Stat stuffers back for more – Tackles
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Check out part two of my look at the top tacklers from 2023 who will be terrorizing offenses for at least one more season. All of these athletes posted triple-digit tackles and will be back for more. Tony Kollie MN…
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Continue ReadingCheck out part two of my look at the top tacklers from 2023 who will be terrorizing offenses for at least one more season. All of these athletes posted triple-digit tackles and will be back for more.
120 tackles, 17 TFL, 1 INT
Kollie is one of the more athletic linebackers around. His pass drops make him as effective in pass coverage as against the run. His ability to move laterally allows him to get good depth and gives him an extensive range in his pass coverage duties. He has the speed to play from sideline to sideline, but his speed is most impressive when he attacks the run. He closes exceptionally quickly, and when he gets to the ball carrier, he doesn’t overcommit. He is coming in fast but under control. When he puts a shoulder into a runner, that man goes down.
Sam Vail
Sam Vail
119 tackles, 1 FF, 2 INT
Vail has good range on the back end of the Raiders’ defense. He plays the ball well and stays solid in coverage even when asked to cover longer than usual when the pass rush can’t get home. He has excellent ball skills, but where he really excels is supporting the running game and his ability to close on short passes. When Vail reads run or sees a throw into the flat, he comes downhill in a hurry and has some bad intentions when he closes on a ball carrier or a receiver.
Derik Dahl
Derik Dahl
116 tackles, 13 TFL, 3 FF
Dahl has exceptional instincts from the linebacker position. His ability to read blockers and get in position is evident immediately. When Dahl diagnoses a play, he attacks the ball carrier. When he puts his foot in the ground and accelerates toward the line of scrimmage, it looks like he is shot out of a cannon. Once he gets to the ball, he knows he is not big enough to take most guys on above the waist. He doesn’t get low like most good tacklers get low. He attacks guys – successfully – not below the waist, but below the knees.
Evan Lenzen
Evan Lenzen
102 tackles, 10 TFL, 4 sacks, 2 FF
I was not able to find any highlights for Lenzen. The junior tallied double-digit tackles four times and just missed double digits on three occasions – picking up nine in each of those games. He saved his most impressive game against the best competition. Although they lost the game to Mahnomen/Waubun in the state Class A quarterfinals, Lenzen was in on fifteen tackles.
100 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 FF, 1 INT
Stern was another guy I couldn’t find any film on. Although he had a few games where he didn’t make much impact statistically on the defensive side of the ball, he made up for it with a handful of monster outings. He was credited with thirteen tackles three times and fifteen in the opening round of the playoffs. His best statistical game was the regular season finale when he put up an absurd twenty tackles.
Carter Carstens
Carter Carstens
As an outside linebacker, Carstens is quick off the edge. His first step puts blockers back on their heels immediately. His speed not only helped him pick up three and a half sacks but, more importantly, it allowed him to get into the backfield to either disrupt the running game at the point of attack or when running the ball carrier down from behind. Although his quickness is a strength, his speed is controlled, and he doesn’t run himself out of the play. When blockers do get him lined up, Carstens does a great job using his hands and arms to keep blockers at bay. His hands allow him to set the edge, shuffle down the line of scrimmage, and string runs out to the boundary. He’s not just a run stuffer; Carstens has good feet and flips his hips well in pass coverage.