4A All-State Team: Defense Edition

Continuing the All-State defensive series we’re taking a look at 4A 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 4A All-State Team – Defensive Edition. <hr /> 1st Team DL [player_tooltip player_id="20303" first="Jonah" last="Pace"] 21’ Marengo <a href="https://twitter.com/JonahPace6">Twitter</a> Mr. Pace is from Marengo, he gets pressure on the QB and gets in the backfield quickly. He has good use of hands at the point of attack, fills gaps in run support, and gets off blocks to make the tackle. Mr. Pace meets the running back at the line of scrimmage, gets hands up to deflect passes, and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield. DL TJ McMillen 23’ St Francis <a href="https://twitter.com/tjmcmillen44">Twitter</a> Mr. McMillen is from St Francis, he gets in the backfield quickly and gets pressure on the QB. He has good use of hands at the point of attack, fills gaps in run support, and gets off blocks to make the tackle. Mr. McMillen is quick off the ball, meets the running back at the line of scrimmage, and gets after it. LB Jadon Mims 22’ IC Catholic Prep <a href="https://twitter.com/jadon_mims">Twitter</a> Mr. Mims is from IC Catholic Prep, he fills holes in run support and gets off blocks to make the tackle. He makes open-field tackles, re-routes receivers, and meets the running back at the line of scrimmage. Mr. Mims has closing speed which goes hand in hand with his aggressive play and gets after it. LB [player_tooltip player_id="132228" first="Domenic" last="Beres"] 24’ St Francis <a href="https://twitter.com/DomenicBeres55">Twitter</a> Mr. Beres is from St Francis, he gets pressure on the QB and gets off blocks to make the tackle. He attacks downhill with his closing speed, makes open-field tackles, and fills holes in run support. Mr. Beres reads/reacts quickly resulting in getting interceptions, has quick acceleration, and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield. He gets after it with his aggressive playstyle and is a name to keep a close eye on. CB [player_tooltip player_id="20347" first="Chauncey" last="Lee"] 21’ IC Catholic Prep <a href="https://twitter.com/chaunceylee10">Twitter</a> Mr. Lee is from IC Catholic Prep, he stays with his man in coverage resulting in passes being deflected and reads/reacts quickly for interceptions. He has quick acceleration which helps him attack downhill, gets off blocks to make the tackle, and makes open-field tackles. S Chase Thomas 22’ Benton <a href="https://twitter.com/ThomasChase06">Twitter</a> Mr. Thomas is from Benton, he attacks downhill with his closing speed and isn't afraid to lower his shoulder. He fills holes in run support, makes open-field tackles, and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield. Mr. Thomas reads/reacts quickly resulting in interceptions and gets after it with his aggressive playstyle. S Deontae Oatman 22’ IC Catholic Prep <a href="https://twitter.com/Deontaeoatman6">Twitter</a> Mr. Oatman is from IC Catholic Prep, he attacks downhill with his closing speed and makes open-field tackles. He stays with his man in coverage resulting in passes being deflected, plants his backfoot to attack the ballcarrier, and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield. 2nd Team DL Quinn Colbert 23’ IC Catholic Prep <a href="https://twitter.com/QuinnColbert2">Twitter</a> Mr. Colbert is from IC Catholic Prep, he gets pressure on the QB and takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield. He's quick off the ball, has good use of hands at the point of attack, and gets in the backfield quickly. Mr. Colbert has closing speed, takes pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield, and gets after it. LB [player_tooltip player_id="134816" first="Brock" last="Wood"] 22’ Richmond Burton <a href="https://twitter.com/BrockWood_34">Twitter</a> Mr. Wood is from Richmond Burton, he makes open-field tackles and gets pressure on the QB. He fills holes in run support, gets off blocks to make the tackle, and has the closing speed to cover sideline to sideline. Mr. Wood also doesn't give up on plays by taking pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield. LB Caleb Smith 21’ Bishop McNamara <a href="https://twitter.com/caleb_smith032">Twitter</a> Mr. Smith is from Bishop McNamara, he gets pressure on the QB and fills holes in run support. He attacks downhill with his closing speed, gets off blocks to make the tackle, and isn't afraid to lower his shoulder. Mr. Smith reads/reacts quickly resulting in interceptions and doesn't give up on plays by taking pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield. CB Alexander Willis 22’ Bishop McNamara <a href="https://twitter.com/thenxtw">Twitter</a> Mr. Willis is from Bishop McNamara, he makes open-field tackles and has quick acceleration. He attacks downhill with his closing speed, is used in the return game, and doesn't give up on plays by taking pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield. S Cameron Colquitt 22’ Aurora Christian <a href="https://twitter.com/CameronColquit3">Twitter</a> Mr. Colquitt is from Aurora Christian, he makes open-field tackles and uses his closing speed to attack downhill. He fills holes in run support, isn't afraid to lower his shoulder, and stays with his man in coverage resulting in passes being deflected. Mr. Colquitt doesn't give up on plays by taking pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield and attacks. S Gavin Kuba 21’ Murphysboro <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinKuba">Twitter</a> Mr. Kuba is from Murphysboro, he isn't afraid to lower his shoulder and doesn't give up on plays by taking pursuit angles to make the tackle downfield. He has the closing sped to attack downhill, cover sideline to sideline, and makes open-field tackles. Not only this, Mr. Kuba also gets after it with his aggressive playstyle. Honorable Mention DL [player_tooltip player_id="119351" first="Tyler" last="Wood"] 23’ St Francis <a href="https://twitter.com/TylerJWood3">Twitter</a> LB Landon Oine 21’ Marengo <a href="https://twitter.com/LandonOine56">Twitter</a> LB Connor McCoy 22’ IC Catholic Prep <a href="https://twitter.com/ConnorMcCoy03">Twitter</a> LB Ian Knotts 22’ Manteno <a href="https://twitter.com/IanKnotts4">Twitter</a> CB [player_tooltip player_id="65257" first="Quinn" last="Miller"] 21’ Richland County CB Keaton Coriasco 22’ Herrin S [player_tooltip player_id="135690" first="Ryan" last="Calcagno"] 22’ St Francis <a href="https://twitter.com/ryancalcagno1">Twitter</a> S [player_tooltip player_id="137302" first="Javon" last="Criswell"] 22’ Bishop McNamara <a href="https://twitter.com/criswell_vito">Twitter</a> <hr /> There is an abundance of talented athletes in 4A Football throughout the state of Illinois. That being said, this is your 4A 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. Be sure to follow @jamaskane regarding news & information for Illinois High School Football, @PrepRedzoneIL, and @PrepRedzone.