5A State Championship Stock Up: Defense

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When the Lehi Pioneer and the Timpview Thunderbirds squared off in the 5A championship game, some of the state's top defenders were on the field. These four players really stepped up on the biggest stage the state has to offer.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='406899' first='Kadiyon' last='Sweat'] || DB || 6'0 || 185 || Lehi High School || 2023 </strong><br>Sweat was sensational in the Pioneer's semifinal win and kept up his strong play against Timpview. The 6'0 safety has excellent ball skills and had a game-changing end-zone interception. He's among the best in the state at reading quarterbacks and has the speed to keep up with elite receivers. In addition, Sweat has excellent instincts and an exceptional feel for the game. He can come down and cover at the line, play inside the box, and help stop the run. Sweat takes great angles in the run game, and his closing speed makes everyone else look like they're running in slow motion. He made game-changing plays all year and is one of the main reasons Lehi was able to repeat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='406863' first='Isaac' last='Terrell'] || DL || 6'2 || 240 || Lehi High School || 2023 </strong><br>Terrell was facing the best tackle combination in the 5A classification and was still able to wreak havoc in the backfield. He finished the championship game with five tackles, two pass breakups, and a sack. Terrell has great arm length for an edge rusher and knows how to use hit. The 6'2 defensive lineman knows when to throw his hands up to bat passes and throw offensive linemen off their leverage. Terrell is physical off the snap and elite at rushing the quarterback and stopping the run. Terrell can go around or through offensive linemen when getting after the quarterback. In addition, Terrell is a tough physical leader who helped pave the way for a Pioneers repeat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Blake Jenkins || LB || 5'10 || 190 || Lehi High School || 2023 </strong><br>Jenkins showed out in the state championship game. He had 15 total tackles and made his presence felt from the first snap to the Pioneer's last defensive stand. Jenkins is a physical linebacker who is everything coaches at the next level look for in a football player. He reads and reacts to plays like an elite safety. Jenkins does a great job flowing to the ball and closing on it once he finds a gap. He makes tackles for losses and routinely blows up plays behind the line of scrimmage. Jenkins rarely misses a tackle and does a great job getting past offensive linemen. In addition, Jenkins also does an excellent job in coverage and was outstanding in his team's biggest game of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>JJ Tuha || DB || 6'1 || 180 || Timpview High School || 2023 </strong><br>That made life difficult on one of the best offenses in the state. He had four tackles, a tackle for loss, and two pass breakups. Tuha is a two-way safety that can disrupt offenses at every field level. He loves to hit and plays the run incredibly well. Tuha has elite athleticism allows him to cover more than half the field. He has excellent hands and is willing to sell out his body to dive and break up passes. Tuha never backs down from a challenge and can cover any receivers or tight ends. He will no doubt keep making game-changing plays at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->