Nebraska Madness: Defensive Line
In the spirit of March Madness and the stage set between the Final Four teams, I decided to make a final four made up of 4 different Nebraska area teams. We divided the state into Team Omaha, Team Lincoln, Team…
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Continue ReadingIn the spirit of March Madness and the stage set between the Final Four teams, I decided to make a final four made up of 4 different Nebraska area teams. We divided the state into Team Omaha, Team Lincoln, Team 402, and Team 308. The goal is to expand on past “All-Nebraska” teams and bring exposure to players from all corners of the state. The winner of the final four will be determined through a Twitter poll vote. Stay tuned to see which squad becomes the “Kings of the Corn.”
- Team Omaha – Omaha schools, Gretna, Elkhorn, Bennington, Bellevue, etc.
- Team Lincoln – Lincoln basically.
- Team 308 – All 308 schools (inc. Grand Island)
- Team 402 – All 402 schools minus Omaha and Lincoln schools. Includes Waverly, A-G, Fremont, Plattsmouth, etc.
In this edition, we introduce the defensive linemen. Like the offensive line, instead of choosing two ends and a tackle, I decided just to put the best combination of three linemen.
Maverick Noonan Maverick Noonan 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Elkhorn South | 2023 State NE (2023) | Elkhorn South | 6’4″ 235 lbs
Season Stats: 30 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 7 sacks
Maverick could move to outside linebacker role in the future, but for now, we’ll have him in the trenches with his hand in the dirt. Noonan is arguably the most talented edge-rusher in the state, with several schools from all over the country taking notice. Maverick’s bend is incredible, and when combined with his hand use, it is no wonder he is such a problem for opposing offensive lines.
Tyson Terry Tyson Terry 6'2" | 270 lbs | DL Omaha North | 2025 State NE (2025) | Omaha North | 6’3″ 265 lbs
Season Stats: 85 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 4 batted passes.
The freshman sensation makes the Team Omaha squad, and with good reason. With the fast linebackers I have selected and Maverick Noonan Maverick Noonan 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Elkhorn South | 2023 State NE , team Omaha will have no problem getting to the QB. So, I wanted to add some big guys to shore up the run game. That’s where Terry comes in with 12 tackles for loss. He showed that he could make a running back’s life miserable… and he can also get to the QB.
Aidan Betz (2023) | Elkhorn | 6’3″ 280 lbs
Season Stats: 35 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 4 sacks.
To continue with the idea of adding size and strength, Betz has been a space-eater for the Antler’s defense since he was a sophomore. Plugging Betz in at nose/DT will help fortify the interior defensive line and make running inside the tackles a tough task to do.
Team Lincoln:
Grant Berry Grant Berry 6'4" | 220 lbs | DL Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE (2023) | Lincoln Southwest | 6’4″ 230 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Season Stats: 52 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, a forced fumble, recovered fumble, and a batted pass.
Grant is a very impressive athlete with great length and a non-stop motor. Berry will benefit from the departure of the senior class and should see an uptick in production. Grant fits perfectly in this team because he provides speed off the snap and can disengage from his blockers.
Jackson Masek Jackson Masek 6'1" | 220 lbs | DL Lincoln Lutheran | 2023 State NE (2023) | Lincoln Lutheran | 6’1″ 220 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Season Stats: 73 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, fumble recovery.
Jackson is flying a little under the radar at the moment, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t ball out in his junior season. Masek is another high-motor player that fights until the end of the play and can be seen flying downfield trying to make a move. He does a good job getting to the inside shoulder of his blocker and forcing them off-balance in their stance. Jackson should be the leader of the Warrior’s defensive line in 2022 and will be a great contributor to team Lincoln’s success.
Sam Cappos Sam Cappos 6'1" | 240 lbs | DL Lincoln East | 2023 State NE (2023) | Lincoln East | 6’1″ 240 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Season Stats: 68 tackles, 1.5 sacks, forced fumble, fumble recovery.
Who should we have for the team Lincoln tackle? None other than Sam Cappos Sam Cappos 6'1" | 240 lbs | DL Lincoln East | 2023 State NE who ranked second in tackles among defensive tackles in 2021. Cappos is an excellent athlete (not just on the gridiron, either), and he knows how to get after the ball carrier. He uses his hands and leverage very well to get off his blocks. Cappos also doesn’t get pushed back and often brings the fight to the lineman instead of the other way around.
Team 308:
Victor Isele Victor Isele 6'3" | 220 lbs | DL Northwest | 2023 State NE (2023) | Grand Island Northwest | 6’2″ 220 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Season Stats: 64 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 7 sacks
Beast.
I guess I can elaborate a little more. Isele is a monster of a defensive lineman. His get-off and explosiveness are up there for best among defensive linemen. He mixes his speed with his strength very well and can change his pass-rush approach. Victor has evolved into one of the masters of getting into the backfield.
Caleb Kinkaid Caleb Kinkaid 6'3" | 225 lbs | DL North Platte | 2023 State NE (2023) | North Platte | 6’3″ 205 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Season Stats: 79 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 sacks.
The returning leader in sacks, Caleb Kinkaid Caleb Kinkaid 6'3" | 225 lbs | DL North Platte | 2023 State NE , is a beast at getting after the quarterback. Pairing him up with Victor on the edge seems lethal. Kinkaid is a versatile edge-rusher that can rush out of a 3-point stance or as a stand-up LB hybrid. He is quick off the snap and is very good at attacking the tackle wide and closing in quickly. Kinkaid had a great junior year, but something tells me he only scratched the surface of what he can do.
Quade Peterson Quade Peterson 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL St. Paul | 2023 State NE (2023) | 6’3″ 260 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Season Stats: 53 tackles, 10 tackles, 2 sacks
Yea, this team 308 defensive line is dirty!! We have Quade Peterson Quade Peterson 6'3" | 260 lbs | DL St. Paul | 2023 State NE lined up as our defensive tackle and a complementary piece to our speedy ends. Quade is a stone wall in the interior defense and can easily shut down inside runs. His strength gives him a great push at the snap and allows him to break into the backfield and rack up some tackles for loss.
Team 402:
Dawson Raabe Dawson Raabe 6'0" | 295 lbs | OL Pierce | 2023 State NE (2023) | Pierce | 6’0″ 285 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Season Stats: 51 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks
Dawson is a player that coaches need to get on their boards ASAP! Raabe is an up-and-coming defensive tackle that plays very physically. He has a strong and swift jab at the snap of the ball. Raabe is only a junior, but he’s already been to two state championships and won one. I like Dawson’s hustle, athleticism, and ability to quickly get off the snap. He will be a great interior DL in this hypothetical situation.
Luke Lambert Luke Lambert 6'3" | 235 lbs | DL Ashland-Greenwood | 2023 State NE (2023) | Ashland-Greenwood | 6’3″ 235 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Season Stats: 70 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 5 sacks
Luke is a prospect that should be on more radars, especially after a great season like he had in 2021. Lambert is in Go mode from snap to whistle and has good speed for his size. He is efficient against the run and knows how to get to the QB. When he’s not making it home for the sack, he still manages to disrupt the passing game with his 14 QB hurries.
Kade Pieper Kade Pieper 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Norfolk Catholic | 2023 State NE (2023) | Norfolk Catholic | 6’3″ 240 lbs
Season Stats: 118 tackles, 7 sacks
During his junior year, Pieper was a huge breakout player and will be a significant key to Norfolk Catholic’s defensive success in 2021. Kade uses his length and quickness off the snap to create mismatches against blockers. He moves very well and even had several chase-down tackles that were 15-20 yards downfield. Pieper is already picking up D1 offers (South Dakota) and should continue to do so throughout the spring/summer. This is a very underrated but dynamic defensive line!
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