Defensive Newcomers From Last Season To Watch Out For

These 5 newcomers on the defensive side of the ball could make a name for themselves in 2021 and start to get on college coaches radars.   [player_tooltip player_id="58844" first="Murphy" last="Clement"] Martinsburg High School 2023 DB Murphy showed great potential in his sophomore season. Not only was he making plays on the offensive side of the ball but showed great potential playing defensive back as well. He showed great patience in his drop back and showed the willingness and ability to come up and make an open field tackle. He shows great jump ball skills and uses that to his advantage on both sides of the ball. Look for Murphy to make a huge jump and be an anchor on both sides of the ball for Martinsburg in his junior season.   [player_tooltip player_id="58838" first="Jayson" last="Barnett"] South Charleston High School 2023 DL Jayson showed great potential playing defensive line in his sophomore season. He showed a explosive first step and the agility and quickness to make opposing lineman not be able to block him. He has a great motor and never stops fighting through the play. He shows great hand technique and the ability to collapse the pocket with how fast he gets into the backfield. Look for Jayson to have a big junior season and make a name for himself within the state next year.   [player_tooltip player_id="58771" first="JT" last="James"] Hurricane High School 2022 DB JT proved that he can be a great defensive anchor for Hurricane and make a name for himself within the state. He showed the ability to not only cover most receivers 1v1 but that he's great in run support and shows the ability to blitz the passer as well and cause disruption in the backfield. He's very patient in his drop back and shows great hands and a natural knack for breaking up passes thrown in his direction. Look for JT to have a big senior season for Hurricane next year.   [player_tooltip player_id="58846" first="Evan" last="Roach"] Point Pleasant High School 2023 DB Evan showed great potential on both sides of the ball. He showed great patience when sitting in zone and baiting the quarterback to throw his direction and showed the ability to break up passes and also make a play on the ball. He played pretty much everywhere on the field and showed great production at all the positions he played at as well. Look for Evan to have a big year on both sides of the ball and start having college coaches on his radar next season.   [player_tooltip player_id="58843" first="Andre" last="Merriam-Harshaw"] Summers County High School 2023 LB Andre showed great potential with playing linebacker for Summers County. He showed raw athleticism and the ability to run down plays and also fill gaps playing middle backer. He fights off blocks well and uses his quickness and hand to fight off blocks and get downhill in a hurry. He's a consistent tackler and should look to make a big jump in his junior season and start to put colleges and the state on notice with his play.