2023 All State-Championship Defense
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The 2023 State Championships have come and gone. These games all proved to be incredibly close, and they provided us with several standout defensive performances. This article will feature what my dream team defense is from the State Championship teams!…
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Continue ReadingThe 2023 State Championships have come and gone. These games all proved to be incredibly close, and they provided us with several standout defensive performances. This article will feature what my dream team defense is from the State Championship teams!
Defense
DL – Reggie Gardner Reggie Gardner 6'0" | 270 lbs | DL Southfield A&T | 2024 State MI – Southfield A&T
A phenomenal defensive tackle all season. Amazing getoff and power when he feels like it. Won several run blocks and rushed the passer a bit. Was especially dominant early in the game.
DL – DeWayne Williams III – De La Salle
Williams was a game-wrecker at his EDGE position in the first half. By the end of the game, he had a team-high 10 tackles, team-high 2.5TFLs, and team-high 1.5 sacks. I’m super impressed by Williams’s high motor and athleticism.
DL – Chris Jones Chris Jones 5'10" | 240 lbs | DL Muskegon | 2024 State MI – Muskegon
A super underrated part of this Muskegon defense. Chris, like a lot of DTs I watch, is great out of the gate, and when he has the energy to give it his all, he wrecks opposing O-Lines. To put up 5 tackles against a team that completely abandoned the run game is impressive.
DL – Orin Roskam – Forest Hills Central
Not someone who lit up the stat sheet, but I promise you he pressured the QB a ton during this game. Mason completely abandoned the run game pretty early on, and Orin was one of those guys who constantly got pressure.
LB – Jeremiah Beasley Jeremiah Beasley 6'2" | 200 lbs | LB Belleville | 2024 State MI – Belleville
Beasley had an average 5 tackles, but I promise you, his presence was felt much more than what the stat sheet indicated.
LB – Ray-Mond Smith – Belleville
Belleville just knows how to produce Linebackers. Hard-hitting, aggressive, and surprisingly athletic. Smith totaled a team-high 11 tackles with one 13-yard sack.
LB – Darekeo Speech Darekeo Speech 6'1" | 225 lbs | LB Muskegon | 2025 State MI – Muskegon
Speech played what I thought was the best game of his career. I’ve seen him play numerous times, and he looked like a completely different player in the state championship. Speech was reactive, aggressive, and hit extremely hard. Legacy game for the Junior linebacker.
LB – JT Hartman JT Hartman 5'9" | 190 lbs | RB Forest Hills Central | 2024 State MI – Forest Hills Central
I’ve said it more than a few times at this point, but JT was the most impressive player on the FHC defense, and it was completely unexpected. He’s an all-state running back but showed the world that he’s much more than just an RB. JT racked up 8 tackles, 2TFLs, 1 Sack, and 1 INT.
DB – Mhakai Lenox-Brooks – Muskegon
An unknown name to me until last weekend, Mhakai was in on several pass defensive plays for Muskegon. He only totaled 2 tackles, but that’s because he didn’t give up many catches. He also had 1 pass breakup. Overall great day for the entire Muskegon secondary.
DB – Adrian Walker Jr – Belleville
Aside from his viral interception, Adrian had a great day with pass defense all game.
DB – Wendell Smith Wendell Smith 6'0" | 160 lbs | DB Pershing | 2024 State MI – Southfield A&T
Wendell is amongst the most fundamentally sound and fluid DBs I’ve watched. He had 1 pass breakup and 2 tackles.
DB – Ty Hudkins Ty Hudkins 6'0" | 190 lbs | DB Forest Hills Central | 2024 State MI – Forest Hills Central
It’s well documented that Hudkins played out of his mind last weekend. His big highlight is on offense, but he also made a phenomenal interception in this game and was in on 3 tackles.