Pass Rush Spotlight: Iowa’s Top QB Hunters Part V
The art of the pass rush is one of the most sought after commodities in the modern game and requires a tremendous amount of skill. Take a look below to see how the mechanics and fundamentals of Iowa’s best lead…
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Continue ReadingThe art of the pass rush is one of the most sought after commodities in the modern game and requires a tremendous amount of skill. Take a look below to see how the mechanics and fundamentals of Iowa’s best lead to pressures, hits, and sacks. These quarterback hunters know how to execute and cause nightmare scenarios for an opposing offense.
Cale Jensen, Dike-New Hartford, hudl, Twitter
DE, 6’2, 220
Jensen sets up his rush with a fast first step that replaces the hand and covers ground vertically. A lot of young pass rushers fail to realize how important it is to cover ground and close distance between you and the quarterback through your rush lane. Jensen does an excellent job of this and increases the chances of success every rep. When he gets upfield quickly he prevents his opponent from getting where he wants to in his set, preventing good technique and mechanics, and this gives Jensen the upperhand. Jensen is capable of winning with speed and does an excellent job of recognizing where he is in his rush when his opponent attempts to strike. If Jensen is even with his opponent he reacts with quick hands to pin his opponent’s arm and then drop the inside shoulder to bend and reduce surface area as he passes. It is clear that Jensen has good vision and knows where the quarterback is so he can immediately work towards him after he wins his battle. Jensen also knows when to go speed to power if his opponent is in his rush lane; he has very violent strikes that clear his opponent right out of his path. When Jensen’s rush gets to or beyond quarterback depth he counters underneath to get home. He is a very disciplined, efficient rusher who keeps contain and brings a lot of pressure.
Aiden Morgan, Assumption, hudl, Twitter
DE, 6’4, 210
As primarily an edge rusher Morgan has a ton of speed to get to and around the edge, but also brings a lot of versatility to the line of scrimmage. He is more than capable of working power if he has to rush an inside gap when his team is blitzing. Morgan, though, does an excellent job of feeling pressure and taking advantage of momentum or imbalances in his opponent’s set regardless of where he is rushing from. Pass rushing, in big part, is about efficiency and Morgan appears to understand that. Morgan often wins with speed when aiming for the edge and shows an impressive ability to bend. Bending is a constant change of direction and doing so successfully depends a lot on maintaining your speed through it. Morgan knows how to adjust his mechanics within his frame to do that and run right by setting tackles. When he doesn’t win the edge his speed is still a big influence on his rep, which often causes his opponent to lean or overset. When this happens Morgan does a fantastic job of recognizing which direction the offensive lineman’s momentum is going and uses it against them with a violent strike or club to clear the rush lane. When rushing inside gaps Morgan shows a knack for bull rushing and uses his long arms to create separation as he places hands violently.
Maada Brewah, Dowling Catholic, hudl, Twitter
DE, 6’4, 235
Brewah is an electric, high-energy pass rusher who stays very active and relentless. He has shown a top tier propensity when working club-arm over, edge spin, and bull rush moves, but what is most impressive is how aggressive he is in working through his rush lane. He just never stops or gives up; his feet are always working towards the quarterback. A lot of young pass rushers give up, dance laterally, or don’t have enough in the tool box to keep fighting. Brewah, while his moves are technical and of high quality, understands that the majority of pressures and sacks are caused by your feet and that it doesn’t need to be pretty. Brewah is very violent and has a second to none motor. Brewah shows a mature understanding of technique when he does get technical. On his club-arm over, which can be used through a lane or when countering, is spot on. He uses his club to influence leverage and brings the arm over tight to beat the hip and prevent recovery. Brewah’s spin is also top notch; he chops down through his lane to sell the edge rush and then spins over the top of his opponent to stay vertical and in his lane. His bull rush utilizes excellent leverage as he places his hands and extends taking advantage of his reach. Brewah’s speed to power is dangerous as he doesn’t slow his feet.
Jacob Hagan, Sioux City North, hudl, Twitter
DE, 6’5, 210
There are many ways to disrupt a passing play and Hagan really seems to understand that. He has tremendous speed off the edge out of his two-point stance and can get home, but also shows a flair for matching hands to bat down passes and a great capacity for identifying different types of pass protection. Hagan, in his two-point stance, establishes an impressive base with staggered feet that allow him to get a lot of weight out in front of his hips to accelerate rapidly and cover ground in a way that overwhelms a setting tackle. He does just that and bursts off the line of scrimmage. As Hagan is rushing he appears to understand the difference between zone and man pass protection. When an offensive line is in zone protection Hagan identifies and reacts by rushing his lane. When they are in man protection Hagan attacks the hip of the opponent he lined up against. The high-end understanding of pass rushing helps him to be a lot more efficient and disruptive as he pursues the quarterback. If Hagan doesn’t win with speed he does a great job of using his huge wingspan to keep blockers at bay as he moves his feet through his lane. He also matches hands with the quarterback when he recognizes he won’t get home; he bats down a lot of balls and forces a lot of bad passes.
Trevor Lause, Saydel, hudl, Twitter
DE, 6’5, 200
Lause differentiates his stance a little bit when he is reading and reacting on choice downs as opposed to pinning the ears back and going. When Lause knows he is pass rushing he is very explosive and moves with a lot of velocity, especially for his big frame, and can begin to apply pressure within just a few steps. His strides are long and he covers ground. More impressive, though, is how instantaneously he reacts to pass sets when he has to determine run or pass as he is coming out of his stance. Off of his first step he appears to be able to kick into a really high gear and attack upfield. As he works to win the edge in his contain rush Lause is able to use his speed to get his opponent to open up their hip. If an offensive lineman can’t get to a pass rusher’s midline they tend to turn and Lause has a lot of victims here. Right when they open up and try to strike, Lause does a textbook job of maintaining speed and swiping hands away. To do this he brings his hands together and knocks his opponent’s hands down and away by bringing them all the way across his body as he flips his hips. Lause then drops the inside shoulder to get small as he passes and prevents recovery. Lause uses his long arms to bat down passes and is disciplined in containing and keeping the quarterback in front of him.