2022 Rankings Risers: Defense Part 1

<em>With the release of the updated CA 2022 rankings, here’s an in-depth analysis of several players who are climbing rankings and recruiting boards nationwide. </em> <strong><img class=" wp-image-182469 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/08/Screen-Shot-2021-08-10-at-3.39.33-AM.png" alt="" width="266" height="170" />[player_tooltip player_id="25302" first="Jairus" last="Satele"], DL, St. John Bosco</strong> Big sturdy frame for an interior defensive lineman at 6’1” 300 lbs. with a strong lower half. High effort/high motor player that is quick off the ball and relentless in pursuit making him extremely difficult to block for opposing lineman. Very active hands and quick feet to work around blocks and disengage to locate the ball carrier. Shows good short area speed/burst to chase and make a tackle. Has continuously proved to be one of the top players against some of the best competition in the national ranked Bosco defense. Committed to Navy in late July with additional offers coming in from Army, Colorado, and Kansas. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="141884" first="TJ" last="Hall"], DB, San Joaquin Memorial</strong> An impressive athlete with versatility, Hall possesses great physical tools that will transition to the college level. Good length in his frame at 6’2” 175 lbs. with room to add weight without sacrificing his speed or explosiveness. Shows strong natural movement skills with his open field speed and short area quickness in/out of his breaks. Plus ball skills, he tracks the ball well in the air and flashes confident hands to go up and get it. Good coverage instincts, he shows he matchup one on one and win those battles from both the corner and safety positions. Recently committed to Washington after picking 10 total offers. <strong><img class=" wp-image-24527 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/06/Generic-Featured-Image-2.jpg" alt="" width="287" height="179" />[player_tooltip player_id="25321" first="Bobby" last="Piland"], DL, Rocklin</strong> Piland is already one of the top two-way lineman in the Sacramento area but has a ton of potential and upside to build on. At 6’2” 280 lbs. he’s extremely strong and powerful both in the weight room and on the field. He’s a plus athlete with good movement, quickness, and bend for his size showing he can work down the line laterally and chase down ball carriers. He’s explosive off the ball with a quick first step to gain positioning but can also create penetration his use of strength and leverage at the POA. He’s violent and aggressive at the contact point but understands balance and controlled movement. Committed to Air Force but holds 14 FBS/FCS offers to his name. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="141892" first="Joseph" last="Swen"], DB, Bishop Alemany</strong> Swen is a great natural athlete with elite size and length at 6’3” 190 lbs. Colleges will love his athleticism combined with his versatility to play multiple positions on the defensive side including CB, S, or LB. He’s a strider with good game speed and body control. In the secondary, he shows great awareness, anticipation, and reactionary quickness to put himself in position to make plays on the ball. Currently holds four offers from ASU, Florida State, SDSU, and Colorado State but he’s scratching the surface of his potential and could end up as an elite national prospect when all is said and done. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="141940" first="Sam" last="Ross"], LB, Miramonte</strong> [caption id="attachment_154149" align="alignright" width="172"]<img class=" wp-image-154149" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/06/Screen-Shot-2021-06-07-at-11.43.58-AM.png" alt="" width="172" height="187" /> Photo: [player_tooltip player_id="141940" first="Sam" last="Ross"] Hudl[/caption]Ross is a downhill defender with a great frame to build on and add weight at 6’4” 215 lbs. He plays fast and physical using his athleticism in pursuit to redirect and close space. Great nose for the football, he’s smart with his attack angles and shows a strong burst to break on the ball. Flashes a high football IQ and good eye discipline to read and react. He’s a confident open field tackler that brings strong contact and thud using good leverage and leg drive. Holds 12 offers from FBS/FCS programs but possesses a high ceiling and could pop with a big senior year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25298" first="Cody" last="Stordahl"], LB, Chaparral</strong> Stordahl is a throwback player with his physicality and toughness coming from the MLB spot. He’s instinctual and savvy with his movement flying around making plays sideline to sideline. He’s patient with his read steps but quick to trigger once he diagnoses run/pass. Does a good job disengaging and using his hands to fight off blocks and free himself up to make a tackle. He’s strong in pursuit and is a competitive high effort football player by nature. A very productive and versatile LB for his team making plays as a run stopper and in coverage. Yet to commit he currently holds offers from ASU, Kansas, and Maryland. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118777" first="Carlos" last="Mack"], DB, Edison</strong> Well rounded skillset with good size for a college level DB at 6’1” 175 lbs. He’s a fluid athlete with the speed and agility college coaches look for. He changes directions well with good hip movement and acceleration out of his breaks. Shows he can cover the whole field and be rangy to eat up space with his closing/recovery speed. He breaks hard on the ball and displays good decision making in the secondary to make a play on the ball or break down to make a tackle. Shows good ability and competitiveness in both press and off coverage. Collected five offers including Fresno State, Sac State, NAU, and Colorado State before committing to Oregon State in late June.