Prep Redzone Illinois: 8A All State Defensive Edition

The season is over and we're back at it with the All-State Awards for 8A-1A to highlight these student-athletes accomplishments this season. It was a grueling 9 Week Regular Season and one heck of a road to IHSA State for those that made the playoffs. After reviewing the film of over 700 athletes in the class of 8A, we're diving into the 8A All-State Defensive Edition. Without further ado, let's dive into it. <hr /> 1st Team DL Kaleb Randolph 6'1 270 23' O'Fallon Township <a href="https://twitter.com/randolph_kaleb">Twitter</a> Mr. Randolph uses his hands at the point of attack to shed blocks on a consistent basis to disrupt plays in the backfield. He shoots gaps by getting skinny and splitting the double team as well. When he fires off the ball, this causes problems for opposing offensive lineman that struggle to get hands up in attack mode early as he has many tools in his tool box. This young man has sound gap responsibility where he works gap to gap and uses his high motor to get after it each play. On passing downs, he mixes in his bull rush and swim move paired with batting hands down to get past the offensive lineman to get pressure on the quarterback. DL [player_tooltip player_id="156766" first="Cody" last="Silzer"] 6'3 250 22' Lockport Township <a href="https://twitter.com/codysilzer">Twitter</a> Mr. Silzer fires off the ball, this causes problems for opposing offensive linemen that struggle to get hands up in attack mode early. He uses his hands at the point of attack to shed blocks on a consistent basis to disrupt plays in the backfield. He shoots gaps by getting skinny and splitting the double team as well. This young man has sound gap responsibility where he works gap to gap and uses his high motor to get after it each play. On passing downs, he mixes in his bull rush and swim move paired with batting hands down to get past the offensive lineman to get pressure on the quarterback. DL Nathan Gibbons 6'3 245 22' Sandburg <a href="https://twitter.com/NathanMGibbons">Twitter</a> Mr. Gibbons works gap to gap and disengages blocks at the point of attack to meet the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage. He can control reps by flowing to the ball and using his hands at the point of attack to shed blocks resulting in plays being disrupted in the backfield. This young man understands leverage and pad level as he fights pressure against down blocks to remain gap sound and is seen in his pass rush. His tool box consists of a bull rush, swim move, and push & pull technique to get pressure on the quarterback. He fires off the ball and has a quick first step which causes problems for opposing offensive lineman that struggle to show hands quickly. Pair this with his high motor on passing downs and you get a young man that finds ways to collapse the pocket. LB James Kreutz 6'1 220 22' Loyola Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/jameskreutz3">Twitter</a> Mr. Kreutz is able to close in a hurry and brings bad intentions in the run gam as he sees red and quickly transitions downhill. He's explosive in a straight line and quick in short areas. His eye discipline helps him read/react quickly to plays as he rarely seems to be in the wrong positon. When working in space he rarely misses tackles and comes to balance appropriately. His high motor comes to light as he finishes plays and flies to the ball, consistent takcles that slips blocks well. When working laterally, he possesses good speed/explosiveness as he's rangy and has a good tackle radius to make plays outside his frame. LB [player_tooltip player_id="65813" first="Jalen" last="Handford"] 6'2 215 22' Warren Township <a href="https://twitter.com/Jalen_handford">Twitter</a> Mr. Handford is rangy when working laterally as he possesses good speed/explosiveness and a good tackle radius to make plays outside his frame. He brings bad intention in the run game as he see's red and quicky transitions downhill. His eye discipline helps him diagnose plays quickly as he rarely seems to be in the wrong position which leads to him triggering downhill in a hurry in run support. He does a good job re-routing the slot receiver by giving a powerful punch that knocks them off thier route which disrupts the timing with the opposing quarterback. This young man is a consistent tackler that slips blocks consistently. LB Jimmy Rolder 6'2 230 22' Marist <a href="https://twitter.com/JimmyRolder">Twitter</a> Mr. Rolder has the ability to close in a hurry as he brings bad intentions in the run game by transitioning downhill quickly. He's explosive in a straight line and quick in short areas. His eye discipline helps him diagnose plays quickly as he seems to rarely ever be in the wrong position and secures tackles when working in space. When working laterally, he has good speed/explosiveness to extend plays horizontally and has a good tackle radius to make plays outside his frame. He's a consistent tackler that slips blocks well to disrupt