Taking a look at 5 of California’s Best Young Defensive Talent
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These 5 student athletes started and performed at a high level last season as freshmen in the state of California. With only one season under these players’ belts, keeping an eye on their progression throughout their high school career should…
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Continue ReadingThese 5 student athletes started and performed at a high level last season as freshmen in the state of California. With only one season under these players’ belts, keeping an eye on their progression throughout their high school career should be a must.
Kai Nunley- 5’9, 195 lbs – Vacaville Christian – Sophomore
Twitter: @Kai_Nunley
The sophomore linebacker from Vacaville Christian became the top freshman tackler in the entire state of California last season. Registering 112 tackles and 4 sacks as a middle linebacker, Nunley shows solid speed and pursuit to the football. At 5’9 he is somewhat small but lots of undersized backers have worked out well and he still has more room to grow as he gets older. Currently, at the moment he is more of a run stopper/in the trenches type of backer. As he trains and continues his high school career, I can see Nunley being more agile and confident in pass coverage. Given that he also plays running back, his hips and mobility should become more defined. His tackling ability is superb given he is young that by the time he becomes an upperclassmen, he will be one of the best recruits in the entire state of California and possibly the country.
Tre Edwards Tre Edwards 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Mater Dei Catholic | 2023 State CA – 6’2, 225 lbs – Mater Dei Catholic – Sophomore
Twitter: @ttre_edwards
Out of Mater Dei Catholic, Tre Edwards Tre Edwards 6'1" | 210 lbs | LB Mater Dei Catholic | 2023 State CA , and being a freshman last year, Edwards was one of the talented bright spots on the defensive side. Despite being an underclassmen, he had 103 tackles and 4 interceptions, and made plays all over the field in many situations. Tackles in the backfield, running sideline to sideline, and coming off blitzes, he is one of the best defensive players I have seen on tape so far. His frame and acceleration scream division 1 talent and ability as he is one of those players who jump off your screen. He is smooth in his change of direction for a linebacker in pass coverage and has good eyes to find receivers and make plays on the football. Against the run, he does not overflow too much and is patient when scrapping to make tackles. Edwards is definitely a player to watch closely to see how much better he can progress to an already amazing start to his football career.
Jalen Lewis Jalen Lewis 5'9" | 180 lbs | DB Oaks Christian | 2023 State CA – 5’9, 180 lbs – Oaks Christian – Sophomore
Twitter: @JalenMalikLewis
Being 5’9 may not be the ideal size for a cornerback but Lewis has qualities working for him at the moment that has gotten him attention. He is really great at driving downhill to rally up ball carriers and driving to attack once the ball is thrown as he had 7 pass deflections for the season. Lewis can even be significantly better at that trait if he can stay in his backpedal longer as he bailed and opened up a bit more than I would like to see. Having 76 tackles as a starting freshman corner is impressive to see, which shows his aggression and willingness to tackle. Personally I liked seeing him in the slot, which in my opinion, is where he succeeded the best. His skill set allows him to do multiple things just by being a great athlete, such as man coverage against shiftier receivers, blitzes, run support, and zone coverage where he recognized pass patterns really well. Lewis is a player who you just want on the field who will make your defense better.
Brandon Ramirez Brandon Ramirez 6'0" | 200 lbs | DB San Joaquin Memorial | 2023 State CA – 5’11, 190 lbs – San Joaquin Memorial – Sophomore
Twitter: @BRANDORAMIREZ35
The talented safety who transferred to San Joaquin Memorial from Hanford, has already gotten some division 1 recognition after a stellar freshman campaign. Piling up 75 tackles and 5 pass deflections, I really appreciated to see a lot of fundamentally sound techniques from Ramirez on his highlight tape. Texas and Colorado are 2 schools that have already shown scholarship interest towards Ramirez. Staying in his backpedal several times in pass coverage and tracking the inside hip on opponents was a habit I instantly picked up on that showed me discipline and trust. Given his solid tackling, he can do more as a strong safety where he can rally up on opponents in space and make an open field tackle which is what a lot of the modern college game is nowadays with common play designs such as RPO’s and screens. His strong build can even earn him outside linebacker reps to be versatile around a diverse defensive scheme.
Chris White – 5’11, 165 lbs – Francis Parker – Sophomore
Twitter: @WematterChrisW
A young player who really succeeded on both sides of the ball last year out of the San Diego area was Chris White. Playing running back and cornerback for Francis Parker High, White came off a season where he had over 700 yards from scrimmage and 8 scores on offense and had 69 tackles and 3 interceptions on the defensive side. A bit of a lanky player at first glance who definitely should look to add some weight to his frame in the next few years, White is also raw when it comes to the cornerback position but he demonstrated rangey speed and an effort to tackle which is a good base for any young athlete. I would like to see him take some free safety reps as his current talents make him more impactful in that position given his film. I will look for White to become more fluid in his defensive back mechanics in his next opportunity to play football in the state of California.