2022 6A All-Tournament Team: Defense

<!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">As we begin the new year, I have taken the time to reflect on a very exciting 2022 high school football season in Kentucky. While the regular season was great, the playoffs in each class exceeded expectations as a lot of talent was on display. With that being said, I wanted to take some time to focus on the players that stood out during the playoffs in each class. After covering 1A-5A , I have now turned my attention to the top playoff performers in 6A. To wrap up my All-Tournament Team series, here is my 2022 6A All-Tournament Defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["305210"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='305210' first='Isaiah' last='Hare'] is a player that I've had high on my radar for a while now that continued to impress during the playoffs. The junior defensive end played a huge role in Bullitt East's 6A State Championship run. Hare finished the playoffs with 27 total tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. As a pass rusher, Hare has shown the ability to use his speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles before they have much of a chance to block him. Once he gets to the quarterback, Hare makes his presence felt as he explodes through contact and finishes with a ton of physicality. Hare is also very reliable against the run, showing the ability to read the play and run sideline to sideline to make tackles in the open field. Isaiah doesn't currently hold any offers but I expect some to come his way going into his senior year as he has been receiving a nice amount of college interest and has the talent to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["386170"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Another defensive lineman that I've had on my radar for a while now that stood out during the playoffs was Central Hardin's [player_tooltip player_id='386170' first='Adam' last='Hobbs']. Although Central Hardin was eliminated in the quarterfinals, Hobbs still found a way to leave his mark, finishing the playoffs with 30 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble. The senior defensive end is an explosive pass rusher, showing a quick first step off the line of scrimmage and using his speed to win off the edge. When he doesn't win with pure speed, Hobbs has also shown the ability to fight through blocks to get to the quarterback. Against the run, Hobbs has shown the ability to stack blocks and read the play. Once he sees where the ball is going, he is able to shed blocks quickly and get to the ball to make tackles in the open field. Adam currently holds offers from Georgetown (KY), Kentucky Wesleyan, Manchester, and Findlay, and I can see him developing into a key piece of the defense for any of those programs.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["331699"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='331699' first='Cameron' last='Norfleet'] is another senior defensive player that stood out to me during the playoffs. Norfleet played a key role in Ballard's deep playoff run, finishing with 34 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks. Cameron plays in a stand up defensive end/outside linebacker role and is a very dangerous pass rusher. He has an impressive amount of bend and speed off the edge which he uses to blow by opposing offensive tackles and make it hard for them to get their hands on him. Norfleet also has an impressive arsenal of pass rush moves that he uses to defeat blocks on his way to the quarterback. Against the run, Norfleet does a great job of reading the play and taking good angles to get to the ball. Norfleet has also shown reliability in pass coverage, showing that he is comfortable in both man and zone coverage. Cameron doesn't have any reported offers currently but I believe he deserves some attention from college coaches as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["313820"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='313820' first='DeAndre' last='Malone'] is a junior linebacker that has been high on my radar for a while now that continued to impress during the playoffs. Malone played a key role in Male's run to the 6A State Championship Game, finishing the playoffs with 38 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and a forced fumble. While he has played both inside and outside linebacker during his high school career, Malone mainly played off the edge as a stand up outside linebacker this season. As a pass rusher, Malone has a nice amount of bend and plays with a high motor, showing the ability to fight through blocks while working to get to the quarterback. Once he gets to the quarterback, Malone does a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the sack. Against the run, Malone has shown the ability to read the play and use his speed to run sideline to sideline to make tackles in the open field. While Malone doesn't currently hold any offers, I expect some to come his way going into his senior year as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["331694"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Ballard senior [player_tooltip player_id='331694' first='Gavin' last='Willis'] was one of the most productive linebackers in the state during the regular season and he continued to impress during the playoffs. Willis played a key role in Ballard's deep playoff run, finishing with 57 tackles. two tackles for loss, two sacks, and an interception. Gavin has shown some versatility in his game, seeing snaps as an off-ball inside linebacker and off the edge as an outside linebacker. As an inside linebacker, he is very impressive against the run. Willis does a great job of reading his keys and flowing to the ball, and then making tackles in the open field. Willis is also a dangerous pass rusher off the edge, using his speed and pass rush moves to blow by opposing offensive tackles. He has also shown reliability in pass coverage, showing the ability to read route combinations and put himself in a position to make a play on the ball. Gavin is committed to Bucknell where I see him developing into a very productive player at the next level.