2023 Prep Redzone KY Awards: Defensive Player of the Year

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we head towards the end of 2023, another season of high school football in the state of Kentucky has come and gone. With that being said, I wanted to take a look back at some of the top performers from the past season. Over the next few days, I will be releasing my awards picks from the 2023 season. After already covering the Offensive Player of the Year, here are my finalists and winner for the 2023 Prep Redzone KY Defensive Player of the Year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Finalists:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["438173"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='438173' first='Brach' last='Rice'] is a player that has been high on my radar for a while now and continued to impress this season. Rice lined up at linebacker where he had a very strong senior year. He was very impressive against the run, showing the ability to read his keys and come downhill in a hurry to get to the ball carrier and make tackles in the open field before they could get going. Rice finished the season with 181 tackles and 32.5 tackles for loss in 12 games. He also showed the ability to pose as a threat off the edge as a pass rusher, finishing the season with 13 sacks. Brach also played a role on offense, running the ball 42 times for 270 yards and five touchdowns. Rice signed with Miami (OH) where I can see him becoming a key piece of their defense once he gets there.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["490002"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Another senior linebacker that stood out to me this season was [player_tooltip player_id='490002' first='Bryce' last='Pugh'] from Leslie County. Pugh lined up at middle linebacker where he was very impressive against the run. He showed the ability to come downhill in a hurry and meet the ball carrier in the gap before they could get going. Pugh finished the season with 159 tackles and 20 tackles for loss in 12 games. Bryce also showed the ability to make plays against the pass both as a rusher and in coverage, finishing the season with 3.5 sacks and two interceptions. He also played a role on offense, running the ball 31 times for 257 yards and two touchdowns. Bryce currently holds an offer from Thomas More and I wouldn't be surprised to see more come his way as he has the talent to be a very productive linebacker at the next level.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["460597"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='460597' first='Johnathan' last='Griffin'] is a player that exceeded expectations in impressive fashion this season. He had a very strong senior year at defensive end. Griffin was able to use his speed and impressive pass rush moves to dominate off the edge as a pass rusher. He finished the season as the statewide leader in sacks with 23 in 12 games. Griffin also showed the ability to stop the run, finishing the season with 86 tackles and 37 tackles for loss. Johnathan currently holds offers from Lindsey Wilson, Thomas More, and Campbellsville, and I can see him being a true impact player on defense wherever he decides to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["331710"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='331710' first='Mikel' last='Clack'] is another defensive lineman that stood out to me this season. He lined up at defensive end where he was truly dominant against the run. Clack showed the ability to shed blocks quickly and use his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. He finished the season with 135 tackles and 18 tackles for loss in 14 games. Clack also showed the ability to use his speed to win off the edge as a pass rusher, finishing the season with 16 sacks. He also came away with one interception which he returned for a touchdown. Mikel currently holds offers from West Virginia State and Campbellsville, and I expect him to make a big impact on defense wherever he ends up playing at the next level.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["373781"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"My fifth and final finalist for the 2023 Prep Redzone KY Defensive Player of the Year is [player_tooltip player_id='373781' first='Vincent' last='Carrico']. Carrico is the only non-senior on this list as he played a huge role in Owensboro Catholic's run to the 2A State Championship Game. He lined up at linebacker where he was very impressive against the run. Vincent showed the ability to read his keys quickly and flow to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. He finished the season as the statewide leader in tackles with 197, along with 13.5 tackles for loss in 15 games. Carrico also showed the ability to make plays against the pass, finishing the season with four sacks and one interception. Vincent also played a role on offense, running the ball 29 times for 138 yards and catching two touchdown passes. Carrico currently holds an offer from Kentucky Wesleyan and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6584c84fc1d87"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Winner:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While each of these finalists made a strong case for this award, my pick for the 2023 Prep Redzone KY Defensive Player of the Year is [player_tooltip player_id='438173' first='Brach' last='Rice']. As I said, Rice has been high on my radar for quite some time now but he truly exceeded all expectations that I had for him this season. I strongly believe that Miami (OH) is getting a potential future leader of their defense that could have a very successful collegiate career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->