PRZ Prospect Tour Illinois Linebacker Standouts

<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="237522" first="Josh" last="Lambert"], Downers Grove North (IL), 2023</strong> The MVP of the linebacking core for the Prospect Tour, [player_tooltip player_id="237522" first="Josh" last="Lambert"], left no questions that he was a standout for sure. Josh was able to dominate his reps against the running backs in the one-on-one drills, crashing down to stop the ball carriers in their tracks and squaring up at the point of collision, giving the opponents no room to make a move. Josh showed crisp footwork while running through the L cone drill, which translates perfectly in his gameplay, where he takes good angles and makes quick cuts to the ball. Josh plays with a high level of football IQ, breaking plays down as they unfold in front of him and collapsing on the ball to make quality plays for Downers Grove North. [caption id="attachment_336425" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/050722-PrepRedZone-Prospect-Tour-09-crop-1639x1076-1652154731.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-336425" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/050722-PrepRedZone-Prospect-Tour-09-crop-1639x1076-1652154731-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Prep Redzone[/caption] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="300306" first="Jace" last="Christian"], Reed-Custer (IL), 2023</strong> There is no time for friends on the gridiron for Jace because when he is in between the goalposts, he is all about his business. Jace shows an unmatched will-to-win in the way he attacks his craft, giving 112% to every rep he gets. A two-way player for Reed-Custer, Jace has proven that he is not hesitant to initiate contact, making for some good collisions. Jace has displayed quickness which allows him to close the gap on a loose quarterback or running back when coming down from his linebacker position. Jace keeps his head on the correct side of the ball handler when going to take them down, making for a sure-fire tackling machine. Overall, Jace is a spectacular athlete who keeps the offensive ball handler in front of him at all times. Keep an eye out for this young man in the season ahead. <strong>Charlie Gardella, New Trier (IL), 2024</strong> With great speed comes a considerable amount of momentum, and Charlie Gardella showed that he was able to halt his momentum in its tracks and break down at the ball carrier when coming downhill to make a play in his one-on-one battles. Charlie’s ability to break down and finish a play through the ball showed that he is ready to make plays at his linebacker position this coming fall. Charlie revealed that he was a player who does not let up on a play through the way he attacked all drills that he partook in by running through the cones and playing past the ball. Charlie plays as an aggressive linebacker who displays a tremendous first step downhill while also having the ability to drop back into coverage. While only a rising junior, look for Charlie to exert himself as a dominant linebacker for New Trier over the next two seasons. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-335923" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/unnamed-1-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="300688" first="Thomas" last="Williams"], Downers Grove North (IL), 2023</strong> Linebackers can be known as the quarterbacks of the defense, the vocal leaders, if you will, and Thomas made it clear that he was not afraid to speak up and boost the morale of those surrounding him. Being a vocal leader is a spectacular addition for someone who has all of the physical skills needed to lead a defense to great triumph. Thomas displayed a motor that wouldn’t quit running with the talent to keep his upper body low through corners in training simulations. Thomas is a linebacker with the legs to play sideline-to-sideline in pursuit of the ball. Thomas is a stout defender who plays with a thirst for the ball and stands tall in the trenches, looking for backs to ruin their day. DGN is in good hands, with Thomas working on their side. [caption id="attachment_336413" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-336413" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/050722-PrepRedZone-Prospect-Tour-Headshots-236.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /> Photo: Prep Redzone[/caption] <strong>Nick Naujokas, Mount Carmel (IL), 2023</strong> Mount Carmel has a linebacker in Nick Naujokas who has the vision of a hawk when on the field, which is apparent in how he is laser-focused on the ball. Nick shows excellent speed from his linebacking position and never takes a wasted step to the ball while executing the most efficient path to the play. While technically weighing in around 215 lbs, Nick plays much larger than his size as he is quick to attack a running back in the hole and open to taking an offensive lineman head-on who has charged up to block him at the second level. Nick is a linebacker that you can expect to see involved in more defensive stops than not, and you should look to see his name in the stat books with extended defensive statistics to prove that. &nbsp; &nbsp;