6A All-State Team: Defense Edition
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Continuing the All-State defensive series we’re taking a look at 6A Football throughout the state of Illinois. I have gone through over 200 players to determine the first team, second team, and honorable mention. Without further ado, let’s dive into…
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Continue ReadingContinuing the All-State defensive series we’re taking a look at 6A Football throughout the state of Illinois. I have gone through over 200 players to determine the first team, second team, and honorable mention. Without further ado, let’s dive into the 6A All-State Team – Defensive Edition.
First Team
DL Corey Walker Corey Walker 6'6" | 245 lbs | TE Normal West | 2021 IL 21’ Normal West Twitter
Mr. Walker is from Normal West, he fills gaps in run support and gets pressure on the QB. He read/reacts quickly which results in getting interceptions and batting the passes down as well as getting in the backfield quickly. Mr. Walker has closing speed, takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield, and gets off of blocks to make the tackle.
DL Jordan Tooles Jordan Tooles 6'0" | 220 lbs | DL Richards | 2022 State IL 22’ Richards Twitter
Mr. Tooles is from Richards, he gets pressure on the QB and gets in the backfield quickly. He gets his hands up when rushing the passer resulting in interceptions, is quick off of the ball, and fills holes in run support. Mr. Tooles gets off of the block to make the tackle, has good use of hands at the point of attack, and gets after it.
DL Xavier Slayton Xavier Slayton 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Crete Monee | 2022 State IL 22′ Crete Monee Twitter
Mr. Slayton is from Crete Monee, he gets pressure on the QB and gets in the backfield quickly. He gets off of blocks to make the tackle, has closing speed, and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield. Mr. Slayton has good use of hands at the point of attack, holds contain, and gets after it.
LB Luke Woodson Luke Woodson 5'11" | 190 lbs | ATH Deerfield | 2022 State IL 22’ Deerfield Twitter
Mr. Woodson is from Deerfield, he gets pressure on the QB and fills holes in run support. He has closing speed, takes pursuit angels to make the tackle downfield, and gets in the backfield quickly. Mr. Woodson gets off of blocks to make the tackle, covers sideline to sideline, and gets after it with his aggressive playstyle.
LB Jackson Wiegold Jackson Wiegold 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Vernon Hills | 2021 IL 21′ Vernon Hills Twitter
Mr. Wiegold is from Vernon Hills, he fills holes in run support and gets pressure on the QB. He gets in the backfield quickly (can blow up plays), meets the running back at the line of scrimmage, and makes open-field tackles. Mr. Wiegold has the closing speed to cover sideline to sideline, takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield, and gets off of blocks to make the tackle.
LB Erick Howard 21′ Morgan Park
Mr. Howard is from Morgan Park, he fills holes in run support and gets in the backfield blowing up plays. He gets pressure on the QB, meets the running back at the line of scrimmage, and reads/reacts for interceptions. Mr. Howard gets off of blocks to make the tackle and uses his closing speed to attack in both the run and pass defense.
LB Tayo Idowu Tayo Idowu 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB Richards | 2022 State IL 22’ Richards Twitter
Mr. Idowu is from Richards, he gets pressure on the QB and fills holes in run support. He’s quick off the ball, isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder to deliver the hard hit, and makes open-field tackles. Mr. Idowu gets off of blocks to make the tackle, meets the running back at the line of scrimmage, and attacks.
CB Ahmad Robinson Ahmad Robinson 6'0" | 175 lbs | DB East St. Louis | 2022 State IL 22’ East St Louis Twitter
Mr. Robinson is from East St Louis, he reads/reacts for interceptions and stays with his man in coverage resulting in incomplete passes. He attacks downhill, doesn’t get broken off at the top of the route by staying in the receiver’s hip pocket, and has good technique. Mr. Robinson has quick acceleration, takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield, and is disciplined.
CB Jalen Smith Jalen Smith 6'0" | 180 lbs | WR Shepard | 2021 IL 21’ Shepard Twitter
Mr. Smith is from Shepard, he attacks downhill and makes open-field tackles. He reads/reacts for interceptions, covers sideline to sideline, and stays with his man in coverage resulting in incomplete passes. Mr. Smith isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder and gets after it with his physical play.
CB Peyton Falco 21’ Crystal Lake Central Twitter
Mr. Falco is from Crystal Lake Central, he makes open-field tackles and attacks downhill. He takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield, has the closing speed to cover sideline to sideline, and stays with his man in coverage resulting in incomplete passes. Mr. Falco is also a deadly return man with his quick acceleration showcasing his versatility.
S RaSand Hall 22’ Shepard Twitter
Mr. Hall is from Shepard, he attacks downhill and stays with his man in coverage resulting in passes being batted down. He has the closing speed to cover sideline to sideline, is a hard hitter that isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder, and gets pressure on the QB. Mr. Hall fills holes in run support, gets off of blocks to make the tackle, and makes open-field tackles. He reads/reacts for interceptions and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield.
