’23 Preseason Super 7 – Class 5A Defensive Linemen
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’23 Preseason Super 7 QBs (scroll down in link for all classes) ’23 Preseason Super 7 RBs (scroll down) ’23 Preseason Super 7 WRs (scroll down) ’23 Preseason Super 7 TEs (scroll down) ’23 Preseason Super 7 OL (scroll down) IOWA CITY,…
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IOWA CITY, Iowa – We’ve reached mid-July. A new high school football season is right around the corner. It will be here before we know it.
To help get us prepared, we’re listing seven top players returning at each position in all seven classes. You can read about the positions we’ve covered at the links above.
We’ve finished up on offense. Now comes the D-Line. We kick it off in Class 5A:
Drew Campbell Drew Campbell 6'4" | 225 lbs | DL Cedar Falls | 2024 State IA , ’24, Cedar Falls – The younger brother of ’22 Butkus Award winner Jack Campbell is one of the state’s top defensive players. Watch his junior highlights. At 6-foot-4, 225-pounds Drew plays differently than his brother. Jack is fierce on the second level. His younger sibling is made to have his hand in the dirt. He looks like he’s being fired out of a slingshot coming off the edge. He’s strong already, and will put in strength work at Iowa to reach his potential. As an 11th-grader, he produced 41 solo tackles (20.0 for loss) with 9.0 sacks.
Joey VanWetzinga Joey VanWetzinga 6'2" | 255 lbs | DL Pleasant Valley | 2025 State IA , ’25, Pleasant Valley – The Hawkeyes’ first and only ’25 verbal commitment to date, VanWetzinga (6-2, 250) jumped on his lone scholarship offer on July 1, less than two weeks after receiving it. He could certainly end up at center in college, but he stands out just as much at D-Tackle as a prep. He racked up 13.0 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks as a sophomore in ’22. Much like Campbell, VanWetzinga overwhelms offensive linemen with strength and quick burst, as you can see watching his sophomore highlights. It often looks like an unfair fight.
Tono Cornell Tono Cornell 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL Independence | 2024 State IA , ’24, Iowa City High – Like VanWetzinga, Cornell (6-2, 295) could fit on either side of the line. It looks like he’ll get his start on defense at Illinois State next year, but it’s nice to have versatility. He contributed 3.5 tackles for loss on a deep defensive line last season. He has a knack for absorbing blocks and then getting off of them if there’s a potential tackle in the area. On his junior highlights, Cornell explodes off of the snap and is strong after impact.
Sam Watts Sam Watts 6'2" | 195 lbs | DL Linn-Mar | 2024 State IA , ’24, Linn-Mar – Watts (6-3, 225) recently verbally pledged to FCS champion South Dakota State. That came after he performed at Iowa and Iowa State Big Man camps. As he proves in his junior highlights, he’s a handful coming off of the edge. He’s also produces lining up inside. It’s an interesting combination of speed and strength. He stacked up 24 solo tackles (8.0 for loss) and 6 sacks last fall.
Sam Kueter Sam Kueter 6'2" | 190 lbs | DL Iowa City High | 2024 State IA , ’24, Iowa City High – Similar to the dynamic with Jack and Drew Campbell Drew Campbell 6'4" | 225 lbs | DL Cedar Falls | 2024 State IA , Sam Kueter Sam Kueter 6'2" | 190 lbs | DL Iowa City High | 2024 State IA is comfortable up front while his older brother, Iowa Hawkeye freshman linebacker Ben Kueter, prefers the defense’s second level. Sam Kueter Sam Kueter 6'2" | 190 lbs | DL Iowa City High | 2024 State IA ‘s 6-4, 210-pound frame looks like it can add strength without losing the athleticism. He affects the action lining up at different spots along the line. The effectiveness in stunting shows a high understanding of what he’s doing. As a junior, he accumulated 21 solo tackles (11.5 for loss) and 4 sacks.
Cooper Martinson Cooper Martinson 6'4" | 280 lbs | DL Southeast Polk | 2025 State IA , ’25, Southeast Polk – Martinson (6-4, 280) stands out as a college wrestling recruit but don’t rule out a future on the gridiron. He only includes a few plays from his sophomore season on his Hudl page. His tackle for loss against Prairie left me wanting to see more of his reps. He was named among the top three defenders by the program following the state semifinal and championship games. He finished his sophomore season totaling 53.0 tackles (43 solo, 9 for loss) and a sack.
Sanel “Sunny” Salkic, ’25, Waukee – Salkic (6-2, 270) plays fast and with a lot of energy when watching his sophomore highlights. He keeps his pads low and drives with his legs. He does a good job keeping his eyes in the backfield, riding blocks and then getting off of them at the right time. As a 10th-grader, Salkic recorded 24.5 tackles (20 solo, 9.5 for loss) and a sack.