Prospects to Remember From the Class of ’24: Part II

With just hours away till 2023, we're continuing to highlight prospects deep within the rankings that folks need to remember next season. In the first part of this series we highlighted players on the offensive side of the ball, but in this second piece we'll be focusing on the defensive side. The Class of ‘24 is absolutely loaded with exceptional defenders. There's can't miss talent in each position group, and these are five players that recruiters should consider looking into before the '23 campaign. Three of these prospects were breakthrough performers this past season, and the other two are players taking plenty of experience into 2023.   <h2>Defensive Linemen</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='262220' first='Mark' last='Debiak'] – Spring Hill, 6'3”, 245   We begin this second part of the series by taking a look at one of the most underrated edge rushers in Class 5A. [player_tooltip player_id='262220' first='Mark' last='Debiak'] of Spring Hill maintained his status as a Top 100 prospect after another strong year in the trenches. Debiak corralled 47 total tackles during his junior year, which is 19 more than he had as a sophomore, and he had three sacks and four forced fumbles as well. His outstanding play earned him his second straight 5A All-State Honorable Mention nod, and another 1st Team All-League selection. With year three as a starter on the horizon, look for Debiak to take his game to another level as a senior.   [player_tooltip player_id='532707' first='Lorenzo' last='Johnson'] – Schlagle, 6'2”, 200   The intro in this article described three of these five defenders as breakthrough performers this past season. [player_tooltip player_id='532707' first='Lorenzo' last='Johnson'] of Schlagle truly exemplified that during his junior year. Johnson came from out of nowhere during the '22 campaign and ended the season as one of the leading sackers in the state. He piled up 14.5 sacks, 73 total tackles, and 20 tackles for loss. What's most impressive about these numbers, is that this was Johnson's first season starting at the varsity level. He'd be rewarded for his efforts with a 4A All-State Honorable Mention nod and a 1st Team All-Meadowlark Conference selection. Very excited to see how Johnson will develop heading into his senior year.   <h2>Linebackers</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='543073' first='Aaron' last='Henson'] – Piper, 6'0”, 210   [player_tooltip player_id='543073' first='Aaron' last='Henson'] is one of many linebackers in this class that elevated their game in 2022. Henson was a stud as a sophomore, but he really stood out during his junior year. The junior was a recent addition in the December update, as he made his debut at No. 80 overall and is now the 11th ranked backer in the class. His debut in the Top 100 comes after Henson picked up 1st Team All-League honors and a 4A All-State Honorable Mention nod. Henson put together his second season with 100 total tackles; racking up 117 total during the '22 campaign. The hard-hitting backer also blocked one punt and came up with three sacks and forced three fumbles.   [player_tooltip player_id='545649' first='Cannon' last='McCormack'] – Circle, 6'0”, 215   Speaking of stud linebackers, [player_tooltip player_id='545649' first='Cannon' last='McCormack'] of Circle High School was another that joined the rankings after a phenomenal year. McCormack entered the rankings just three spots behind Henson, and is the 12th ranked linebacker in the class. He took on a much larger role as a junior, and became a tackling machine for the Thunderbirds. The Circle product went from having only 45 total tackles in 2021, to accumulating 137 total this past season. His impact didn't stop there though. McCormack also racked up 28 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and four forced fumbles. It'll be difficult to post numbers like that again, but look for McCormack to have another 1st Team All-State year in 2023.   <h2>Athlete</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='262754' first='Carter' last='Helm'] – Kingman, 5'11”, 190   Kingman High boasted one of the most stifling defense's in the state this past season, and one of their key leaders was junior defensive back, [player_tooltip player_id='262754' first='Carter' last='Helm']. He didn't allow much in the backend of the Eagles' defense, which helped their unit allow only eight points per game during the '22 campaign. The junior finished the year as one of the state's leaders in interceptions, as he collected nine this past season. Helm's ballhawk play style would earn him a 2A All-State Honorable Mention nod, and a 1st Team All-League selection. He's now up to 11 career interceptions, and he is sure to add more next fall.

With just hours away till 2023, we're continuing to highlight prospects deep within the rankings that folks need to remember next season. In the first part of this series we highlighted players on the offensive side of the ball, but in this second piece we'll be focusing on the defensive side. The Class of ‘24 is absolutely loaded with exceptional defenders. There's can't miss talent in each position group, and these are five players that recruiters should consider looking into before the '23 campaign. Three of these prospects were breakthrough performers this past season, and the other two are players taking plenty of experience into 2023.