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["408041"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='408041' first='Jason' last='Hocker'] is a junior linebacker that caught my attention during the regular season and he continued to stand out during the playoffs. Hocker played a key role in Bryan Station's deep playoff run, finishing with 33 tackles and four tackles for loss. Jason lines up at inside linebacker and does a great job of reading his keys and coming downhill in a hurry to fill his gap against the run. Once he gets to the ball, Hocker is a very reliable tackler both in the open field and between the tackles. He also does a great job of using his speed to burst into the backfield to make tackles for loss before opposing offensive linemen have a chance to block him. Hocker is also reliable in pass coverage, showing the ability to drop into coverage and look up receivers. Jason currently holds offers from Tennessee Tech, Akron, Southeast Missouri State, and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year as he is a true Division I caliber talent at linebacker.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["408040"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Another member of the Bryan Station defense that has been high on my radar for a while and continued to impress during the playoffs is [player_tooltip player_id='408040' first='JT' last='Haskins']. The junior safety made his mark on the Defenders' playoff run, finishing with 15 total tackles and an interception. Haskins is a ball hawk on the back end of the Defenders' secondary, showing the ability to read the play and cover a ton of ground in a hurry to put himself in a position to make a play. Once he sees the ball in the air, he has shown the ability to time his breaks with perfect timing to make a play on the ball. Against the run, Haskins has shown the ability and willingness to come downhill and fill the lane to provide support. Once he gets to the ball carrier,  Haskins is a very reliable open field tackler. Haskins currently holds offers from Marshall, Tennessee Tech, Akron, Eastern Kentucky, Miami (OH), and Louisville, and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year as he is a Power 5 caliber talent at safety.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_7_player":["287565"],"_player_evaluations_7_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_7_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_7_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"Korey Mattingly II is a player that I've had on my radar for a while now that truly stood out to me during the playoffs. The senior defensive back played a huge role in Male's run to the 6A State Championship Game, finishing with 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three fumble recoveries, and two fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns. One of those fumble recovery touchdowns was the game-winning touchdown to send Male to the championship game. Mattingly lines up at strong safety and does a great job of reading plays and reacting quickly to put himself in a position to make a play. In pass coverage, he shows the ability to read route combinations and break on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. He is also very impressive against the run, reading the play and coming downhill in a hurry to fill the lane and make the tackle in the open field. Korrey currently holds offers from Mount Saint Joseph and Kentucky Christian but I can see more coming his way as he has the talent to be a very productive player at the next level.","_player_evaluations_7_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_8_player":["423720"],"_player_evaluations_8_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_8_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_8_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"To wrap up my 6A All-Tournament Defense, I have junior defensive back [player_tooltip player_id='423720' first='Montel' last='[player_tooltip player_id='423621' first='Xavier' last='Campbell']'] from Ballard. Campbell played a key role in Ballard's deep playoff run, finishing with ten tackles, two interceptions, and one interception returned for a touchdown. Montel lines up at safety and does a great job of reading the play and breaking on the ball with perfect timing to make a play. Campbell showed the ball skills to catch interceptions in stride and return them for big gains and touchdowns. He also showed reliability against the run, reading the play and coming downhill in a hurry to provide run support. Once he got to the ball carrier, Campbell did a great job of running his feet through contact to secure the tackle in the open field. While he doesn't currently hold any offers, Campbell will definitely be a player to watch going into his senior year as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level.","_player_evaluations_8_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":9,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63c44c1bbe8a6"} /--> <!-- wp:heading {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"17px"}}} --> <h2 style="font-size:17px">Honorable Mention:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"15px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:15px">[player_tooltip player_id='386162' first='Saadiq' last='Clements'] (2023 Defensive Lineman, Henderson County); [player_tooltip player_id='408042' first='Jahvon' last='Frazier'] (2024 Defensive Lineman, Bryan Station); Wyatt Raney (2026 Linebacker, Meade County); [player_tooltip player_id='386753' first='Nikalos' last='Dixon'] (2023 Linebacker, Bryant Station); [player_tooltip player_id='525610' first='Isaac' last='Blue'] (2023 Linebacker, Daviess County); [player_tooltip player_id='331696' first='Jaden' last='Minkins'] (2023 Defensive Back, Ballard)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->