Week 4 - Defensive Players of the Week

A look at the five best defensive performances from Week 4.   Defensive Players of the Week   Mikah Jacobs, Doherty Spartans (LB)(Sr.)(54) - Despite the Spartans being shutout by the Mesa Ridge Grizzlies 28-0 last Thursday, Jacobs still was easily one of the most dominant defensive players from Week 4. Jacobs was all over the field for the Spartans defense as he registered an incredible 19 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, a sack, and a pass deflection. When you watch the film of Jacobs' night against the Mesa Ridge offense, you can see he displays a highly explosive, downhill running style out of his stance that allows him to maintain his gap responsibilities and fill his run fits hard. Very savvy, technically sound Mike backer that is rarely out of position when crashing downhill to support the run. Displays tremendous pop/force at the point-of-contact with both the ball carrier and opposing blockers, routinely driving the opposition back through contact. Exceptionally high motor player that relentlessly pursues the ball carrier downfield while not over-pursuing and surrendering backside contain. Shows good ability dropping into zone coverage in the short or intermediate levels of the field and while buzzing the flat. Displays requisite ability in man coverage, consistently matching up well with slower TEs and tailbacks. Jacobs isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards for the class of 2024 which feels a little surprising given his combination of production, tape, and frame (6'0, 220 lbs) that all translate to the collegiate level. Either way, Jacobs is a very talented player that will look to help Doherty rebound next week.   [player_tooltip player_id='675339' first='Carson' last='Hageman'], Erie Tigers (LB)(Jr.)(55) – Hageman was an absolute force for the Erie Tigers in their 30-7 statement victory over the Broomfield Eagles. Hageman was easily the most state's leader in tackles from Week 4 as he registered an unreal line of 21 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a forced fumble, and a pass deflection. When you turn on the tape of Hageman's all-world showing against the Broomfield offense, you can see he displays an exceptionally white-hot motor that shows the most when pursuing the ball carrier or working to stack-and-shed a block. Extremely physical tackler that brings a ton of force/power to the point-of-contact with the ball carrier. Shows consistently excellent form when tackling, routinely getting his head across the core, wrapping up, and driving his legs through contact with the ball carrier. Explosive, downhill runner that fills his run fits hard and fast, often getting into the backfield off of first step explosiveness before the opposing OL have time to react. Highly disciplined but extremely aggressive Mike backer that doesn't often bite on play-action and doesn't over-pursue the ball carrier while consistently taking good angles in pursuit and maintaining gap-integrity with his run fits. Hageman is currently ranked the number 6 LB and the number 46 player overall for the class of 2025 which feels appropriate given his combination of production and tape. If Hageman can continue to dominate like he did against the Eagles though, that ranking will definitely rise before next season.   [player_tooltip player_id='232168' first='Carter' last='Daniels'], Mountain Vista Golden Eagles (LB)(Jr.)(0) – Daniels might not have put up the eye-popping numbers of other players on this list, but he still had - arguably - the most well-rounded performance of any defender from Week 4 in Mountain Vista's 55-17 blowout of the Legacy Lightning. To say Daniels was a force in this game might be an understatement, as he registered a noteworthy 7 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a pass deflection, 2 interceptions, and a blocked punt on special teams. When you dive into the tape from the junior backer's night against the Legacy offense, you can see that he always seems to be around the ball because of a combination of his extremely high motor and incredible first-step explosiveness out of his stance. Savvy LB that shows relentless effort whether working to shed a block, pursuing the ball carrier, or coming downhill to fill his run fits. Displays exceptional explosiveness out of his stance allowing him to consistently maintain power and pop at the point-of-attack when making contact with the ball carrier or an opposing blocker. Highly consistent tackler with good form that shows with very few missed tackles in the open field in 1-on-1 situations, routinely wrapping up and driving his legs through contact. Good hand strength and placement that allows him to stack-and-shed most opposing blockers consistently. Daniels is currently ranked the number 2 LB and the number 15 player overall in the class of 2025 with that ranking coming as no shock if you've read some of my previous pieces. As long as Daniels continues to grow this season and next, there's no reason to doubt the Golden Eagles will be strong on defense.   Laron Donald, Doherty Spartans (LB)(Jr.)(27) - Highlighting the second player on this list from the Doherty defense, it's rather surprising that the Spartans were beaten so handily by the Mesa Ridge Grizzlies. Regardless of the result though, Donald was arguably the state's top pass rusher/edge defender from Week 4 as he accounted for an extremely impressive 13 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, and a pass deflection against the Grizzlies offense. Diving into the tape of Donald's stellar night against the Mesa Ridge offense, you can see he displays an extraordinary ability to speed/speed-to-power rush the opposing blocker - consistently collapsing the pocket quickly from the edge and forcing the opposing QB to step up into the interior of the pass rush if he's not able to make the sack himself. Prototypical tall and long (6'3, 170 lbs) 3-4, stand-up edge rusher that succeeds because of a combination of his outstanding length and overall athleticism. Highly explosive and exceptionally athletic edge defender that can win the rep against slower tackles with the explosiveness from his first-step alone. Very intelligent player with an incredibly high motor that allows him to always be around the ball whether he's rushing the passer, filling his run fits, or on the rare occasion that he's asked to drop into pass coverage. Donald isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards for the class of 2025, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he's a great player. If he can continue stacking performances like the one he had against Mesa Ridge, he can certainly expect his recruiting buzz to grow before 2025 roles around.   Ernest Mattson, Pueblo Central Wildcats (DB)(Jr.)(2) - Mattson easily had the most impressive performance of any DB in Week 4 during the Wildcats' 54-14 butt-kicking of the Coronado Cougars, completely shutting down the Cougars' air attack. Mattson was the definition of a ball-hawk against the Coronado offense as he registered a tackle, a pass deflection, and an absurd 3 interceptions. When you put on the film of Mattson's night against the Cougars, you can see that he displays a tremendous knack for making a play on the ball, consistently being in a good position at all levels of the field. A combination of incredible awareness, great lateral agility, and excellent top-end foot speed allow him to shut down his side of the field when working against receivers on the boundary while also allowing him to recover quickly if he's beaten on the release by the receiver. Tall, long armed DB with a good frame (6'0, 175lbs) and outstanding athleticism that fits the mold of a modern boundary defender in the defensive backfield. Displays requisite ability to come up in run support, with enough force at the point-of-contact to win against the ball carrier if in position to make the tackle. Mattson isn't currently ranked on any recruiting boards for the class of 2024. Regardless though, he's a good player that can expect to generate more buzz on the recruiting trail with more strong performances like the one he had against Coronado.

A look at the five best defensive performances from Week 4.