2023 Rankings Top 20 Breakdown: 5-8

JT Wistrcill

December 26, 2022 @ 10:59 PM

To be an elite player, you have to strike fear into your opponents. These four keep the opposition up all week trying to figure out how to handle them.     [player_tooltip player_id='406856' first='Hunter' last='Clegg'] || DL || 6'4 || 235 || American Fork High School || 2023    Clegg is a physical force off the edge. When you see him on the field, it's hard to believe someone that big could move that quickly, but Clegg does. Once the ball is snapped, he explodes off the line to make plays. Clegg is physical against the run, where he routinely stands up and drives tackles into the backfield. He knows when to disengage from tackles to make plays and can control both the B & C gaps. As a pass rusher, Clegg can go through or around offensive linemen. He has a great motor and is athletic enough to track down quarterbacks when they try to escape to the edge. Clegg is an elite quarterback hunter, and Utah Football is lucky he's staying in state.     [player_tooltip player_id='406861' first='Jr' last='Sia'] || OL || 6'6 || 305 || Mountain Ridge High School || 2023    Sia is a four-year starter, and it's easy to see why when watching his tape. Holding down the left tackle spot for the Sentinels, he keeps pockets clean for all 48 minutes. His strength allows him to overwhelm defensive linemen easily, and he usually racks up a stack of pancakes each game. Despite his massive frame, Sia moves exceptionally well and slides his feet well in pass protection. In the run game, he uses his power to blow defenders off the ball. Sia has good leg drive and active hands. In his pass set, he delivers a physical punch that is tough to overcome. He's an elite tackle who will make Aggie fans extremely happy at Utah State.     [player_tooltip player_id='406858' first='Cade' last='Uluave'] || LB || 6'1 || 215 || Mountain Ridge High School || 2023    Cade missed most of the season due to injury, but there's a reason he just signed to play with the Cal Golden Bears. Cade is a heat-seeking missal who relentlessly hunts ball carriers. His sideline-to-sideline speed is impressive, and he beats nearly every running back to the outside. He fills holes fearlessly and quickly evades blockers to make tackles for loss. Cade's vision is impressive, and it helps him to sift through front sevens and locate the ball. In coverage, he is sound and knows when to close on an errand pass to create a turnover. Cade is a dominant force on the inside, and once he's back healthy, he will be a challenge to all teams he faces in the Pac-12.     [player_tooltip player_id='406859' first='Taliafi' last='Taala'] || OL || 6'7 || 280 || Alta High School Football || 2023    Taala is one of the primer tackles in the state. He looks down his side, where he easily contains pass rushers. Taala excels at defeating defensive ends, whether in the run game or passing downs. He easily beats pass rushers' moves by blasting them back or knocking their hands down. Taala creates pancake after pancake with his tenacious blocks. He has outstanding technique, and his hand placement is elite. When he gets his hands on defenders inside, he will drive them back as far as possible before dumping them into the ground. He has all the measurements a team at the next level hopes to find in an elite lineman, but even more impressively, he knows how to use them to his advantage.