2023 Rankings: Show Stoppers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state of Utah is filled with so many explosive playmakers that it takes genuinely dominant defenders to slow them down. These four players can wreck a game plan and deserve the spotlight. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='406900' first='Kymani' last='Lautaimi'] || DL || 6'2 || 240 || West High School || 2023&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kymani is an explosive athlete that makes play after play off the edge. His impressive bend and twitch help him fly past offensive tackles to make plays in the backfield. He easily converts speed to power and blasts offensive tackles into the quarterback's lap. Against the run, he can set the edge or swiftly squeeze past offensive tackles to create tackles for loss. Teams try to run away from him, but Kymani's blazing speed helps him chase down running backs from behind, even as the backside defensive end. Kymani is a do-it-all edge defender who always pops off the field. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='447215' first='Jaxon' last='Pilgrim'] || LB || 6'2 || 205 || Westlake High School || 2023</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pilgrim is a mismatch nightmare for offenses. He can play on or off-ball linebacker and makes plays all over the field. Pilgrim has great speed off the edge, making him challenging for offensive linemen to contain. Once he breaks into the backfield, Pilgram doesn't let quarterbacks escape his grasp. When lining up on the inside, he does a great job recognizing plays and shooting gaps. His closing speed allows him to chase down ball carriers from behind, where he's always looking to create a turnover. Pilgrim is unselfish and does a good job taking on blockers to open up tackles for his teammates. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='406894' first='Chase' last='Higham'] || DL || 6'3 || 275 || Mountain Ridge High School || 2023</strong>&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Higham is a powerful force on the interior defensive line. His quickness off the snap is devastating, allowing him to jump on offensive linemen. Higham has one of the state's best bull rushes and helps him overrun the opposition. Against the run, Higham can not only hold his ground against double teams but split them to make the play. He's strong enough to control a gap and bring down a running back if he tries to squeeze past him. Despite his size, Hingham does an excellent job firing out of his stance low to gain leverage against offensive linemen. Higham's patience is also outstanding, as he will wait till just the right time to shed blockers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Vilata Tua'one || DB || 5'11 || 180 || West High School || 2023</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tua'one is one of the state's top corners, and the only reason he's not more well-recognized is he's not targeted enough. The West High Panther is not afraid to get into receivers and does a good jamming them at the line. In addition, Tua'one is an exceptional athlete who can run routes just as good, if not better, than the receivers he's covering. Speaking of his wideout-like traits, Tua'one always has outstanding hands and does a great job adjusting to balls in the air. He's a physical defensive back, but in the best way that results in hard hits, not flags.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->