WV Preseason Spotlight: Ohio County (Defense)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we reach the four-month window until the 2023 football season begins, we will spotlight some of West Virginia's prospects to watch for this season. Today we will focus on defensive players in Ohio County in the Northern Panhandle. Here are some defensive prospects you need to keep an eye on in Ohio County for the 2023 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- 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":821877,"_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Jamie Riedel","_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":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2406","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Linsly","_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":"Starting with the big boys up front for our Ohio County defensive spotlight is 2024 Linsly DL Jamie Riedel. Riedel is another European import for the Linsly Cadets and he had a stellar junior season in 2022. At 6'2 290, Riedel has good size for an interior lineman and he shows he also has the athleticism to pair with his size. He has a nice combination of power and speed for an interior lineman and often played zero tech last year. Riedel showed the ability to pass rush from inside and track down quarterbacks and running backs from behind. He also has a quick first step and gets on offensive lineman quickly which allows him to penetrate to the backfield in a hurry. The scary thing about his game is his best football is still ahead of him as he continues to grow and get stronger and fine-tune his fundamentals.rnrnLook for the 2024 DL to be one of the top defensive linemen in the region and state for the 2023 season.rnrnu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/17127768/Jamie-Riedelu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/oka_jamieu0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e","_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":821889,"_player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"Derek Croghan","_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":"6'5u0022","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"2406","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"Wheeling Park","_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":"The next big man to know in Ohio County is one of the biggest prospects in the region with 2024 DL Derek Croghan of Wheeling Park. Croghan is a towering 6'5 and 300 pounds and plays in the interior of the defensive line for his Patriots team. You obviously can't teach size and he has plenty of it and does a nice job taking up space and blockers to free up his linebackers. While he's not a pass rusher at this time, Croghan does a great job demanding double teams and holding his ground at the line of scrimmage to stop ball carriers for no gain. With his size and power, he can also penetrate and create TFLs with ease.rnrnCroghan continues to learn how to fully utilize his size and strength and has a ton of upside for the future.rnrnu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/15050409/derek-croghanu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/CroghanDereku0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":821900,"_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Raymond Kovalesky","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'3u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Linsly","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"The first linebacker name to know is one of the best in the state with 2024 Linsly product Raymond Kovalesky. Kovalesky is the ideal size for a linebacker at 6'3 225 and he moves well for that size. He could add another 10-15 pounds and still easily keep his athleticism. Kovalesky is your classic throwback middle linebacker who likes to get downhill and shoot the gaps. He's a physical player and a sure tackler that doesn't allow ballcarriers to fall forward. He does a great job of stopping runners' momentum and knocking them backward. Kovalesky is always around the ball and wracked up 126 tackles and 12 TFLs last season. He also does a great job of brushing off and shedding blockers to get to the ball.rnrnMake sure to keep an eye on this 2024 LB this season as he will be one of the top linebackers in West Virginia in 2023.rnrnu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/14866001/Raymond-Kovaleskyu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/RayKovalesky52u0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e","_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":821910,"_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Jameson Maynard","_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":"Wheeling Park","_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":"Jameson Maynard of Wheeling Park is a 2025 LB name to know for the future. Maynard was pressed into duty last season as a sophomore and held his own among a talented senior LB corp. At 6'0 175, he still has plenty of room to keep growing and getting bigger and stronger. Maynard's best sport may be wrestling where he has excelled winning multiple championships and finishing 5th at the 2023 WV State Wrestling Tournament at 165 pounds and a 42-8 overall record as a sophomore. On the football field, Maynard started 4 games last season and was very productive. He tallied 47 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble during his sophomore campaign. On film he moves very well and to no surprise given his wrestling background he's also very athletic and an aggressive tackler. Maynard also has the ability to drop back into coverage, cover the flats and rush the passer from his outside linebacker position.rnrnu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/16523093/Jameson-Maynardu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/JamesonRMaynardu0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e","_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":821919,"_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1119839' first='Kam' last='Shanley']","_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":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"2495","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Wheeling Park","_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":"Staying at Wheeling Park High School for our defensive back name to know is 2024 DB [player_tooltip player_id='1119839' first='Kam' last='Shanley']. While he may not be the biggest corner at 5'9 180, Shanley makes up for it with his athleticism. He can run step for step with wide receivers and slots and does a nice job with his back pedals and flipping his hips when needed. Shanley can also make an immediate impact on special teams at the next level on coverage units. His best position in college may be at nickel where he can match up with slots and use his speed and agility for the faster and shiftier receivers. Shanley finished his junior campaign with 23 tackles and an interception.rnrnu003cstrongu003eu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/15050987/Kam-Shanleyu0022u003eHudlu003c/au003e | u003ca href=u0022https://twitter.com/kamshanleyu0022u003eTwitteru003c/au003eu003c/strongu003e","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-645d3d86a0bb3"} /-->