<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Great defenses have linebackers that can fill a gap, stop the run, and make huge plays. There's a great group that do that every Friday night and it's time to recognize these Ballers.</h1>    Bozeman is truly a stat line stuffer. He is coming off a junior campaign that saw him do just about everything for the Brooks Lions. The All-state linebacker posted 142 tackles with 18 of those for loss. He can rush the quarterback with 3 solo sacks and 6 QB pressures. Bozeman can defend the passing game with 2 interceptions and 6 pass break-ups. The senior also recovered a fumble and caused another. Bozeman has a high motor and seems to make plays at every turn. College coaches love this guy and his recruiting should go up even more throughout his senior season.         If you're an opposing offensive coordinator, you better find #42 for the James Clemens Jets. Davis puts relentless pressure on the quarterback from his outside linebacker post. He explodes off the line of scrimmage making him nearly impossible to be blocked by a tackle. Several teams tried to slow him down with a blocking back, Davis simply bull-rushed his way into the quarterback's chest. At 6'1" 190 pounds, Davis is both athletic and strong and will be dealing out nightmares throughout the upcoming season.     Whetstone is another player that has seen action at various positions. He has logged time at fullback, tailback, tight end, flanker, inside linebacker and outside linebacker. College coaches project the 6' 205 pound senior as an inside linebacker. Whetstone has the strength to go toe-to-toe with interior linemen. He also is athletic enough to shoot gaps and track down running backs. Expectations for Whetstone this season are high and if he meets those expectations, his recruitment could go to the next level.     If you can play football, you are a football player! [player_tooltip player_id='1319728' first='Logan' last='Bryars'] plays 8-man football and totally dominates the game. Bryars can play running back and receiver, but is projected as a linebacker at the next level. He is extremely quick and has great instincts. Bryars is excellent in drop pass coverage and is a sure tackler. This guy is a great athlete that could play in any program and be a star. Bryars has had an impressive summer in several prospect camps and will continue to draw attention this fall.     Beeker is a hard-nosed throwback linebacker. he has great versatility but is a dominating force on the inside. His physicality makes it nearly impossible to run between the tackles. Beeker shows great instincts reacting to the play and is high-energy for four quarters. In his junior season at Tuscaloosa Academy, Beeker posted 181 tackles with 21 of those behind the line of scrimmage. He's the perfect size inside linebacker at 6' 2" 210 pounds. He was an All-state performer last season and there's no reason to expect anything less in 2024.     When you turn on the Oxford Yellow Jackets, [player_tooltip player_id='1087097' first='Desmond' last='Whitson'] jumps off the screen. Whitson is consistently in the opponents' backfield due to his exceptional quickness and ability to shed blockers. He has extremely strong hands that prevents linemen and lead blockers to get to his body. At 6'3" 220 pounds, he is an imposing defender coming off the edge. It's obvious that Whitson loves to play defense. His first step is full speed and he uses his speed to race into the backfield. His future is bright and with his high ceiling, some college program will be getting gamechanger with the addition of [player_tooltip player_id='1087097' first='Desmond' last='Whitson'].