plays in the backfield and gets pressure on the opposing quarterback off the blitz. When in zone coverage he can also undercut routes for interceptions in the hook/curl. High motor player that finishes plays and flies to the ball. LB [player_tooltip player_id="155362" first="Sean" last="Allison"] 6'0 205 22' Hinsdale Central <a href="https://twitter.com/Sean_Allison18">Twitter</a> Mr. Allison is explosive in a straight line and quick in short areas. He's able to close in a hurry as he brings bad intentions in the run game by quickly transitioning downhill. His eye discipline helps him diagnose plays quickly and puts him in the right position to make the tackle on the play as he rarely seems to be in the wrong position. When working in space he's able to secure the tackle and when working laterally he possesses good speed/explosiveness to extend the play horizontally - pair this with his good tackle radius and he makes plays outside his frame. He's a consistent tackler that slips blocks well to disrupt plays in the backfield, gets pressure on the opposing quarterback off the blitz, and can undercut routes for interceptions when in zone coverage. His physicality is demonstrated in pass defended by forcing PBUs by lowering his shoulder to deliver a hard hit on the receiver upon securing the catch and with his high motor as he finishes plays as well as flies to the ball. DB [player_tooltip player_id="20929" first="Cameron" last="Grays"] 5'11 185 22' Oswego <a href="https://twitter.com/Camgrays1">Twitter</a> Mr. Grays has natural movement skills that allow him to react to breaks right on time, this results in interceptions and PBUs. He shows good instincts to stay with the receiver moving through his zone as he can easily react to passes thrown in front of him to peel off and secure the open-field tackle in the flat. When guarding deep shots downfield, he can easily track the ball in the air and attacks the ball at the highest point to come away with the interception - most of the time he's already in a good position to make a play on the ball. Simply put, he gets the job done. He cleans up plays well, is extremely smooth & flows through transitions with ease, and plays through the whistle. DB [player_tooltip player_id="137006" first="Mark" last="Cannon"] 6'3 195 22 Evanston Township <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkCannonJr1">Twitter</a> Mr. Cannon shows good instincts to stay with the receiver as he moves through his zone, he easily reacts to passes thrown in front of him and makes the open-field tackle in the flat by peeling off his coverage. His movement skills allow him to react to route break right on time as this results in him coming away with interceptions and PBUs. When covering deep shots downfield, he does a good job tracking the ball in the air and attacking the ball at the highest point to make a play. He's a stout/dependable tackler that wraps up with good technique and takes good pursuit angles to the ball. His long frame makes it difficult for receivers to come away with the catch, this also goes in his advantage when he's walked up on the line of scrimmage to get pressure on the quarterback off the edge. He's also used in the return game where he sets his team up in good starting field position. DB [player_tooltip player_id="181591" first="Amon" last="Walker"] 6'2 170 22' Bolingbrook <a href="https://twitter.com/AmonWalker5">Twitter</a> Mr. Walker uses his movement skills to react to the receiver's route breaks right on time, this results in him coming away with interceptions and PBUs. He shows good instincts to stay with the receiver moving through his zone and he can peel off to make tackles in the flat. When covering the deep shot downfield, he does a good job tracking the ball in the air and attacking it at the highest point - most of the time he's already in a good position to make a play on it. He's a stout/dependable tackler that wraps up with good technique and takes good pursuit angles to the ball. This young man has a long frame making it difficult for opposing receivers to secure the catch and has very smooth/flows through transitions with ease. His physicality comes to light when he lowers his shoulder to deliver forceful hits on the receiver as they try to secure the catch forcing PBUs. DB John Nestor 6'1 185 23' Marist <a href="https://twitter.com/johnnestor_7">Twitter</a> Mr. Nestor can track the ball easily through the air and makes a play on it by attacking the ball at the highest point. His movement skills allow him to react to route breaks right on time putting him in the right position to come away with interceptions and PBUs. He shows good instincts to stay with the receiver moving through his zone and can peel off to the flat where he makes the open field tackle limiting the yardage gained on the play. This young man is a dependable tackler that wraps up with good technique and takes good pursuit angels to the ball. When he's lined up on the line of scrimmage, he works off the edge to get pressure on the opposing quarterback. 