All – Lincoln Team: Defense
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One of the fun (somewhat difficult) parts of mocking up this All-Lincoln defense is seeing how versatile defenders are. Many players rotate within their position or can float to different levels. Safeties can come up and play the slot or…
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Continue ReadingOne of the fun (somewhat difficult) parts of mocking up this All-Lincoln defense is seeing how versatile defenders are. Many players rotate within their position or can float to different levels. Safeties can come up and play the slot or are doubling as LB hybrids. The emergence of the OLB/DE/EDGE defender gives a chance for players to learn different roles in case of position changes in college. It is interesting to see how the game has evolved.
Here is the All – Lincoln defense and honorable mentions:
Defensive Line:
Ends/EDGE:
Teitum Tuioti, 6’2” 205 lbs – Lincoln Southeast
A star in the loaded ’23 pass rusher class, Teitum Tuioti, is on a mission to be at the top of the group. He is an incredible athlete with a great mix of speed, strength, and football IQ. His tape shows a young player with a great understanding of the nuances of his position, having learned from his father and current Huskers D-Line coach Tony Tuioti. Teitum’s first step and explosiveness off the snap are insane when matched with a slower or less-experienced tackle… in the wise words of Shaq, “that’s BBQ Chicken.” Tuioti’s ability to bend and keep lineman off-balance makes him so dangerous and hard to plan against. His play has many Power 5 schools battling for his services and should only see that list continue with a great Junior season.
Hayden Boyd, 6’3” 260 lbs – Lincoln East
Hayden is a player, I believe is on the cusp of a breakout year. With him assuming a bigger role in the defense, Boyd will show off his potential and gain more exposure on the recruiting trail. He is very athletic and strong; in his tape, you can see him move tackles completely out of the way and shut down any run plays coming to his side of the field, with fellow DL players like GeGe Crayton GeGe Crayton 6'1" | 265 lbs | DL Lincoln East | 2022 State NE and Sam Cappos also taking up some of the a, there should be many opportunities for Boyd to capitalize.
Interior:
Gavin Wilbur Gavin Wilbur 5'10" | 250 lbs | DL Lincoln Northeast | 2022 State NE , 5’11” 255 lbs – Lincoln Northeast
Gavin is a monster at the NG/T spot for the Northeast Rockets. Racking up 50 tackles and 3 FF, Wilbur earned several accolades, including All-State and All-Conference, to name a few. One of his traits that stands out is his grit and hustle; every play seems like he is making the extra effort to make the play or continue applying pressure. He is strong and disciplined in his play, meaning he knows exactly where to be while not giving up ground to linemen. Gavin has really started to make some noise this summer racking up multiple offers. If he continues his outstanding play, he should get several more before deciding where to call home for his collegiate career.
Will Jessup Will Jessup 6'1" | 250 lbs | DL Lincoln Southwest | 2022 State NE , 6’1” 255 lbs – Lincoln Southwest
The Skyhawks defense has a ton of hungry, motivated players and at the forefront is Will Jessup Will Jessup 6'1" | 250 lbs | DL Lincoln Southwest | 2022 State NE . He is a fun player to watch and should only be better with another offseason of improvement. Jessup gets off the ball quickly and is smart with his hand placement; his athleticism could lead to OLB/EDGE opportunities. He is an exceptional tackler making solid, secure tackles, especially when he can get loose into the backfield; there is no running from him.
Linebackers:
Jake Appleget Jake Appleget 6'4" | 210 lbs | LB Lincoln Southeast | 2022 State NE , 6’4” 205 lbs – Lincoln Southeast
A stud on both sides of the ball could have been an ‘All–Lincoln’ team offense, but for this, we’ll keep him solely on defense. On defense, you get about as versatile a player as you can get. He can line up as a safety, an OLB, or on the edge; regardless, he can find his way to the ball and commit turnovers. He will certainly be one of the most fun players to watch on either side of the ball will be tough for coordinators to plan against. With his ticket punched to Memorial Stadium next year as a Husker commit, he and the rest of the Southeast gang are hoping to get there a little sooner than that.
