7A Semifinals Defensive Standouts

The 7A class presented some top end talent on the defensive end of the ball. The speed, physicality, skill, toughness showed throughout the semifinals was special and a great representation of the state. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125529" first="Peter" last="Woods"] DE Thompson 2023 </strong></span> Woods had a dominating performance in the rematch against Hoover. While tallying 3.5 sacks and 3 TFLs, Woods showed why he has five stars besides his name. His skill is impressive for his age. He showed a deep bag when going after a pass rusher. His nuance with active hands, swim moves, and clubs are complemented by his elite strength and wingspan he uses during a bull rushes. This versatility allows him to collapse pockets as an interior rusher or create pressure off the edge at an elite level. https://twitter.com/35Pwoo/status/1461913234533978114?s=20 <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Carson Yancy DB Auburn 2022</strong></span> Yancy is a shutdown corner who dominated most of his reps against the Central receiving core. Showed great speed when breaking on the ball and an ability to stay in phase when covering receivers. He has quick feet that mirror a receiver’s release at the line and smooth hips to adjust to the route. Showed an ability to turn his head and make plays on the ball, also played through the hands at a high level and caused several incompletions. https://twitter.com/CarsonYancy/status/1462548478886924289?s=20 <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="125487" first="Jeremiah" last="Alexander"] DE Thompson 2022</strong></span> Alexander is a 5-star Alabama commit whose superior skill, size, strength, and speed make him a can’t miss prospect. The variety of Alexander’s game is ridiculous. He can win with footwork and finesse using spin moves, speed rushes, and speed swims, or he can bully his way to the quarterback with intense bull rushes, clubs, and rip-throughs. Alexander has cemented his name near the top of his class nationally and continues to prove it every game throughout the season. https://twitter.com/Jdsmith31Smith/status/1461870858289438721?s=20 &nbsp; <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Lance Pitts LB Central 2023</strong></span> Pitts was the Red Devils’ emotional leader, and his intensity was evident in his downhill style and enforcer mentality. Showed an ability to keep his fundamentals intact when making big hits on ball carriers. He also has a knack for jarring the ball lose when making tackles. In addition, Pitts did an excellent job of keeping gap integrity in the run game. Flowed sideline to sideline on horizontal plays, and he also showed an ability to diagnose plays and disrupt plays. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Siraj Muhammad SS Central 2022</strong></span> Muhammad was all over the field in Friday’s matchup. He presented a physical mentality that’s needed for the position. He showed no fear when providing run support. Muhammad also showed great fundamentals and technique when breaking down and tackling in the open field. While taking good angles,