3 Weeks In. 5 Defensive Studs To Get Familiar With

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Freddy Brown - Hammon Morton - LB - 6'0" 192lbs - 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brown is a dynamic athlete who can do just about anything you need him to. He can cover from sideline to sideline and tackle in space. He's got a good head on his shoulders and can fill the run, come down in the box, or line up and play in man coverage. While there's some work to be done in those categories, he's got the raw abilities to flourish. He's someone who flies around the field, makes tackles all over the place, and the right people are starting to find him. Brown is easily one of the best LB prospects in the class. He's got every raw ability you look for and this fall, he's looked even faster on the field, which I'm not even sure how it's possible. Either way, he's been suffocating offenses to start the year and is only getting started.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='325850' first='Reece' last='Wilder'] - Boonville - LB - 6'2" 210lbs - 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wilder has had the best start to his season possible. He's come out and looked like he's taken a massive step. He looks much faster and more fluid. He's playing with a confidence and understanding I don't think we've seen yet. The only thing that's doing is letting him play faster. He's making plays all over the field. He's rushing the QB and getting home regularly. He's also playing the run really well and isn't getting fooled. He's trusting his feet and his eyes and filling gaps, coming to balance, and making open field tackles. He's been as sound as you could ask and with his size and ability, there's a chance his ceiling continues to go up. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taysire Williams - Jimtown - DE/LB/TE - 6'6" 230lbs - 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams is an incredibly lengthy recruit who actually bends fairly well. For a guy his size, you'd expect him to be stiff and slower. That's not the case here. Williams is able to bend and flex fairly well which allows him to be more versatile than you'd think. He's able to bend around the corner and rush the QB effectively. With his length, he's able to get there quicker than most his age. If not, he can jump and throw his arms up and block the whole stadium from seeing. He's fast enough to drop back into coverage and make plays in space. However, with his length and ability to bend, I see him moving to the line at the next level. He's got the size and potential to develop into an elite DE if he gets into the right program. Williams is in a great spot right now and if he can continue to make plays this fall, he'll have no issue finding a home.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kole Brantley - Reitz Memorial - LB/DL/RB - 6'2" 195lbs - 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brantley has burst onto the scene and really started to make a name for himself. He's able to play multiple positions, bounce around, and fill the gap of someone who went down. He's a smart player and doesn't panic. He's able to tackle in the open field and come into the alley and square up the ball carrier. He's not going to get baited into seeing something that isn't there and he's downhill immediately. He's quietly turned into one of the more sound players in the area and hopefully, we can get him some love, because he deserves it. Some guys make their team better by showing up and leading by example. Brantley fits that mold and he's had an awesome start to the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='300016' first='Jayden' last='Morris'] - Southside - WR/DB - 6'1" 170lbs - 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Morris is a 2-way player for Southside that I could put in the offensive studs piece, but he's so versatile and could be used in Special Teams so I've got him here today. That being said, he's really good at WR too. He's able to make guys miss, is great in the open field, and is able to bring down contested cathces. However, he's just got great defensive insticts. He's got great speed and knows when to break on a ball. He's long and able to reach farther than WRs expect. He's tough, can hit, and never gives up on any play. Morris feels like he's just getting his confidence on the season and it's already making him flourish. He's confident, has the raw ability, and to this point hasn't disappointed a bit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->