8 Preseason Names To Watch: 23' LB

As we get closer to the start of the Fall 2021 season these young men are practicing with their respective teams getting ready for their Week 1 matchup. With that being said let’s take a look at 8 preseason names to watch as the days are getting closer and closer to gameday. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="20840" first="John" last="Weidenbach"] Benet Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/ijohnweid6">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3301394/608dcfd41762a50c444a428f">Highlights</a> Mr. Weidenbach is from Benet Academy, he played on Varsity this past spring season showcasing what he can do. What I like most about this young man is his aggressive playstyle where he seems to be involved in each play in some capacity. When he drops back into pass coverage he reacts quickly to the play by attacking downhill to make open-field tackles and fills holes in run support meeting the running back at the line of scrimmage for no gain. This young man has the closing speed to cover sideline to sideline and gets off blocks quickly to make the tackle. Playing alongside [player_tooltip player_id="20838" first="Pierce" last="Walsh"] and company on the defensive side of the ball Benet Academy is going to be a sight to see this season. Overall, his best is yet to come and as we approach the fall season I’m excited to see the show he puts on for us. [player_tooltip player_id="20845" first="JaMycheal" last="Towns"] St Rita <a href="https://twitter.com/jamycheal">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13545805/6090be714205c70c68843a40">Highlights</a> Mr. Towns is from St Rita, he played on Varsity this past spring season with Bremen and was a sight to see. He fills holes in run support where he meets the running back at the line of scrimmage resulting in no gain on the play. What I like most about this young man is his mindset of wanting to get involved in every play. This comes to light at multiple points throughout his highlight film. For example, there’s a play around the 2-minute mark in his highlights where the running back bursts through the line of scrimmage and he’s playing backside linebacker. As the back bursts through the line of scrimmage, this young man plants his foot into the ground to backside pursuit and is able to pop the ball loose on the 2-yard line. He transferred to St Rita where he looks to showcase what he can do with fellow transfer Matt Kingsbury (from Lincoln-Way East) on the defensive side of the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="131525" first="Jake" last="Scianna"] Lincoln-Way East <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeScianna">Twitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeScianna/status/1386002040149712903?s=20">Highlights</a> Mr. Scianna is from Lincoln-Way East, he played on Varsity this past spring season giving us a glimpse as to what’s to come over the next two seasons. He has an attacking playstyle where he flies to the ball to make the play which is what I like the most about this young man. The closing speed that he showcased on film is a sight to see, once the ball is snapped he pops his hips changing gears quickly to attack downhill. This goes hand in hand with filling holes in run support, covering sideline to sideline, and getting pressure on the QB. This past summer he ran a 4.25 pro agility at a Northwestern University camp further showcasing his athleticism. Keep eyes on this young man as he’s prone to have a breakout season catching attention from coaches at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="135840" first="Ross" last="Dansdill"] Wheaton North <a href="https://twitter.com/rdansdill10">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13110527/6087418502b1891750b515e6">Highlights</a> Mr. Dansdill is from Wheaton North, he played on Varsity this past spring season and was a sight to see. What I like most about this young man is the attacking playstyle that he showcased in his film. Once the ball is snapped he changes gears quickly to fill holes in run support meeting the running back at the line of scrimmage and this shows by getting pressure on the quarterback as well. This young man showcased glimpses of what’s to come over the next two seasons as he has untapped potential yet to come to light, with the fall season approaching be sure to keep an eye on how he performs and the impact he makes on the defensive side of the ball. [player_tooltip player_id="158067" first="Christian" last="McKinney"] Homewood Flossmoor <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMckinney05">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13607703/6073cfb402b1890898281324">Highlights</a> Mr. McKinney is from Homewood Flossmoor, he played on Varsity this past spring season where he showcased what he can do. This young man fills holes in run support where he meets the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage for no gain. What I like most about this young man is how he’s able to attack downhill and how he slow plays the ball as the play develops. This keeps him in his gap responsibilities putting him in the best place to make the play and puts him in the best spot to cover sideline to sideline resulting in a net-zero gain on the play. He has room to hone his craft further and develop himself, keep an eye on how he produces with fellow linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="20926" first="Malyk" last="Jones"]. [player_tooltip player_id="158005" first="Tyler" last="Burkley"] Lake Zurich <a href="https://twitter.com/tylerburkley21">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11539967/6090a5871762a50c444cef6c">Highlights</a> Mr. Burkley is from Lake Zurich, he played on Varsity this past spring season where he showcased what he can do. What I like most about this young man is his ability to fill holes in run support and hold gap control resulting in meeting the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage for no gain on the play. He's also able to read/react quickly while in pass coverage to get the interception as well as getting his hand in there for a PBU. His potential is high, as he continues to hone his craft and develop further he's going to be a sight to see over these next two seasons. Be sure to keep an eye on how this young man performs this upcoming season for Lake Zurich as they push for a deep playoff run. [player_tooltip player_id="158009" first="Aiden" last="Riser"] Maora Forsyth <a href="https://twitter.com/AidenRiser">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12327099/6079f5ac420771195cf36419">Highlights</a> Mr. Riser is from Maora Forsyth, he played on Varsity this past spring season where we got glimpses of what's to come over these next two seasons. He's able to fill holes in run support and gets pressure on the quarterback once he diagnoses the play. What I like the most about this young man is how he doesn't give up on the play. In the beginning part of his highlight film, there's a play where he's the backside linebacker and is taking backside pursuit to make the tackle on the opposite side of the field showcasing just that. This young man was on our Honorable Mention list for the 2A All-State team, look for him to make his mark this upcoming season as he continues to grow into Maora Forsyth's defense. [player_tooltip player_id="135831" first="David" last="Loch"] York <a href="https://twitter.com/davidloch55">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12827612/6086bd534debb114cc2ead56">Highlights</a> Mr. Lock is from York, he played on Varsity this past spring season where he showed glimpses of what's to come over the next two seasons. What I like most about this young man is the potential that he showcased during his film. He fills holes in run support meeting the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage for no gain on the play and flies to the ball showcasing his "pop" of the hips once the ball is snapped which goes hand in hand with his closing speed. He still has room to develop further and hone his craft, as he does so be sure to keep an eye on him. This young man is prone for a breakout season for York and I'm excited to see how he produces. Notables [player_tooltip player_id="136965" first="CJ" last="Campos"] Lemont <a href="https://twitter.com/CallanCampos">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12976028/6083bb990c5da201901a62b3">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="139654" first="Jake" last="Ryan"] Taft <a href="https://twitter.com/jakeryan3188">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12825148/6084382da018ca1df4b2a2dd">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="158006" first="Vinny" last="Rugai"] St Ignatius <a href="https://twitter.com/RugaiVinny">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12914917/60844858bd6ba31f18ac9e3a">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="158007" first="Kiefer" last="Tarnoki"] Sycamore <a href="https://twitter.com/KTarnoki">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9868608/609003a7bd6b120cdc5db9ed">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="152072" first="Davion" last="Adams"] Thornton <a href="https://twitter.com/DeboNext_">Twitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DeboNext_/status/1386748511782416388?s=20">Highlights</a> <hr /> These are some of the Preseason Names to Watch at the LB position for the class of 2023. Keep an eye on these young men as they get ready to put the pads on. Be sure to follow @jamaskane regarding news & information for Illinois High School Football, @PrepRedzoneIL, and @PrepRedzone.