Film Review C/O 2025 Sack Leaders: Class 3A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With offenses succeeding with a strong offensive line, defenses need a strong defensive line that can disrupt plays quickly. Examining the film from the Iowa sack leaders, we need to find the players with the strength, athleticism, and explosiveness to pair with their pass-rush moves and strong run defenders.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After reviewing the films of several players during the film study about the top Iowa sack leaders, five stood out with exceptional traits and potential. Let's look at what juniors from class 3A stood out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1205999"],"_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":"Weinzetl had a great season, coming in seventh in the junior class 3A group with 6.0 sacks, 57.0 total tackles, and 16.5 tackles for a loss. If there's one thing to highlight from his film, it's his versatility and athleticism. He'll line up on either side of the line of scrimmage with his hand in the dirt or from a two-point stance. His first step is wicked and explosive, timing the snap and causing havoc in the backfield. Weinzetl is an extremely powerful hitter with a ton of pop in his pads. He has a wide tackle radius, which makes it tough for quarterbacks and ball carriers to avoid him. Weinzetl uses his speed and athleticism to get around the hip of the tackle and flatten to the quarterback. He's smart enough to get his arms up and hands in the passing lane when it's a quick pass, or he can't get to the backfield. Weinzetl sheds pulling offensive linemen easily, and gets off blocks to fill running lanes and meet ball carriers in the hole. He's quick, explosive, fast, and athletic u002du002d everything teams look for in an edge rusher. Watch out for Weinzetl to make some noise in the rankings this season.rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/17151103/jayden-weinzetl/aboutu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eWeinzetl's HUDLu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65f1e51fee6d6"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["848057"],"_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":"Heitman had a terrific season, coming in fourth in the junior class 3A group with 7.5 sacks, 118.5 total tackles, and 21.5 tackles for a loss. What immediately stands out is his speed from the linebacker position and the athleticism he brings on defense. His explosiveness to fire downhill and make a thumping hit on the ball carrier is phenomenal. He uses that speed to get out of his breaks and make a play on the passing lane. Heitman is relentless in his pursuit, flying sideline to sideline to track down ball carriers. He uses his eyes very well, seeing the play develop in front of him and using his instincts to get after it. If it's a screen pass, Heitman is watching the backfield and firing downhill to make a play on the receiver. If it's a run play, he's waiting for the proper lane to explode through and meeting the ball carrier in the hole. As a well-rounded linebacker, Heitman is set to excel his senior year and will be one to watch this next season.rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/13452305/Rayce-Heitman/aboutu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eHeitman's HUDLu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65f1e51fee751"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1360498' first='Micah' last='Lang']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"195","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2406","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Williamsburg","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Lang had a phenomenal season, easily leading the junior class 3A group with 14.5 sacks, 35 total tackles, and 18.5 tackles for a loss. With his superb explosiveness and strength, he quickly gets off the ball and attacks downhill. For his size, he has great speed and is a hunter once he gets into pursuit. Lang uses his strength with a nice push-pull move to get around offensive linemen and the speed and flexibility to bend around the edge. He can convert speed to power and has a variety of pass-rush moves he can make on offensive linemen. Lang is a powerful hitter who will meet ball carriers in the hole, showing he's a reliable tackler in the running game. Using his speed and strength as a pass rusher, he makes a beeline for the quarterback and delivers a strong hit. With his well-rounded game, Lang has the potential to put up another strong season statistically.rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/13452312/micah-lang/aboutu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eLang's HUDLu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65f1e51fee815"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1278806' first='Ethan' last='Wood']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'4u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"190","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Mount Vernon","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Wood had a remarkable season, coming in second in the junior class 3A group with 10.5 sacks, 36 total tackles, and 17.0 tackles for a loss. He'll line up head-up with the tackle or will be inside or outside shade of the tackle in a three or two-point stance. Wood has an explosive first step, immediately putting the offensive lineman in conflict, and then will use his power and athleticism in his various pass rush moves to win the rep. His ability to get skinny and squeeze gaps allows him to fly through lanes or plug holes to allow his teammates to make plays. Wood uses his hands well throughout reps. Playing tight end on offense, his pure athleticism and natural hands translate to the defensive side of the ball. Wood is a versatile athlete who can do a lot for a football team, and with his final year nearing, he could be in for a monster season.rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/15858754/Ethan-Wood/aboutu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eWood's HUDLu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65f1e51fee8bc"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1361005' first='Tyler' last='Williams']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'1u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"220","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2406","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Mount Vernon","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Williams had a tremendous season, coming in third in the junior class 3A group with 9.0 sacks, 46.5 total tackles, and 21.5 tackles for a loss. He's a big, powerful defensive lineman who has reps on the edge and the interior. His red-hot motor and speed stand out immediately for a bigger lineman in pursuit. Even if he's not in the play, Williams finds ways to get into a position to make a play on the ball carrier. When he hits you, you feel it. His tackling ability and strength make it hard for ball carriers to work around him, and you can feel those hits from the stands. Williams' understanding of how to fight off double teams shows his knowledge of the subtle nuances of the position. He can get skinny and fight through lanes while using his hands to keep offensive linemen from his chest. Williams is in for a massive season with his senior year coming up, and many eyes will be fixated on him.rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://www.hudl.com/profile/19724839/tyler-williams/aboutu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eWilliams' HUDLu003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65f1e51fee973"} /-->