Arizona's Pick Parade: C/O 2025 Interception Leaders

Everyone loves a star quarterback slinging touchdowns, it's the heart of the highlight reel. But let's not forget the defensive masterminds quietly working their magic on the other side of the field. A perfectly timed interception can silence a roaring crowd and completely shift the momentum of a game. Turnovers are the lifeblood of defense, and these four defensive backs proved themselves to be absolute ball hawks, giving their offenses extra chances and bringing in the most interceptions.    Nate Spivey often ended up looking like the intended receiver for his interceptions. With really impressive speed, he's able to effortlessly stay behind his man which allows him to keep his eyes on the quarterback. His hands are incredibly smooth and his massive catch radius makes it hard to get the ball around him. Spivey's impressive use of his hands extends beyond defending passes, whenever he's making a tackle he always makes sure to punch at the ball and ended up with three caused fumbles on the year. A true two-way player, Spivey found the endzone six times as a Junior. I wouldn't be shocked if he ends up scoring a few with his defense on the field with him this season.      An elite offensive weapon, [player_tooltip player_id='954373' first='Sir' last='Stokes'] can really hurt you on the defensive end too. He's very naturally athletic which allows him to play loose in the back end of the defense and take time reading the quarterback. Stokes is a very reactionary player and it's a huge advantage for him in zone coverage. Being able to rely on his good instincts puts him in the right place at the right time. Though being reactionary can often cause problems in man-to-man coverage, his athletic ability helps him to recover well in those situations and it seems to be a non-issue. Stokes is a player to watch closely as he works through his senior year with Yuma Catholic.      It's not very often that you'll find a defensive back with the speed to stick with the faster receivers like glue and also have the physicality to be a real presence in the run game. Grant Dooling has that rare combination for Ironwood Ridge. Always willing to fight off blocks and head for the ball carrier when he sees the handoff, he packs a good punch in his 6'1", 190lb frame flying across the field. The physicality shows up when he's asked to be in press coverage where Dooling doesn't let receivers off the line. The ability to flip his hips and not lose a step on his man really stands out throughout his tape. Dooling was already tied for second most interceptions in his class as a junior, and I could see that number taking a jump this season.       [player_tooltip player_id='1145596' first='Ethan' last='Gomez'] has another gear he can switch into that his opponents just can't match. His quickness allows him to play up-tight and physical even with a smaller frame at just 5'8" because he's able to recover so quickly. Gomez has an impressive vertical which allows him to make plays on passes that are seemingly going to get past him. It's not just how fast he's moving though, it's how fast his feet move. Gomez is able to handle both short routes and deep routes because he's able to switch directions so efficiently. The Valley Christian cornerback is a player who could really catch the attention of college coaches through his final high school season.     *All stats provided by MaxPreps unless stated otherwise.

Everyone loves a star quarterback slinging touchdowns, it's the heart of the highlight reel. But let's not forget the defensive masterminds quietly working their magic on the other side of the field. A perfectly timed interception can silence a roaring crowd and completely shift the momentum of a game. Turnovers are the lifeblood of defense, and these four defensive backs proved themselves to be absolute ball hawks, giving their offenses extra chances and bringing in the most interceptions.