2nd Team DL [player_tooltip player_id="142544" first="Eddie" last="Tuerk"] 6'4 240 24' Lyons Township <a href="https://twitter.com/eddietuerk78">Twitter</a> Mr. Tuerk can mirror and close quick once the quarterback tries to escape the pocket, this is seen with his lateral mobility in both pass & run defenses resulting in no gain on the play. He disengages from blocks at the point of attack when working gap to gap resulting in disrupting plays in the backfield. This young man fights pressure against down blocks to remain gap sound controlling his reps through the whistle. He understands leverage/pad level, flows to the ball, and can meet the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage for no gain on the play. DL [player_tooltip player_id="156767" first="Cole" last="Silzer"] 6'3 245 22' Lockport Township <a href="https://twitter.com/SilzerCole1">Twitter</a> Mr. Silzer works gap to gap and disengages from blocks at the point of attack and holds gap responsibility. He uses his hands at the point of attack to shed blocks consistently which allows him to get into the backfield to disrupt plays. This young man simply overpowers the offensive tackles by using a bull rush to drive the OT back resulting in getting pressure on the quarterback. He has a quick first step as well which helps him gain leverage on the offensive tackle during his pass rush. When controlling his reps, he flows to the ball and makes plays at the line of scrimmage. DL [player_tooltip player_id="20914" first="Thaddeus" last="Gianaris"] 6'3 230 22' Maine South <a href="https://twitter.com/TeddyGianaris">Twitter</a> Mr. Gianaris uses his hands at the point of attack to shed blocks consistently when working gap to gap to disrupt plays in the backfield. He controls his reps, flows to the ball, and makes plays at the line of scrimmage for no gain on the play holding gap responsibility. In his tool box, he mixes in a bull rush with a swim move during his pass rush resulting in getting pressure on the opposing quarterback - both of which he swats the offensive lineman's hand down and slips blocks to get by. DL [player_tooltip player_id="145342" first="Brooks" last="Bahr"] 6'6 250 23' Loyola Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooksBahr99">Twitter</a> Mr. Bahr works gap to gap and disengages from blocks at the point of attack and holds gap responsibility. He uses his hands at the point of attack to shed blocks consistently which allows him to get into the backfield to disrupt plays. This young man simply overpowers the offensive tackles by using a bull rush to drive the OT back resulting in getting pressure on the quarterback. He has a quick first step as well which helps him gain leverage on the offensive tackle during his pass rush as he can long arm, bull rush, or swim move to slip the block. When controlling his reps, he flows to the ball and makes plays at the line of scrimmage. LB [player_tooltip player_id="20918" first="Sebastian" last="Cheeks"] 6'3 215 22' Evanston Township <a href="https://twitter.com/SebastianCheeks">Twitter</a> Mr. Cheeks brings bad intentions in the run game as he sees red and quickly transitions downhill. He uses his eye discipline to read/react quickly to plays as he rarely seems to be in the wrong position. When working laterally, he's rangy possessing good explosiveness to extend plays horizontally and a good tackle radius to make plays outside his frame. Upon diagnosing the play, he triggers downhill in a hurry and is a consistent tackler that slips blocks well. He can get pressure on the quarterback off an edge blitz or when walked up on the line of scrimmage. LB James McCabe 6'2 215 22' Loyola Academy <a href="https://twitter.com/jamiemccabe47">Twitter</a> Mr. McCabe is rangy when working laterally as he possesses good explosiveness to extend plays horizontally and has a solid tackle radius to make plays outside his frame. He brings bad intentions in the run game seeing red and transitioning downhill quickly. His eyes are good leading to quick diagnosing of plays and triggering downhill in a hurry. He's a consistent tackler that slips blocks well and can undercut routes when in zone coverage resulting in PBUs. LB [player_tooltip player_id="20910" first="Jared" last="Badie"] 6'4 200 22' Oswego East <a href="https://twitter.com/JaredBadie">Twitter</a> Mr. Badie can get pressure on the opposing quarterback off an edge blitz or when he's walked up on the line of scrimmage as an edge rusher. He brings bad intentions in the run game as he quickly transitions downhill and has good eye discipline to diagnose plays quickly as he rarely seems to be in the wrong position. When working laterally, he's rangy possessing good explosiveness to extend plays horizontally and a good tackle radius to make plays outside of his frame. He's a consistent tackler that slips blocks well and distrups plays in the backfield as well as meets the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage. DB [player_tooltip player_id="144206" first="Andre" last="Cobb"] 6'0 175 22' Neuqua Valley <a href="https://twitter.com/andrecobb24">Twitter</a> Mr. Cobb has the movement skills that allow him to react to route breaks right on time resulting in him coming away with interceptions and PBUs. He shows good instinct to stay with the receiver moving through his zone and can easily react to passes in the flat to secure the open field tackle. When covering deep shots downfield, he does a good job of tracking the ball in the air and attacking the ball at the highest point to make a play on the ball. He's a dependable tackler that wraps up with good technique and takes good pursuit angles to the ball. Also used in the return game where he sets up his team in solid starting field position. DB [player_tooltip player_id="65737" first="Zeke" last="Williams"] 22' Naperville North <a href="https://twitter.com/zekewilliams121">Twitter</a> Mr. Williams does a good job of tracking the ball in the air when covering deep shots downfield as he attacks the ball at the highest point to make a play on the ball. His movement skills allow him to react to route breaks right on time resulting in him coming away with interceptions and PBUs. This young man shows good instincts to stay with the receiver moving through his zone and he can easily peel off his man to make the tackle in the flat. He's a dependable tackler that wraps up with good technique and takes good pursuit angles to the ball. His physicality comes to light when he presses as he gets hands-on quickly which disrupts the timing of the route with the opposing quarterback. Also used in the return game where he either sets his team up in good starting field position or takes it to the house. DB Kamal Mukarram 6'1 182 22' Lincoln-Way East <a href="https://twitter.com/ka8mal">Twitter</a> Mr. Mukarram uses his movement skills to react to route breaks right on time to come away with interceptions or PBUs. He shows good instincts to stay with the receiver moving through his zone and can easily react to passes thrown in the flat as he peels off to make the open field tackle. When covering deep shots downfield, he does a good job of tracking the ball in the air to make a play on the ball and limiting the receiver from coming away with the catch. He's a dependable tackler that wraps up with good technique and takes good pursuit angles to the ball. In some instances, he's walked up on the line of scrimmage working off the edge and this results in him getting pressure on the quarterback. DB Alonso Perkins 22' Glenbard East <a href="https://twitter.com/APerkinsp24">Twitter</a> Mr. Perkins is a dependable tackler that wraps up with good technique and takes good pursuit angles to the ball. His movement skills allow him to react to route breaks right on time as he gets in position to come away with interceptions and PBUs. He shows good instincts to stay with the receiver moving through his zone and peels off to make the tackle in the flat limiting the yardage gained on the play. When tackling in open space, he wraps up very well and cleans up any plays he gives up. Also used in the return game where he sets his team up in good starting field position and can return it to the house. Honorable Mention DL [player_tooltip player_id="20909" first="Nasim" last="Cairo"] 6'2 260 Evanston Township <a href="https://twitter.com/Cairo_beast">Twitter</a> DL [player_tooltip player_id="118997" first="Grzegorz" last="Krupa"] 6'3 265 23' Taft <a href="https://twitter.com/GrzegorzKrupa5">Twitter</a> DL [player_tooltip player_id="229020" first="Andrew" last="Kraus"] 6'5 215 22' Barrington <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKraus47">Twitter</a> LB [player_tooltip player_id="131525" first="Jake" last="Scianna"] 6'0 220 23' Lincoln-Way East <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeScianna">Twitter</a> LB [player_tooltip player_id="118756" first="Mitch" last="Larkin"] 6'1 210 22' Palatine <a href="https://twitter.com/Mitch_larkin16">Twitter</a> LB [player_tooltip player_id="155371" first="Dylan" last="Ramirez"] 6'0 220 22' Glenbard North <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanRa06814302">Twitter</a> DB [player_tooltip player_id="162711" first="Kameron" last="Lewis"] 6'1 170 22' Palatine <a href="https://twitter.com/Kam_prospect1">Twitter</a> DB [player_tooltip player_id="119134" first="Benjamin" last="Wilson"] 6'1 190 22' Warren Township <a href="https://twitter.com/Benji_Wilson">Twitter</a> DB Mnetisi Mndzebele 5'10 155 22' York <a href="https://twitter.com/MMnetisi">Twitter</a> DB [player_tooltip player_id="158019" first="Jailen" last="Duffie"] 6'0 160 23' Warren Township <a href="https://twitter.com/DuffieJailen">Twitter</a> <hr /> Be sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/PRZJordan">@PRZJordan</a> regarding news & information for Illinois High School Football as well as <a href="https://twitter.com/prepredzoneIL">@PrepRedzoneIL</a>. 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