Top Defensive Performances from Week 0

Onto the defensive side of the ball where New Jersey's finest defenders put on a show in Week 0. Across the state we saw big performances out of every position. From the defensive front to the secondary, NJ's defenders showed in Week 0 that they are names you need to get to know early on in the season.    [player_tooltip player_id='212382' first='Ausar' last='Heard'] may be the most hard working defender in the entire state. If you don't believe me, head on over to his X to get an idea of how much work he put in during the offseason. Colleges are starting to notice his work ethic and play on the field as well, as Ausar has already received offers from Boston College, Syracuse, Duke, Penn State, Pitt and many more.   Ausar is one of the most electric linebackers that you will come across, and showed how destructive he can be last weekend at the Battle at the Beach. Winslow shut out Montclair 21-0, and a lot of that success goes to the #1 LB in the 2027 NJ class. Ausar made 9 total tackles and found his way to the QB 2 times to open up the season. Ausar has a different motor than most linebackers in the state. He has the speed that allows him to run down ball carriers from one sideline to the other, and also gives him the ability to get into the backfield before linemen can get hands on him. Ausar's reaction him and quick reflexes allows him to respond to any movement in the play and shoot the gap to blow it up behind the line. Ausar is the clear favorite to be the top linebacker coming out of New Jersey in 2027.      Already a Colgate commit, linebacker [player_tooltip player_id='736704' first='Cole' last='Toddings'] did everything he could for Barnegat last weekend. While the team did not walk away from Toms River East with a win, they were able to confirm that they have one of the best linebackers in the NJ 2025 class. Cole was all over the place for the Bengals last Thursday night. Cole is an intelligent defender that understands game situations and can close in on a ball carrier very quickly. I think Cole's acceleration catches runners off guard, because they seem to misjudge his speed when he comes in for the hit. Cole made it very apparent that he was going to get involved in each and every play, as he racked up 15 tackles and 2 sacks. Cole did an exceptional job containing the QB in Week 0. Every time they tried to scramble out of the pocket Cole got out of his coverage quickly and B-lined it the edge to cut the quarterback off. They go up against Freehold Borough this weekend which should give the team an opportunity to bounce back.        I have a strong feeling Kai Smith is going to put up over 100 tackles in 2024. On his way with 12 tackles in his first game on the season, Kai found a way to get involved in nearly every play. A safety that flies all over the field, Kai Smith ha exceptional field awareness and reacts to the play extremely quickly.   What stands out the most is how quickly Kai can get out of his back peddle and dart back up field to shut down the run to the outside. What's even more impressive is Kai was able to get 2 sacks in Pascack's win over Rancocas Valley. Kai may be a smaller statured safety, but don't let that fool you. He may be the most impactful player on the field every time he steps foot on it.     Most DBs find a year successful if they pick the ball off twice in a season. [player_tooltip player_id='993106' first='Anthony' last='D'Ambrosio'], he has two in his first game. Anthony just has a knack for sniffing out the play and finding the ball. Anthony can quickly diagnose the play, sprint in the direction of the throw, and get in the way of the ball path to swat it down or bring it in himself. A great DB like Anthony can anticipate the play, track the ball well as it heads his direction, and high point it to keep it away from the receiver. Anthony is a dynamic defender that can find success from the corner or safety position. A versatile player like this can be extremely valuable to a program in need of swiss army knife of a defender.       If there's ones thing that's a certainty in the state, it's that the Hun School produces some of the best defensive lineman year in and year out. I could devote a whole article to just the defensive front for the Hun School , but I will start with [player_tooltip player_id='648837' first='Seth' last='Clarke'] and the performance he put on last weekend. The Hun School put up 7 sacks last week and [player_tooltip player_id='648837' first='Seth' last='Clarke'] account for two of them. With six tackles to go with it, Seth dominated coming off of the edge. There are few DEs that are as explosive as Seth off of the line. Seth's long arms and bigger frame allows him to not only shove blockers around but also combine pass rushing techniques to shed blockers and get to the QB with speed. Seth has already gained offers from schools such as Pitt, Boston College, Rutgers and Georgia Tech, but after last weekend's performance, plenty more should be pouring in.

Onto the defensive side of the ball where New Jersey's finest defenders put on a show in Week 0. Across the state we saw big performances out of every position. From the defensive front to the secondary, NJ's defenders showed in Week 0 that they are names you need to get to know early on in the season.