Defensive Standouts of the Week

Week 6 was definitely an offensive stacked week overall. However, there were a handful of defensive players that stepped up in some big region games to showcase their talent. Take a look at 5 guys who had solid defensive performances in week 6: [player_tooltip player_id="42840" first="Jacob" last="Holmes"], DL, Cesar Chavez HS (C/O 2022) <img class="size-medium wp-image-24526 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/06/Generic-Featured-Image-3-300x187.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="187" /> Holmes recorded 14 tackles, 5 TFL’s, and 2 sacks against a very talented Higley offense. He holds all the traits you could ask for as a D1 recruit. At 6’4" 285 lbs, Holmes has a thick base with very good strength. He did an excellent job of disengaging with the guards and tackles, with a big striking ability as he was frequently punishing Higley ball carriers. He has a great initial ball get off, and showed very impressive athleticism by utilizing finesse moves and spinning around O-linemen. He did a good job of knocking offensive linemen back as well, and did a great job of mixing up whether to use power or finesse. Holmes has violent, quick hands and is a dangerous player for Cesar Chavez. I believe Holmes is a legit D1 talent, and should be a top 2022 player to target. <strong>Justin Regehr, LB, Valley Christian HS (C/O 2022)</strong> Regehr racked up 17.5 tackles, 10 of them being solo, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He displayed solid play recognition and was a major key in plugging up runs between the tackles. He met the Payson ball carriers at the LOS numerous times and showed a good striking ability to wear them down. He had a couple plays where he did a really good job of disengaging off the block to make a tackle or help gang tackle a ball carrier. Regehr flowed to the ball very well all night, and played a big role on the Valley Christian defense on Friday. [player_tooltip player_id="42701" first="Mister" last="Chavis"], ATH, Maricopa HS (C/O 2021) Chavis had a big night with 9 tackles, a 72 yard pick six, and a blocked field goal. Chavis is Maricopa’s do it all guy, as he always puts up numbers on both sides of the ball. Chavis has good speed with great instincts, and is consistently flying around the field to make plays. He shows excellent pursuit to stop opposite field plays or plays developing on the edges. He reads the QB well and is a solid pass coverage type of player in man or zone. His athleticism gives him a huge upside, as he can play anywhere on the field. <img class="wp-image-69086 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/11/IMG_4889-222x300.jpg" alt="" width="206" height="278" /> <strong>Desmond Bohannon, DB, North Canyon HS (C/O 2021)</strong> Bohannon had 11 tackles and a PBU and showed some big flashes of athleticism. He had 2 TD saving tackles both in the open field. He has excellent speed as he was able to chase down Washington speedy ball carriers on the opposite side of the field. He is a scrappy player and plays fearless as he was constantly taking bigger ball carriers and blockers head on. At 5’6" 140lbs, he is built more like a corner although North Canyon utilizes him as a safety. He is solid D3-NAIA type player, and has much room to put on size, although his athleticism makes up for it. <strong>Eli Palmer, LB, Red Mountain HS (C/O 2021)</strong> Palmer had 11 tackles, 2 sacks, and a forced fumble on a tough fought loss to Queen Creek. Palmer showed solid instincts all night and has good speed to the ball. He showed a solid nose for the football when he accelerated through the Queen Creek O-line and strip sacked USC commit [player_tooltip player_id="42788" first="Devin" last="Brown"]. At 6’2" 195 lbs, Palmer has a long build with even more room to put on weight. He has position versatility which can give him a solid upside in his recruitment. Palmer stepped up and played very well against a top team in the state, and should be a key leader in the upcoming year as well.