Potential Ball Hawks for the 2021 Season

Defense wins games, and these five defensive backs roam the secondary and make big plays for their teams. Keep an eye out for them as they continue to lockup their opponents in the upcoming 2021 season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="58801" first="Nate" last="Shelek"]</strong>, Wheeling Park, 5’10", 165, DB, JR Nate’s speed allows him to undercut routes with ease and get in front of the receiver to snatch the ball away. One thing that jumps out from his film is his ability to high point the ball, so no ball is out of his range. Nate was one of five players in the 2020 season to record five interceptions. That was a huge improvement from his 2019 season, when he had two interceptions. At the rate that he is going at, expect big numbers for this upcoming season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="58800" first="Keynan" last="Cook"]</strong>, Woodrow Wilson, 6’3", 175. DB, JR Standing at a whopping 6’3", no ball is out of reach for Keynan. Being a receiver on the offensive side helps him understand how receivers run their routes and is able to anticipate what they are about to do. In the 2020 season, he recorded four interceptions! The scariest part about him, is that each one of those interceptions are potential pick 6’s because of how great his ball carrier vision is. Expect exciting things to come for his senior season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="58770" first="Ryker" last="Brown"]</strong>, Bluefield, 6’2", 175, DB, JR Ryker is one of the players that no matter where the ball is, you always see his number. He plays all over the field and is a very physical player. No receiver is safe when they are trying to haul in a pass. His pass breaking ability is very impressive. If he can hone in his ball skills, those pass breakups will turn into interceptions. He is great at reading the quarterback’s eyes, because he is one himself. That is a tremendous advantage and will help him continue to improve as a key piece to his secondary. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="58827" first="Jaeden" last="Hammack"]</strong>, University, 6’1", 175, DB, SOPH Jaeden is a duel threat on the field. He can throw, catch, and cover like the rest of them. His quickness does not let any receiver behind him. His ability to track down the ball once it is thrown makes no throw safe. The knowledge he has from playing quarterback and wideout also helps on the defensive side, as he is able to read the play quickly and make something big happen. The 2021 season could be an impressive one for this young standout. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="58845" first="Amari" last="Felder"]</b>, Huntington, 5’9", 190, DB, SOPH As a safety, no one is allowed behind you. With Amari’s speed and instincts, that does not happen while he is roaming the secondary.  A quarterback can throw the ball on the opposite side of the field, and he can still make a play on it. His physicality helps gives him the trait of one of those hard hitting safeties. No player is safe in the open field, as he is great at breaking down and making the tackle. After notching two interceptions in his sophomore year, I expect to see that number climb with the upcoming season creeping up.