Defensive Stat Leaders Entering Week 4

<em><strong>Get 25% off your subscription by entering AJ30 in the coupon code area. Enjoy!</strong></em> This season of Mississippi high school ball has been filled with big defensive performances so far. Per Maxpreps.com, these are the top 5 players in terms of production so far in each major defensive catergory. <strong>SACKS</strong> <strong>Christopher Buckhalter</strong> | Presbyterian Christian The senior defensive lineman has been putting on a pass rushing showcase this season, totaling 8 sacks on the season so far. Buckhalter has shown great strength in his upper body, primarily relying on his bull rush move to dominate opposing quarterbacks. Really impressed with his tape this season. Watching for him to continue this week and on. <strong>Damien Gooden</strong> | Presbyterian Christian There appears to be no shortage of pass rushers at Presbyterian Christian. Gooden has accounted for 7 sacks this season, pairing well with Buckhalter. Gooden has a similar skill set to Buckhalter, but uses his speed to bend and beat guards better than his bull rush. These two are flat out fun to watch. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="120903" first="Kobe" last="Smith"]</strong> | East Webster The senior linebacker has been a force for East Webster this year, totaling 6 sacks so far. In his game against Vardaman, Smith accounted for 4 of his sacks. Smith has great speed off the edge and knows how to disguise his blitzes well. If a quarterback dares to leave the pocket, Smith is right there to clean up the play. Really intriguing player to watch moving forward. <strong>Ja’Landyn Humphrey</strong> | Holmes County Central Playing for one of the state’s most talented defenses, Humphrey has 6 sacks on the season. The junior has emerged as a legit college prospect this season. Humphrey has great length and uses burst off the ball to his advantage. This is a guy with a relentless motor and is in on every play. Look for him to make a jump into our next rankings update. [player_tooltip player_id="104438" first="DJ" last="Burgess"] | Lafayette The Southern Miss commit has been one of the most dominant defensive players in the state this season. With 6 sacks among multiple forced fumbles and an INT, Burgess has been on an mission. Burgess will likely end up as one of 5A’s leading pass rushers with tons of college interest. Big season so far for the senior defensive lineman. <strong>INTERCEPTIONS</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="104528" first="Jaterrious" last="Elam"] | Greenville Christian To nobody’s surprise, senior cornerback [player_tooltip player_id="104528" first="Jaterrious" last="Elam"] is back to doing what he does. The ballhawk has 4 INTs so far and has looked every bit as advertised so far. Elam shows great range and knows how to break on the ball well. Mississippi State is getting a good one here. <strong>Dylan Phillips</strong> | Callaway The senior defensive back has picked off opposing quarterbacks 4 times this season. Phillips has shown great speed and knows how to play inside breaking routes well. Will be included in our next rankings update. <strong>Eli Beard</strong> | Columbia Academy The junior linebacker has been a force all over the field, but has dominated in the pass game. With 4 INTs so far, Beard has shown tremendous ability to be a prototypical modern day backer. Beard can carry vertical routes and also play shallow zones. Really interesting player to keep an eye on. <strong>Daniel Pickens </strong>| Resurrection Catholic The sophomore defensive back has made quite a name for himself this season. Pickens has totaled 3 INTs so far and has flashed impressive ability. He breaks well on the ball and uses his speed to shut down any receiver lined up across from him. Pickens is deadly after he picks the ball as well, scoring 2 TDs so far. Rankings addition to the 2024 class. <strong>Eric Hill</strong> | Humphreys County The junior defensive back has totaled 3 INTs so far. <strong>SOLO TACKLES</strong> <strong>Brewer Bailey</strong> | Tupelo Christian The sophomore has totaled 44 solo tackles this season. Against Clarksdale, Bailey had 21 total tackles. This guy has had a nose for the football so far. Bailey breaks well and diagnoses plays quickly. Really intriguing prospect to keep an eye on. <strong>Alford Hill</strong> | Bayou Academy The senior two sport athlete has totaled 37 solo tackles this year. <strong>Brendon McCullough</strong> | Park Place Christian The senior linebacker has 37 solo tackles on the season. This Park Place Christian team has been a lot better than most people thought, and McCullough has been one of the main leaders of the defense. Watching for him to continue dominating throughout the next few weeks. <strong>JD Nanney</strong> | Booneville Nanney has been a prospect we have liked for some time now. So far, he has 35 solo tackles and has been hard to stop. Nanney blitzes well and is borderline unblockable. He shows good speed in the open field and takes good angles in pursuit. College offers should begin coming soon for this guy. <strong>Demariet Davis</strong> | St. Joseph Catholic Only a sophomore, Davis has 35 solo tackles this season.