Week 8 Top Performers: Defense

<em>Here’s an in-depth look into some of the top positional performances from around the state.</em> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87232" first="Berkley" last="Alfrey"], LB, 2021, Auburn-Mountainview </strong> Alfrey made plays all over the field against Kentlake racking up 14 totals tackles including 10 solo, one TFL, one sack, and one fumble recovery. He’s a good combination of natural ability and strong technique/fundamentals. He’s plays fast, physical, and is always attacking downhill. Plus athlete, he shows good lateral mobility and short area burst. Great ability to shed a blocker, scrape down the LOS, and make a tackle. Flashes efficient footwork, he’s patient but very little wasted movement when diagnosing and pursuing. Offered by Colorado School of Mines, Carroll College, Montana State-Northern, and Ottawa. <strong>Calvin Barnes, LB, 2021, Garfield</strong> Barnes returned an interception 72 yards for a touchdown in addition to a handful of tackles in the win over Roosevelt. He’s an instinctive LB that is effective against the run and pass. He plays well with his eyes making quick decisive reads to put himself in position to make plays. Love his quick trigger and how fast he can close space on the ball carrier. Good tackler that can deliver strong contact. <strong>Andre Barrow, LB, 2021, Foster </strong> The explosive defensive playmaker filled the stat sheet with 10 total tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 3 hurries, and 1 FF against Lindbergh. Great nose for the football, he’s always involved in the play and flies around making plays sideline to sideline. Quick trigger that transitions well and has a good break on the ball. He’s a strong tackler that is violent at the POA and drives his legs through contact. Does a good job using his hands effectively to fight off and shed blocks. Good all-around player that is a leader on defense. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="87168" first="Milton" last="Hopkins"], DE, 2021, O'Dea</strong> The Washington walk-on was a disruptive force all night on defense. He’s an exceptional athlete with ideal size and frame for the Power 5 level at 6’5” 225 lbs. His versatility and athleticism could allow him to play multiple positions at the college level depending on how he continues to develop. On defense, he’s explosive off the LOS with a quick first step to beat blockers around the edge. He flashes good bend, flexibility, and speed to be an elite pass rusher. Great body control and coordination for a player of his size. Before committing to Washington he picked up offers from Fresno State, San Jose State, Nevada, and Eastern Washington. <strong>Jordan Mua, DE, 2023, Foster </strong> The Lindbergh OL had trouble keeping the 2023 DE out of the backfield as he tallied nine tackles with three sacks, four hurries, and one fumble recovery. His quickness and bend off the edge made him extremely difficult to block as he continuously gained positional leverage to rush the passer. He’s a good athlete that has good lateral mobility and COD to redirect and pursue. Plays with good pad level allowing him to be strong at the contact point. Good potential and foundational skillset to build on as he continues to develop.