Eight Man Gems: Hit Them With Your Best Shot
Top eight-man performances in the Kansas eight-mn ranks.
In this article:
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Wrapping up my eight-man gem series for April, this report looks at five defensive players who enjoy hitting people and creating turnovers.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>All five of these athletes are in the Kansas Class of 2025 and were instrumental in the defensive success of their respective teams.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p><strong>Cooper McDill</strong>, DB, 6'1”, 160, Rock Hills, ‘25</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>McDill delivers a hard blow when he tackles backs from his safety position. The Grizzlies junior finished with 84 total tackles three of which resulted in lost yardage. He also finished his junior season with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. On offense, he threw for 300 yards and rushed for 352 in eight games.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p><strong>Sylar Rohr</strong>, LB, 5'8”, 150, Hill City, ‘25</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Rohr is an undersized linebacker who will bring the wood. College coaches who take a look at him might want to move him to safety. He racked up 90 tackles in nine games as a junior. He also had an impressive sophomore campaign with 109 total tackles. In two seasons for the Ringnecks he has accumulated 18 TFLs.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p><strong>Max Whitham</strong>, LB, 5'11”, 165, Wichita County, ‘25</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Wichita County was a stacked club last season and one of their defensive cogs was their outside linebacker. Whitham is a grinder who finished with 77 tackles. He reads the offense well and can be disruptive in the backfield. In 13 games last season, he recorded 5.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p><strong>Zac Cressler,</strong> LB, 5'11”, 195, Spearville, ‘25</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>The Spearville Lance linebacker can spear a ball carrier like Roman Reigns spears dudes in the ring. He plays with solid tackling technique and has plus speed. He collected 76 total tackles in nine games as a junior. He has nice hands resulting in 23 catches as a tight end and one interception on defense.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1453221' first='Kolson' last='Cook'],</strong> LB, 6'1”, 170, Bucklin, ‘25</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>Cook played the role of “King Of Diamonds” for the Bucklin Red Aces. He owns the middle of the field and finished with 76 total tackles during his junior season. He has recorded back-to-back seasons with double-digit TFL totals. Last season he had 13 TFLs and 18 during his sophomore season. Cook also has had one interception in each of his three varsity football seasons.</p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->
Wrapping up my eight-man gem series for April, this report looks at five defensive players who enjoy hitting people and creating turnovers.
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue Reading
Already a subscriber?
Log in
