Senior Sleepers: Eight 2022 Defenders

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The class of 2022 is stacked with talented players throughout every 11-man classification in the state. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Being a two-way player is very common for many high school athletes, but some players are much more dominant on one side of the ball than the other. This article will highlight the names of eight seniors who are defensive standouts on their team, yet they are still flying underneath the recruiting radar.</span> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="22729" first="Ian" last="Loomis"] | Loveland | 6’3”, 205lbs | MLB</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Through the first four weeks of the season, Loomis has fought his way to the top of the tackling leaderboard with a state-high of 59 total tackles. He has also earned himself six sacks, two QB hurries, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Loomis is a high motor player who helps to lead his teammates by doing his job as a playmaker.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13399714/614618d5da52a303bce7439f’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13399714/614618d5da52a303bce7439f" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Kanon Padilla | University | 5’11”, 175lbs | DB/WR</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Padilla is leading the state in interceptions, tallying five passing takeaways. He has a total of 25 tackles, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Padilla has a very impressive offensive statline to go along with his defensive accolades. He has 12 catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns, as well as 91 rushing yards and one touchdown off of six carries.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14805180/61461488478da40534915a3e’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14805180/61461488478da40534915a3e" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Nathan Hallmark | Fossil Ridge | 6’3”, 210lbs | DE/LB</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Hallmark has 30 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, a state-high of nine sacks, four forced fumbles, one blocked punt, and one safety through the first four games of his senior season. There have been a few college programs that have taken notice of this outstanding defensive player, but that is just the start. With a stock that is rising as rapidly as his, Hallmark should be a serious prospect for programs looking to enhance their defensive line.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13983647/61383e293dea810b1c8b0b8d’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13983647/61383e293dea810b1c8b0b8d" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="166904" first="Reed" last="Henkel"] | Arvada West | 6’1”, 220lbs | DE</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Henkel has taken a huge step forward in his senior season, making him a must-know defensive end. He has a total of 18 total tackles, six tackles for loss, six QB hurries, and two pass deflections. Henkel’s performance has played a major role in helping the team get off to a very impressive 3-1 start.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11685379/613ceae09a9b750a38292eb7’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11685379/613ceae09a9b750a38292eb7" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="22696" first="Kevin" last="Sjogren"] | Palisade | 6’5”, 210lbs | MLB/TE</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Sjogren is the second-leading tackler in the state with 57 total tackles. He is also credited with two sacks and two QB hurries. He does a great job of closing the distance to a ball carrier within the box and finishing plays. Sjogren has standout size that he uses alongside his skills to be a player who deserves to be highlighted.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11376966/61351bac4debb3041cf66477’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11376966/61351bac4debb3041cf66477" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Braden Keith | Legacy | 5’10”, 170lbs | DB</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Keith is a ball-hawking corner with true playmaking abilities. He has solid techniques that go into his footwork and can be seen in his press coverage playing style. So far, Keith has three interceptions, one fumble recovery, and nine total tackles that were all solo tackles.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11093028/6140301e9675ee091c969592’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11093028/6140301e9675ee091c969592" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="163935" first="Peter" last="Braun"] | Littleton | 6’2”, 210lbs | DE/TE</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Braun is a highly slept-on athlete who is a walking definition of a collegiate football player. He is a defensive end who uses his edge rusher mentality when playing on both sides of the ball. It is hard to block him because of his speed and strength off of the line, while his relentless pressure makes it difficult to get away from him. Offensively, he is a mauler as a lead blocker and as a ball carrier. Braun has 23 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, one pass deflection, one forced fumble, and a punt block.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12925328/61462aa3da52a303bce75288’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12925328/61462aa3da52a303bce75288" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="153685" first="Beto" last="Ledezma"] | Castle View | 5’10”, 185lbs | SS</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Ledezma is probably one of the most underrated safeties in the state. He has the footwork and disciplined eyes needed to cover the field against any passing attack. His ability to track a ball carrier and come downhill for devastating hits is enough to make any linebackers coach jump with excitement. Ledezma is the type of player who can elevate a defense from his presence alone, making him an absolute steal for any collegiate program.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11058625/613ea8d35ef7770348b7df19’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11058625/613ea8d35ef7770348b7df19" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a>