STOCK RISERS: Breakout 2026 Defenders To Know

Photo: Prep Redzone

Matt DeBary February 7, 2023 @ 06:57 PM

As we saw last year, if you can play, you're going to play no matter how young you are. There are more and more freshmen seeing playing time at the varsity level and we're highlighting three freshman defenders from last year who are bound for breakout sophomore seasons next fall.   Josh Goshea - Carver   A long, lean EDGE defender who already look the part from a physical standpoint, Goshea has a lot of hype around him coming into the 2023 season as a sophomore. He's coming off a tremendous freshman season for Hardaway where he excelled at stopping the run and setting the edge. His length and athleticism is easy to see, and it's tough to grasp at times that he's just a freshman. He's tough, physical, and had no problem playing with the big boys last year in just his first season. In 2022, the impressive defensive lineman made 73 total tackles along with six TFLs and three sacks. His length allows him to shed tackles and his fantastic motor and nose for the football allowed him to consistently find the ball-carrier. He's one of the top young defenders in the state and showed D1 potential early and often in year one. Look for him to have a breakout sophomore season and possibly see some Power Five offers come his way down the road.     <a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ga/lovejoy/lovejoy-wildcats/athletes/chad-fairchild/football/stats/?careerid=abndko7ijvqo8">[player_tooltip player_id='283812' first='Chad' last='Fairchild']</a> - Lovejoy   One of the top young linebackers across thee state, Fairchild was a stour, dependable middle linebacker for Lovejoy last season who can sniff out the run like a seasoned veteran. He has plenty of size for a first-year player at 6-foot-1 205-pounds and knows how to come downhill to make a big tackle. He's quick and instinctive for his age and a natural run defender in the middle of the field. He plays fast, plays hard, and really stood out in the 2026 linebacker group across the state last year. He was one of the more productive freshman defenders across Georgia, making an impressive 71 total tackles, 5.5 TFLs, and two fumble recoveries. He can chase down the ball carrier and does a great job of tackling in space. He has the makings of a D1-caliber linebacker prospect sooner than later and could see Power 5 offers come the way down the road if he continues to work hard and develop properly. Look for him to have a breakout sophomore season in 2023.     [player_tooltip player_id='1090795' first='Rinaldo' last='Callaway'] – Southwest   A big-time up and coming defensive lineman in Macon, Callaway is a disruptive playmaker who made play after play in the backfield last year. His quickness off the ball and natural feel for the position made him tough to handle for opposing offensive linemen all season long. An athletic defensive end who showed a true nose for the football, Callaway made 19 TFLs last season for his Southwest Macon squad. He won plenty of one-one one battles which made him command double-teams if opposing offenses wanted to take him out of the play. He's an impressive pass-rusher as well, getting to the quarterback six times, an impressive feat for any freshman defender. He's a hard-hitter as well, forcing five fumbles on the season. A true playmaker along the defensive line, Callaway proved to be one of the top freshmen on either side of the ball last year in the Macon area. He made 69 tackles on the season and had 10+ tackles in three of his last four games. Look for him to climb the 2026 rankings over time and possibly see some D1 offers come his way.

As we saw last year, if you can play, you're going to play no matter how young you are. There are more and more freshmen seeing playing time at the varsity level and we're highlighting three freshman defenders from last year who are bound for breakout sophomore seasons next fall.