Midseason Spotlight: The Rise of Defensive Game-Changers

The second half of my midseason standouts article is here. Today, I will be discussing some of the top tier defensive Colorado players, as well as some underappreciated names. I'm excited to see what they players do in the second half of the season. We are also starting registration for the Stock Up Showcase. Some of the players on this list have attended before! Use my code TATEPRZ2024 for $10 off!    Isenhart is demolishing the competition. He currently is leading all of Colorado in tackles with 120. The next closest is 96. Throughout the season, he has 120 total tackles (44 solo, 76 assisted), 12 TFL, 2 FF, 1 FR. He has good athletic ability due to good speed, good acceleration, and jumping. He uses his athletic ability to be consistently all over the field. Isenhart shows his good mental processing by watching the QB's eyes leading him to the ball carrier. Or he will ID the gap and rush it for a TFL. He has good competitive toughness by playing through the whistle, and consistently helping teammates. He runs with a head full of steam, and hits the ballcarrier with power. If colleges are looking for an every down linebacker who can cover, Isenhart is your guy.     Palmer is a relentless force on the defensive line. He's in 3rd overall for sacks in Colorado. The 6'5 220-pound junior has 49 total tackles (27 solo, 22 assisted), 22 TFL, 10 sacks, 26 QB hurries, 7 PD, 6 FF, 2 FR. Game breaker. Palmer has good athletic ability due to very good acceleration, good speed, and change of direction. He has a good initial quickness out of his stance, going into a low pad level, allowing him to create contact first with the offensive line. Palmer uses his very good strength to bulldoze through with his good bull rush. Very good block shedder. He's got a good bend around the edge, and will swat the OL's arms away. His mental processing sticks out to me. Palmer is patient in the run game, not getting jumpy and missing the tackle. In the pass game, he will put his lengthy arms up to create a pass deflection, causing 7 this season. I'm very impressed by what I see from Palmer, and I'm excited to see how he finishes the season off.     Wittke is having an impressive season. The dual threat WR/FS is ranked T-3rd in Colorado with 6 interceptions. He has 31 total tackles (16 solo, 15 assisted), 3 TFL, 3 PD, and 6 interceptions. He is normally as the deep safety, however he'll come into the box to excel with run support. He has very good athletic ability due to very good acceleration, speed and jumping. Wittke is a ball hawk. He uses his very good ball tracking skills in tandem with good mental processing to watch the QB, and get the pick. A good example of this was a tipped pass turned into a Wittke INT. Wittke has very good catching, and extends above & behind to pluck the ball. He dominates in zone coverage, making opposing QB's scared to throw. He's only a junior, but he's making a statement this year with how he plays.     I talked about Absher a lot last year, and I'm glad to see he's still balling out. The 6'0 205-pound senior is #2 in total tackles with 96. Of those 96 (49 solo, 47 assisted), 10 TFL, 4 sacks, 6 QB hurries, 1 Int, and 1 pass deflection. Absher has very good athletic ability due to elite acceleration, very good speed, and good change of direction. Versatile linebacker to drop into coverage, and still excel at rushing the passer. His initial quickness off the LOS is impressive. Absher uses his very good strength to overpower the offensive line. He runs right through double blocks. Absher has a very good bull rush to knock the OL around. He is consistently in the backfield, identifying gaps and rushing them. Absher plays with a fire to him. He is always giving it his all, and when he locks onto a guy, he doesn't stop. Colleges NEED to look his way, he's got all the talent plus more.     Wilkes is an exciting dual position prospect. The 6'1 196-pound senior plays WR/FS, and excels at both. However, today I will be discussing his defensive film. As a DB, he has 24 total tackles (all solo), 3 PD, 5 interceptions (T-4th). Wilkes has good size to him, to match up against receivers. He has very good athletic ability due to very good speed, acceleration, and good jumping. Wilkes uses his very good mental processing to keep his eyes on the QB, or read the play. He puts himself in position to intercept the ball, or stop the run. He has very good ball tracking skills, paired with elite catching. He'll make catches at a weird angle while making it look seamless. Wilkes extends and plucks the ball out of the air. Wilkes is lockdown in zone coverage. Stopping the WR in their tracks, or knocking the ball out. He will also come down into the box to assist in run support. He makes the most at both positions, and is a top tier wide receiver as well.     Mael has been feasting this year. The 6'0 180-pound senior has 59 total tackles (11 solo, 48 assisted), 15 TFL, 0.5, 2 FF. He has good athletic ability due to his good speed and acceleration. He has a good quickness out of his stance, engaging with the OL first. Using a low pad level, he then uses his good hand strength to overpower the offensive line, allowing him to get into the backfield. Mael was making himself comfy back there. He plays with a tenacity to him, competing through the whistle. I'm impressed with how he's played so far, and can't wait to see how he finishes the season off.

The second half of my midseason standouts article is here. Today, I will be discussing some of the top tier defensive Colorado players, as well as some underappreciated names. I'm excited to see what they players do in the second half of the season. We are also starting registration for the Stock Up Showcase. Some of the players on this list have attended before! Use my code TATEPRZ2024 for $10 off!