2025 Defensive Playmakers To Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we continue to checkout the Class of 2025, let's take a look at some Defensive Playmakers to watch here in February: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LB Jyron Tosi - Olympic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've written about Tosi before, an ultra-talented 6'1 210-pound linebacker out of Olympic HS in Charlotte. He has enhanced his all-conference performance this past season with an all-conference wrestling season as well, which I'm sure will just improve his tackling abilities as a machine in the middle of that Trojan defense. 98 total tackles on the season with 4 forced fumbles, 2 recoveries, and an interception helped lead the Trojans to their only undefeated regular season in school history. He tackles with good technique and a lot of force - an impact player on the field in the running game. In the passing game, he is disciplined in his zone drops and keeps an eye to quarterbacks, and seeks to attack when they break the pocket and punish them for the decision. I'm excited to see the progress in his game once he hits the camp season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DL [player_tooltip player_id='383947' first='Zane' last='Bostick'] - Hough</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Explosive quickness off of the football is what I've seen from this young man on the camp circuit, and he put it into practice this season on the football field. At 6'2 and 225 pounds, he played some offensive line and tight end as well, but defense is his calling card. He has the ability to speed rush and rip through the outside arm of a tackle at the end position; at defensive tackle, he has shown the ability to cross an OL's face into a gap and create havoc on the offensive scheme. He can play off blocks well in the run game and penetrate to make tackles for loss in the backfield as well. With Zane at a new school, I'm excited to see where he goes from here. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>LB [player_tooltip player_id='1303810' first='Marshall' last='McGowan'] - Burns </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most productive linebackers in the 2025 class last season I think has flown a bit under the radar. Marshall had 99 tackles - including an incredible 90 solo tackles - with 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 3 interceptions. I saw him play in person against Monroe in the playoffs and I thought I was watching an upperclassman for sure. At 6'3 and 225 pounds, he has picked up an offer from nearby Gardner-Webb who is probably hoping everyone else will be late to the party on this young man. Watching the film, I'm impressed with his ability to play off of blocks in the run game. He sheds quickly and tackles well in space, reflective of his stats. In the passing game, he reads pass well and gets back to his zone with good speed and discipline. He also has excellent hands - displayed on a great play where he read the screen, picked off the pass, and ran it back for a touchdown. He is also a baseball player, so that's another reflection of his athletic ability. If he goes on the camp circuit, he could generate more interest quickly. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DB Justin Rowe - Asheville School </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now when you talk about someone under the radar, I think Justin is definitely it right now for the time being. And I say that because Missouri is the only school to offer this young man at the moment, but once others see him, other offers are sure to come quickly. At 6'3 and 190 pounds, he is a defensive back that can do a lot more on the field for sure. As a DB, he plays strong safety but he has excellent man coverage skills in the slot - something that most players with his size may struggle with, but he has great feet and can transition well to run with receivers on longer routes. He also does a great job as a force player in the run game, tackling well in space and does not let things get outside of him. He is a big-time threat in the return game on special teams, an added value in the recruiting game. He also can contribute on offense as a big-play receiver in making catches on the outside versus 1 on 1 coverage. I expect his recruitment to exponentially grow this summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DB [player_tooltip player_id='1360442' first='Noah' last='Collins'] - Chambers </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whenever you have a school like Chambers that has 3 defensive backs getting multiple Division 1 offers, you have to take a look and see who's coming up next after those guys leave. [player_tooltip player_id='1360442' first='Noah' last='Collins'] is one of those guys, and what I love about him is he wants to be great so badly - I've told him personally that just being patient and making your mark when you get a chance to shine can put you on the map. Well, in the highlights he put out last year, you see that he has the talent to be a guy in the near future. Noah made some nice plays on Special Teams - namely some tackles that showed off his ability to tackle in the open field which projects well defensively. He shows good discipline in off-coverage and has the speed to stay over the top in coverage and not get beat with the deep ball. He also shows good reaction coming out of coverage and transitioning to react to the run game/quick screen game and getting in on the play. I expect he will play very well once he gets more time in the defensive scheme and on the field in general. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->