Watch out for these Defensive players to have Big Games in Week 4
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Richard Benenge Richard Benenge 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Harrisburg | 2023 State – LB, Harrisburg Benenge’s tool that he has is simply something that is off the charts. He has athleticism mixed with strength that makes him such…
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Continue ReadingRichard Benenge Richard Benenge 6'2" | 220 lbs | LB Harrisburg | 2023 State – LB, Harrisburg
Benenge’s tool that he has is simply something that is off the charts. He has athleticism mixed with strength that makes him such a dominant force on the defensive side of the ball and this is the week I think we see him truly go off. Harrisburg matches up well with the team that they are facing in Rapid City Stevens and that means Benenge will eat in this game. Benenge could disrupt teams and force their hand early to make offenses panic along with disorganizing their entire game plan. Benenge’s other big strength in this game is how great he is in pass coverage for someone at the LB position, it is crazy how well he can keep with TEs and WRs as a LB. He can stick to these receivers like glue and move all around the field to provide great zone coverages to cover any holes that are trying to be poked through. This week we will see Benenge put up some great numbers and I think he will have a balanced game overall, make sure to star him on your list of players to watch some highlights when the week is done as he is truly electric to watch on defense.
Gabe Gutierrez Gabe Gutierrez 6'2" | 225 lbs | LB Sioux Falls Lincoln | 2023 State – LB, Sioux Falls Lincoln
Gutierrez is explosive off the edge and that makes him the biggest threat that Lincoln has in their pocket and I think we will see that power off the edge in full force this week. Gutierrez is a great edge rusher and had many traits that make a great edge rusher into an elite one, his biggest one is his above-average defensive IQ to exploit the offensive line with what seems like at his whim. He can maneuver and skirt around anyone that tries to stop him, showing his finesse moves are second to none in most cases. Gutierrez is a great player with the skill set he has and what I like most about him is how he always put in great effort on every single play, I never in any of the film I have watched of him take a play off. He always has a team-centric mindset and with the talent that he possesses, you do not find those players every single day.
Damon Wilkinson Damon Wilkinson 6'9" | 260 lbs | DL De Smet | 2023 State – DT, De Smet
Wilkinson is a stopper in the defensive line and is a brick wall for anyone that comes in his way. What Wilkinson does best is everything that a DT can do but Wilkinson takes it to another level with his size and strength. He can stop runners in his tracks and disrupt the running game so bad that the passing game is being forced into the offense’s playbook and that is no issue for him. He can easily get past linemen and rack up sacks on the QB like it is second nature to him and he loves to make sure the QB knows that he is coming his way. He is a true trench warrior and I think we are going to see him go off this week for a few reasons, mainly how well he matches up with Oldham-Ramona/Rutland. Their OL is great at stopping edge rushers trying to come off the edge and get to the QB that way, whereas they struggle to contain big DT who can maneuver and stuff the middle.
Noah Hutmacher Noah Hutmacher 6'3" | 220 lbs | LB Chamberlain | 2023 State – LB, Chamberlain
Hutmacher is great at one thing and that is making the QBs life as hard as it can be. What he seems to mainly excel at is pass coverage and reading the sets that are being run, and he can adapt his play style to shift his focus to what the offense is trying to run as a whole. He can fill holes and show how well can adapt to any scenario that he is in and the show is IQ in just about every pass coverage scenario that he is in. No matter if he is guarding someone in a zone scheme or a traditional man-to-man set, Hutmacher is your guy when it comes to coverage. Make sure to watch for him this week and how well he does with any player that he has to face and just how great he is when all the lights are on.