Crystal Ball: Defensive Players Ready To Erupt In 2024

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sometimes defensive players don't get the love they deserve from the media and fans. Well, we're here to fix that. Here are 11 defensive players ready to erupt in 2024:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118273' first='Xai' last='Carrasco'], Roswell</strong>: At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Carrasco is an imposing safety for Roswell. He had an integral role in the stellar performance by the Coyotes defense in 2023 and earned First-Team All-State honors.&nbsp; He'll be one of the top players at his position in 2024. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='613053' first='Manny' last='Chavez'], Portales</strong>: Chavez continued his amazing career in 2023 be leading all 2025 prospects with 151 tackles. He ended this past season with nearly 400 career tackles. As long as he stays healthy, he should surpass 500 tackles by this time next year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119266' first='Tristan' last='Davis'], Hobbs</strong>: Beyond Hobbs, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Davis probably flew under the radar this past season. But he led the Eagles with 137 tackles to lead all 6A defenders. We'll see him plenty during camp season. Davis will team with [player_tooltip player_id='1119281' first='Gustavo' last='A Diaz-Castro'] (249 combined tackles in 2023) to form one of the top LB duos in the state next fall. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1119224' first='Luis' last='Gomez'], Eunice</strong>: Gomez is an excellent two-way player for the Cardinals, but it's on defense where he really stands out. Last season he made a team-high 93 tackles and finished second in the state with 11 interceptions. Expect big things from Gomez next season in the new look Class 2A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118395' first='Logan' last='Gosnell'], Bloomfield</strong>: &nbsp;Bloomfield's defense was so good – and so balanced – in 2023 that Gosnell probably didn't get the acclaim he deserves. He finished with 60 tackles, 4.0 TFL and 6.0 QB hurries. Gosnell and LB <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615690' first='McKell' last='Colbert']</strong> are the pieces around which the Bobcats will build their defense in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1118370' first='Kaden' last='Grantham'], Artesia</strong>: Listed at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Grantham is sure to grab the attention of college recruiters. Just as intriguing, he's just starting to develop as a football player, so his ceiling is high. He had 48 tackles and 8.0 TFL in 11 games as a junior in 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='615612' first='Jedrick' last='Jozwiak'], Taos</strong>: We first saw Jozwiak as a freshman in 2021 when he was tall and skinny. Since then, he's grown some and added some weight to his 6-foot-3 frame. He still needs to add weight, especially if he wants to play at the next level. He had 73 tackles, 12.0 TFL and 10 sacks as a junior in 2023. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='611069' first='Nick' last='Mertz'], La Cueva</strong>: Mertz has been the Ed McMahon to [player_tooltip player_id='611083' first='Mason' last='Posa']'s Johnny Carson. We all know about Posa, our #1 prospect in the 2025 class. Fewer people, though, know about Mertz, who's a great player in his own right. He's been a varsity standout for 2 years and goes into the 2024 season with nearly 200 career tackles. At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Mertz doesn't have Posa's size, but he's a next level talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853756' first='Mario' last='Molinar'], Bernalillo</strong>: Just a sophomore, Molinar finished just one tackle behind Cibola's [player_tooltip player_id='854199' first='Hayes' last='Baum'] (our Sophomore of the Year in the 6A Look Back, Look Ahead) for the most by a 2206 prospect. Molinar finished with 122 tackles, 5 TFL and 5 INT. He's already a great player with two more years ahead of him. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1120809' first='Manny' last='Rodriguez'], Chaparral</strong>: Rodriguez might be the most under-the-radar player in the state largely because of Chaparral's won-loss record. He finished 2023 with 141 tackles, second most in the 2025 class behind [player_tooltip player_id='613053' first='Manny' last='Chavez']. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='837220' first='Juan' last='Vigil'], Valley</strong>: When you see Vigil live, he's an imposing figure on Valley's defensive line with his 6-foot-5, 285-pound frame. Another big player who is still developing as a football player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/CarrascoXai/status/1735322821071692257?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CarrascoXai/status/1735322821071692257?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/TristanYDavis/status/1725236871901622643?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/TristanYDavis/status/1725236871901622643?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/logangosnell3/status/1735166670912536926?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/logangosnell3/status/1735166670912536926?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://twitter.com/ValleyFB54/status/1735330994620694664?s=20","type":"rich","providerNameSlug":"twitter","responsive":true} --> <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ValleyFB54/status/1735330994620694664?s=20 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed -->