Top 2023 Norcal Defenders: Heavy Hitters

Photo: Jaelen Nichols photos

Paul Gregorian April 13, 2022 @ 01:08 PM

Ethan Lancaster, Burlingame HS [caption id="attachment_321409" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-13-at-10.10.32-AM-crop-1164x765-1649870029.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-321409" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-13-at-10.10.32-AM-crop-1164x765-1649870029-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Ethan Lancaster Hudl[/caption] Lancaster is a big and physical in the box Mike backer that is one of the top in the Bay. Operating well downhill and in between the tackles, he is a plug in the middle and plays with heavy hands when scraping over the top and is a strong tackler in the box. Although still working on lateral movement abilities, he packs a punch at contact and can easily take down bigger ball carriers while effectively kicking out ends and outside linebackers from his fullback position and bringing a physical presence to both sides of the ball.     Tristyn Quintana, Lincoln HS <img class="size-medium wp-image-321412 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-13-at-10.16.49-AM-crop-1222x802-1649870296-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Quintana is a versatile player that has good length, a strong build and can play either inside or outside at the next level depending on the scheme. Off the snap he is an explosive player that can apply pressure off the edge with violent and quick hands while a strong tackler in the open field and flashes nice closing speed even against quicker backs. He has a quick trigger and explodes through contact while able to cover when needed and seems comfortable in space. He has the frame to be able to pack on more weight in college and could find his home as a standup edge player due to his mix of athleticism, length and pass rush/cover abilities.     [player_tooltip player_id="25420" first="Jaelen" last="Nichols"], Central Catholic HS [caption id="attachment_321428" align="alignleft" width="326"]<img class=" wp-image-321428" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/04/MYp4u7d7_400x400-2-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="326" height="326" /> Photo: [player_tooltip player_id="25420" first="Jaelen" last="Nichols"] Hudl[/caption] Nichols is a very good sized strong safety/linebacker hybrid and is one of the best in the central valley. When coming downhill, he is a long strider that closes fast and can get off blocks quickly while taking good angles to ball carries in the open field especially in the outside run game. He is a very well put together kid that has division I abilities and also offers position versatility. In coverage, he is a fluid peddler with good hips in transition and can make plays on the ball with return abilities. He is without a doubt one of the best safeties across the region and should start to see his recruitment pickup in the coming months.