someone needs to come steal this kid. Against the run, Ryan does a decent job of setting the edge. He is at his best when he is pursuing from the backside where he can fill the cut back or pursue from behind and make the play. More of a weak side linebacker in that aspect. Check out his film from this past week! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9470740/5f93cb035b3cd90958588e91">Ryan's Week Five</a> [player_tooltip player_id="31011" first="Ethan" last="Neils"], Senior LB- Germantown Stat Line: 20+ Tackles, 2.5 Sacks Last week we covered his teammate and fellow LB. This week it is all about Ethan as he proved why he is one half of the best LB duo in the state. Ethan was everywhere against the run heavy Brookfield Central offense. This matched up well for Ethan because he is at his best when he can come downhill and stuff the run. He does a really good job of mirroring the backfield, reading pulling linemen, and when the run goes to the outside he flowed to the ball well. His film this week really displayed his toughness as he made tackle after tackle. They didn't quit going at him and he didn't stop making plays. The key to his crazy stat line was his ability to shed blocks. He did that by not letting linemen consistently hit him square and with his strength because even when they seemed to get to him he would be able to stop them in their tracks and then come off them and make the play. Check this tackling machine out! <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11279494/5f943eb6ab92220834249e0f">Ethan's Week Five</a>