S Noah Taylor Noah Taylor 6'1" | 205 lbs | DB Lemont | 2023 State IL 23’ Lemont Twitter
Mr. Taylor is from Lemont, he attacks downhill and makes open-field tackles. He’s not afraid to lower his shoulder to deliver the hard hit, gets off of blocks to make the tackle, and fills holes in run support. Mr. Taylor has the closing speed to cover sideline to sideline, gets hands-on when pressing, and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield.
Second Team
DL Michael Stricker 22’ Lemont Twitter
Mr. Stricker is from Lemont, he gets off blocks to make the tackle and gets pressure on the QB. He fills gaps in run support, has closing speed, and gets in the backfield quickly. Mr. Stricker plays through the whistle and is quick off of the ball which goes with his attacking play style.
DL Frank Pinn 21’ Lake Forest Twitter
Mr. Pinn is from Lake Forest, he gets pressure on the QB and gets in the backfield quickly. He gets off of blocks to make the tackle, is a hard hitter, and has good use of hands at the point of attack. Mr. Pinn takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield and doesn’t give up on plays.
DL Tyler Wilms 22’ Lemont Twitter
Mr. Wilms is from Lemont, he beats the double team to get pressure on the QB and fills gaps in run support. He gets off of blocks to make the tackle, gets in the backfield quickly, and has good use of hands at the point of attack showcasing his swim move as well as his bull rush.
LB Carter Evans Carter Evans 6'4" | 225 lbs | ATH Prairie Ridge | 2021 IL 21’ Prairie Ridge Twitter
Mr. Evans is from Praire Ridge, he fills holes in run support and gets pressure on the QB. He gets off of blocks to make the tackle, gets hands up to deflect passes, and meets the running back at the line of scrimmage. Mr. Evans has closing speed which he uses to attack, isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder, and take pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield.
LB Terry Elias Terry Elias 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Crete Monee | 2022 State IL 22’ Crete Monee Twitter
Mr. Elias is from Crete Monee, he fills holes in run support and makes open-field tackles. He gets off of blocks to make the tackle, attacks downhill, and covers sideline to sideline with his closing speed. Mr. Elias stays with his man in coverage batting passes down, takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield, and attacks.
LB Issac Vazques 21’ Shepard
Mr. Vazques is from Shepard, he fills holes in run support and gets pressure on the QB. He makes open-field tackles, fills holes in run support, and meets the running back at the line of scrimmage. Mr. Vazques gets off of blocks to make the tackle, reads/reacts for interceptions, and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield by getting after it.
LB Brock Skaggs Brock Skaggs 6'2" | 240 lbs | LB Washington | 2022 State IL 22’ Washington Community Twitter
Mr. Skaggs is from Washington Community, he fills holes in run support and gets pressure on the QB. He gets off of the block to make the tackle, reads/reacts for interceptions, and is a hard hitter that isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder. Mr. Skaggs reads/reacts for interceptions, has quick acceleration, and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield.
CB Lamarr Box 22’ East St Louis Twitter
Mr. Box is from East St Louis, he makes open-field tackles and attacks downhill. He gets hands-on when pressing, stays with his man in coverage batting passes down, and reads/reacts for interceptions. Mr. Box gets off of blocks to make the tackle and covers sideline to sideline.
CB Jason Berger Jason Berger 5'11" | 180 lbs | DB Lemont | 2021 IL 21’ Lemont Twitter
Mr. Berger is from Lemont, he makes open-field tackles and gets pressure on the QB off edge blitzes. He stays with his man in coverage batting passes down, gets off of blocks to make the tackle, and has the closing speed to cover sideline to sideline. Mr. Berger reads/reacts for interceptions, has quick acceleration, and gets after it.
S Brandon Tennicott 22’ Riverside Brookfield Twitter
Mr. Tennicott is from Riverside Brookfield, he attacks downhill and makes open-field tackles. He gets off of blocks to make the tackle, fills holes in run support, and has the closing speed to cover sideline to sideline. Mr. Tennicott takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield and doesn’t give up on plays.
S Evan Mutterer 21’ Lemont Twitter
Mr. Mutterer is from Lemont, he makes open-field tackles and gets pressure on the QB off of an edge blitz. He high points the ball for interceptions, attacks downhill with his closing speed, and isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder. Mr. Mutterer gets it done for this defensive unit that is stacked with talent at many positions.
Honorable Mention
DL Tavione Wilson 22’ Belvidere North Twitter
LB Cade Biedscheid Cade Biedscheid 6'2" | 225 lbs | LB Washington | 2022 State IL 22′ Washington Community Twitter
LB Jack Clisham 22’ St Ignatius Twitter
LB Nick Bennett 22’ Wauconda
LB Vinny Rugai 23’ St Ignatius Twitter
LB Jordan Medrano 21’ Riverside Brookfield Twitter
CB Jake Zator 22’ Lemont Twitter
S Jack Molloy 22’ St Ignatius Twitter
There is an abundance of talented athletes in 6A Football throughout the state of Illinois. That being said, this is your 6A Football All-State Team Defensive Edition. I wish all of the seniors the best on their journey after they graduate high school. There’s still work left to do for the juniors and sophomores, and I’m excited to watch you all compete.
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