Predicting Defensive Stat Leaders

<p>The season is fast approaching and we are here to get you amped up and ready for the action. We have identified some of the top position groups across the state, juniors that could earn their first D1 offer during the season, we have predicted who will lead the state in all the offensive categories, and now it is time to flip to the defensive side of the ball and predict who will lead the state in tackles, sacks, and INTs. These are the game changers on defense. The opportunistic playmakers that college coaches need to know about. Let's dive in. We will predict three athletes for each of the three categories.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tackles Leaders</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Cooper is the instant thought that comes to mind when predicting the top tacklers in WI this fall. The star LB has been a varsity starter since he was a freshman and has made at least 120 tackles each of the last three seasons. His instincts, range, and of course his reliable tackling have allowed him to pile up the numbers, and this season will be no different. Catalano will be roaming the field from his LB position sideline to sideline. If Germantown can make a playoff run I won't be surprised to see Cooper break 130 tackles this fall. The Wisconsin Badger commit is a star.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Camden may be an undersized prospect for the LB position, but the RB/LB didn't let that slow him down last fall. He piled up 135 tackles over an 11 game span. The incoming junior has shown that he can quickly diagnose plays and is great at moving through the trash of the front seven without getting hung up on blocks. He has solid lateral agility to avoid those blocks and has a closing burst when getting to the ball. Even when he did get hung up on blocks, Camden did show the ability to fight off those blocks. As a junior we could see him build on those already strong numbers as he continues to gain experience at the varsity level. Don't be surprised to see him at the top of the tackles charts.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Isaiah is the leading tackler of all the athletes returning in 2024. The LB piled up an insane 173 tackles in his first season as a full time starter. In 2023, Isaiah had 10+ tackles in 10/12 games with a season high of 25. Groom is a heat seeking missile on Friday nights. It seems like the incoming senior is involved with every tackle. The big framed LB is a quick processor and attacks as soon as he reads what he sees. That is how he ends up getting to the ball before the rest of the defense. Isaiah is one of the top sleepers in the Class of 2025. Give him a look.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sacks Leaders</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Storm is in a great position to pile up the sacks this season. He is coming off a great season in 2023 where he made 12 sacks in 11 games. The long, lean DE is only getting better. This summer we have seen him show quick hands, agile feet, and the ability to turn speed to power as well as win with pass rush moves. Being on a team with a loaded offense will give Storm plenty of chances against the pass as teams try to keep up with them on Friday nights. The stage should be set for the Mankato commit to have a dominant senior season.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">One of the state's rising incoming juniors is the 6'4" 200 lbs DE out of Lake County Lutheran. As a sophomore Adam wrecked havoc on backfields as he piled up 14 sacks along with 23 TFLs. Adam has made plays all along the DL. He has shown to be too quick on the interior for OGs. Plus he flashes strong hands that have quickly shed OL away from him as he burst into the backfield. Adam is a high motor, relentless rusher that does a quick job of finding the ball and attacking. He has been putting in the work this offseason. I'm excited to see it lead to a huge year for the '26.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Xavier has a dominant duo of OLBs. The one who consistently is asked to get after the QB and create chaos in the backfield is [player_tooltip player_id='942597' first='Carter' last='Appl']. In 2023 the incoming senior put up 8.5 sacks. Carter brings all the tools of a dominant edge rusher. A quick first step, the ability to bend, the balance to be able to run sharp paths to the QB. Plus he has the range to make the long range chase down play. Expect to see the pass rusher build on his 8.5 sacks and push for double digits this fall.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Interceptions Leaders</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Casey leads the way for all returning ball hawks in 2024. The CB has the perfect length for the position. Length that has allowed him to take risks in coverage. Risks that have led to turnovers. Casey excels in zone coverage, keeping everything in front of him, reading and then triggering downhill on the ball. He clearly has excellent ball skills, highlighted by his 10 INTs in 2023. Casey has range that also lets him take those risks jumping routes because he has solid recovery speed. The stud senior CB may not hit double digits in INTs again, but he will have a chance to once again push for the most in the state.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Trey has been a ball hawk his entire HS career. As a sophomore he grabbed 3 INTs in 11 games. As a junior he grabbed 6 INTs in 13 games. The safety thrives covering a deep half of the field. He looks comfortable reading the QB, trusts his eyes, and has the range to get to the catch point in time to make a contested play on the ball. Trey has sound ball skills that has allowed him to jump routes and time his leaps to high point the ball. The incoming senior also shows good awareness for receivers leaving and entering his zone. Trey is a playmaker on the back end of the Aquinas defense and could push to surpass his 6 INTs from last season.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">My dark horse pick to lead the state in INTs is [player_tooltip player_id='642456' first='Marion' last='Moore'] of Madison Memorial. The CB is coming off an elite summer camp cycle that garnered him a ton of offers before committing to the NDSU Bison. Marion is also coming off a 4 INT season in 2023. I'm calling Marion a darkhorse pick because the incoming senior may not get a lot of chances at making INTs. QBs will have to be feeling bold to target him often. Marion has excellent reactive athleticism, quick twitch agility, and speed to run with any WR in WI. He has excellent ball skills to capitalize on his ability to stay tight on his man too. If QBs give him the chance, I believe Marion will have a great chance of being one of the state's leaders in INTs when the season ends.</p>

The season is fast approaching and we are here to get you amped up and ready for the action. We have identified some of the top position groups across the state, juniors that could earn their first D1 offer during the season, we have predicted who will lead the state in all the offensive categories, and now it is time to flip to the defensive side of the ball and predict who will lead the state in tackles, sacks, and INTs. These are the game changers on defense. The opportunistic playmakers that college coaches need to know about. Let's dive in. We will predict three athletes for each of the three categories.