Dylan Gray Dylan Gray 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Lincoln Northeast | 2022 State NE , 6’0” 210 lbs – Lincoln Northeast
Northeast has a huge sleeper in senior Dylan Gray Dylan Gray 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Lincoln Northeast | 2022 State NE , who will be holding down the MLB position. He’s coming off a junior year in which he was everywhere on the field, making plays in the backfield, in pass coverage, shutting down runs, he did it all. Gray plays very aggressively and loves to lay big hits (As a back, he will lower the pads and truck defenders with ease). His solid 210-pound frame is like running into a brick wall in the middle of the field.
Julian Castillo – Pius X
Julian is a very underrated prospect, and he should continue his consistent play and sure tackling. When you watch his tape, it’s hard to find something you don’t like; he plays fast and with intensity. He’s smart and patient when allowing the play to break down. Castillo’s technique is already very sharp; able to get level and drive back players preventing annoying ‘extra’ yards. Teams looking for a smart enforcer type for the middle of their defense they have a really good one at Pius X.
Defensive Back:
Cornerback:
Luke Greisen, 6’0″ 185 lbs – Lincoln East
A Lincoln East team with title aspirations will be relying on their defense to supplement their explosive offense. Luke Greisen and the secondary will be key parts of keeping offenses in check. Greisen’s uses his skills as a receiver to his advantage when countering as a defensive back. He’s smart and recognizes routes breaking down in front of him, and can mirror and follow in coverage very well. Experience from last year and an off-season working and developing will allow Greisen to take his game to the next level this year.
Jesse Cruse Jesse Cruse 6'0" | 160 lbs | DB Lincoln High | 2022 State NE , 6’ 0” 160 lbs – Lincoln High
Jesse is part of a very talented group of athletes for LHS that are all turning into very versatile two-way players. Cruse should contribute as an option in the passing game, but his bigger role might come on the defensive side of the ball. Cruse, is a player that I believe will stun some people this year. He has good length, experience, good coverage skills, fluidity and is just hungry. He will also come up and play the run game, more than willing to lower the pads and bring the boom. Put Cruse and the underrated Lincoln High on your watch list.
Safeties:
Jake Leader Jake Leader 6'2" | 195 lbs | DB Lincoln Southwest | 2022 State NE , 6’2” 195 lbs – Lincoln Southwest
When watching Jake’s tape, the ’Hawks’ across his chest begin to look more and more fitting on him. Just like their Hawk mascot, Leader is precise and vicious in the way he hunts down the ball and lays some bone-shattering tackles. Last year he tallied 88 total tackles, 3 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles, and an interception and made passing the ball deep on them a tough task. Coming into this year more experienced and with an offseason of working out, he will be a scary sight in the secondary.
Caden Steiger Caden Steiger 6'3" | 190 lbs | DB North Star | 2022 State NE , 6’3” 190 lbs – North Star
Steiger is a versatile back that can play anywhere in the secondary, but he really shines at the safety position. He is a solid tackler and great enforcer in the run game, acting almost like another linebacker. He has great field vision and is good at diagnosing the play and attacking. At 6’3”, Steiger’s lengthy frame is a huge asset in coverage, especially his reach to makes plays on the ball. As a junior, he showed that teams should be wary of throwing the ball his way, and in the first game of his senior season, he showed this by picking off Hastings QB and returning it to the house. The playmaking DB will continue to pop up on more team’s radars as the season continues.
🚨🚨 GAME CHANGER 🚨🚨
With @HastingsTigers driving, a PICK SIX for @lnsathletics Caden Steiger and the Gators are 2:53 left in the half.
14-6, Tigers. #nebpreps pic.twitter.com/Pv5f8INTsM
— Tony Chapman (@tony_chapman76) August 21, 2021
Honorable Mention:
DE Sam Cappos, 6’1″ 235 lbs – Lincoln East
OLB Brogan Ling, 6’3″ 195 lbs – Lincoln Southwest
SS Javon Leuty, Lincoln High
DE Max McClatchey, 6’1″ 210 lbs – Lincoln Southeast
LB Kaalo Evans, 6’0” 190 lbs – Lincoln Southwest
DE Seth Schultz, 6’1″ 265 lbs – Lincoln
LB Josh Free, 6’2″ 205 lbs – Lincoln Christian
ATH Gage Stevens, 6’2″ 245 lbs – Lincoln Northeast
CB Kyan Consbruck, 5’7″ 150 lbs – Lincoln Southwest