2022 Ball Hawks to Look Out For

Chris Norcross

July 6, 2022 @ 05:29 PM

Next season’s graduating class in NC has already proven to be a talented one, and when you take a deeper look into the talent, you can see plenty of reasons why. Not only is the class talented in every position group, but on defense specifically, there have been plenty of players who have received attention from collegiate schools. To dive even deeper, at the DB position, there are even players who you could consider as raw, and talented ball hawks. These players not only get to the ball when it is in the air, but they find ways to create turnovers off of it as well. Below, feel free to take a look at some of our favorite ball hawks in NC’s 2022 class. [player_tooltip player_id="285780" first="Taivon" last="Derisma"]- Chase During NC’s 2021 season, Derisma proved to be one of the most skilled ball hawks out of his entire class. In a 12 game span, Derisma accumulated 12 interceptions, which were largely a result of his consistency in coverage, and overall ball skills. Not only does Derisma play with great body control, but he has the speed, and athleticism to to cause turnovers in unexpected situations. He not only positions himself well in coverage, but understands how to use his length, speed, and frame to his advantage. Isaac Weaver- Andrews Throughout last season, Weaver also proved to be a valuable asset to his team’s defense, creating a consistent level of coverage, causing minimal yardage, and pressured throws. As a DB, he not only positioned himself well on the field to stay in the hip pocket of defenders, but he was also quick enough to make plays in zone coverage. With this, Weaver also showed that he had the burst, and length to keep up with faster players, while also being able to create turnovers in the process. As the season came to a close, Weaver showed that he was effective enough to create 9 interceptions in a 10 game span- something we would hope to see this ball hawk replicate next season. Manvonte Deloach- Southside Last year, Deloach proved to many Southside fans that he was more than just a filler player, but a game changer at the DB position for his team. Impressively, not only did he make plays for his offense, racking up plenty of yards, but he did just as good of a job at using his natural ability to play the game of football to be something that allowed him to create 9 interceptions for his team. As a result of these 9 interceptions, Deloach racked up a total of 164 yards, which further turned into a good set up for his team’s offense. In addition to this, it should also be noted that Deloach plays with a very good burst, and body control, which consistently put him in place to make plays on the ball, and create pressured situations for the opposing QB. [player_tooltip player_id="144939" first="Deshaun" last="Whitmire"]- Asheville Whitmire, just like a few other rising senior players throughout the state of NC, managed to total 7 interceptions last year, while also causing plenty of disruption with the opposing receivers in which he was covering. As the season progressed, he proved to be able to not only hold his own side of the field, but that he can shadow movement, and eliminate wasted movement, and false steps as well. Whitmire also did a good job of taking the football in the opposite direction once it entered his hands, totaling about 60 yards plus. In addition to this, Whitmire showed improvement in his overall pedals, change of direction, and overall burst by the end of the year. As this upcoming season grows closer and closer, look for Whitmire to continue to be a game changer for his team, and to make plays that only a select few on his team can make, further providing momentum for his team.