SEKY Linebackers Poised for Big Seasons in 2023

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we glance ahead to the region's prospects for an exciting 2023, it appears those of us who appreciate good linebacker play will have no shortage of quality viewing options this fall. In fact, several of last season's top tacklers statewide will return for their senior seasons here in southeastern Kentucky, and most interestingly, one week we fans can watch these athletes take on the challenge of stopping wide-open, spread offensive schemes that emphasize the pass, and then the very next week see them line up to defend full house backfields and power running games that remain quite popular among some of the region's most successful programs. Regardless, however, those who appreciate fundamentally sound, aggressive defenders who pursue the ball relentlessly from sideline to sideline will want to make it a point to follow these returning inside/outside linebackers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["373802"],"_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":"Starting all 11 games for the Colonels at inside linebacker, Cureton exhibited continual skill progression, assignment awareness and durability, and this somewhat undersized sophomore's consistently high motor helped him collect 20 solo tackles, 62 assists, 4 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble and 2 fumble recoveries. He possesses exceptional leverage skills, particularly versus perimeter runs, and the knack to keep his ball side hip and shoulder clean/unblocked. Another year of physical maturity will only improve his ability to press downhill versus inside runs, and he already plays from a fundamental, forward athletic physical demeanor, making him a very sure tackler who stays square in facing up and wrapping up the ball carrier.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63e54d6672032"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Phoenix Eddington","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Perry County Central","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Finishing his junior season as the #4 tackler in Kentucky's Class AAAA, Eddington is a strong, physical inside linebacker who enlists the pad level, downhill footwork and aggressiveness to make base blocks and inside isolation runs very difficult for offenses. His power angles and ability to fight/negate pressure enables him to constrict offensive fronts even when he isn't the primary tackleru002du002doften stuffing blockers and effectively making them obstructions in running lanes.  While maybe most effective playing to the defensive boundary, he also displays patience and an understanding of leverage versus outside runs, establishing pursuit angles that prevent overrunning the football. In 10 total games, his final stat line for 2022 included 33 solos, 86 assists, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"Hunter Griffie","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"Perry County Central","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_1_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Also a starting inside linebacker for the Perry County Central, Griffie finished his junior season as the #6 tackler in Kentucky Class AAAA, effectively giving the Commodores one of the top returning inside linebacker tandems in the state this fall. In 9 total games, his 25 solo tackles, 74 assists, 6.5 tackles for loss and 1 fumble recovery attest to his considerable speed, burst through contact and relentless motor when chasing the football. Versus inside runs, his downhill path, consistent leg drive and pad level enable him to stalemate most blockers on contact and his speed/leverage skills make him even more effective as a defender aligned to the wide side of the field. He seems to possess an extra gear when closing on open field ball carriers, and his quickness enables fast recovery from even a rare misstep or misread.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["490002"],"_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":"One of the top returning defensive contributors in this part of the state, Pugh completed his junior season as Kentucky's #3 tackler in Class AA with 96 solos, 47 assists, 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery and an astounding 31 tackles for loss. No, that is not a misprintu002du002dan average of almost 3 TFLs per game! Primarily, his aggressive, downhill playu002du002dcoupled with a relentlessly high pursuit motoru002du002doften combine to give offensive linemen fits, as he exhibits the consistent ability to run through any windows that develop in zone/power blocking schemes. Moreover, when taking on base and/or lead blocks, he consistently employs exceptional pad level, strength and leverage skills to either make the stop himself or constrict running lanes and redirect ball carriers.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Dallas Sergent","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Harlan County","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"An outside linebacker, Sergent's overall athleticism makes him equally comfortable walking up to play on the line of scrimmage versus a tight end/H-back or aligning in space off the ball. After collecting 50 solo tackles, 37 assists, 8 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 1 forced fumble as a junior, he projects as perhaps his team's most versatile defensive contributor in 2023. When walked up and aligned loosely off the frame of an offensive tackle, he displays very good hand placement, blow delivery and separation while keeping his hips/shoulders square to the line of scrimmage. As a result, he proves particularly effective playing against turn-out or base blocks and working back under blockers to the football once the ball carrier commits inside.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"Jonah Taylor","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Clay County","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"While a bit undersized as an inside linebacker versus the downhill run game, Taylor demonstrated considerable development over the course of his junior season and displays the ability to play behind his pads, bend and press through tight spaces to make stops. The Tigers' top returning tackler, in 11 games last season he collected 8 solos tackles, 49 assists, 1 tackle for loss and 1 interception and will be integral to his team's prospects for overall defensive improvement in 2023. Against perimeter runs, he works through/over blockers, consistently maintains u0022inside-outu0022 pursuit paths and exhibits a growing understanding of how/where his position fits into his unit's collective defensive scheme.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63e54d6672274"} /-->