Slamming the Door Shut on Defense: Week 8

This week's top defensive performances article brings us a fantastic group of athletes. We have sophomores and juniors making a name for themselves with big numbers. Once the film came on it was clear that they will also be names to know going forward. We also have seniors that seem to be flying under the radar, but their film suggests that needs to come to an end. Dive into the group of hidden gems, rising prospects, and big numbers. Enjoy!    Stats: 1 INT, 1 Sack, 1 TFL, 2 QB Hurries   Ashton is an interesting prospect. While he doesn't have the typical frame of an LB, the senior brings plenty of physicality off the edge. Not to mention an impressive ability to make the highlight reel defensive play over and over. The athletic defender has plenty of range that he showed off while flying off the edge and getting after the QB or finding and pursuing the ball. Ashton showed off some power to disengage with OTs or run through RB blocks. Ashton might fit best in a hybrid LB/Nickel role at the next level. Give him a look.      The sophomore DL out of Greenfield is still very raw, but the underclassman is finding ways to make an impact on varsity. Zach's main path to victory over linemen is with his power. Zach is able to create a push while doing a good job of using his reach to maintain separation. He also does a great job of using leverage and has shown some lateral quickness to help him get off blocks. In his Week 8 film, we see plenty of examples of his ability to be disruptive even if he doesn't necessarily get to the ball. The sophomore is able to get into the backfield and effect the play. Safka is new to my radar. I'm excited to watch his development.      Stats: 2.5 TFLs, 1 PBU   In his early years we saw Sincere on the interior more often than not. In week 8 the junior was at DE and even rushing from a two point stance off the edge. Sincere is developing an impressive frame that is now 6'1" 250 lbs, but even at that size he plays with an effective first step burst. The junior has a powerful upper body that is able to quickly engage, press the lineman away from him, and then use a quick hand fighting move to clear the hands away. Plus in the open field as he pursues the ball in the backfield the junior is an agile athlete with good speed. Check out the week 8 highlights of the developing junior DL.      Stats: 7 Tackles, 1 TFL   Theo just hit my radar this week, and I am glad he did. The junior DE is an explosive athlete with lateral quickness that makes him a nightmare to try and stay square on while battling him on the edge. The quick feet and balance allow him to make the sudden changes of direction while pursuing the football. The junior also brings power to the field. We see him take on double teams and hold his ground as well as have the power to run through and split double teams. Theo is able to easily set the edge vs FBs and TE blocks. Theo is an intriguing presence off the edge of the Franklin defense. Get him on your radars.      Stats: 17 Tackles, 1 TFL   Brookfield East fell to Arrowhead in Week 8, but safety [player_tooltip player_id='533181' first='Jake' last='Snyder'] of BE was a tackling machine throughout the game. Jake is an excellent last line of defense who has the range to chase down ball carriers. As a tackler, the junior packs a punch as he runs his feet through contact and does a great job wrapping up. Plus when he lowers the shoulder Jake is the hammer that brings the power to the opponent. Snyder is also able to line up all over the field. You can trust him on the back half to read and react. You can have him in the slot and he will fill aggressively off the edge vs the outside run. The athletic prospect also offers special teams return abilities. Check out the junior. We are big fans of his talents.      Stats: 12 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 FR, 1 INT   A hidden gem in the Class of 2025 is DB/RB [player_tooltip player_id='1163608' first='Brayden' last='Larson']. The two way athlete had a productive night on both sides of the ball in Week 8. The safety made so many plays against the run flying in from his deep safety alignment. He was quick to read and react. The speed is there for him to be able to meet the ball at the line of scrimmage and his tackling ended plays quickly. Brayden also was effective in man coverage, locking up slot receivers. He plays the ball in the air well and did a great job of breaking up passes with well-timed hands. The versatile senior needs some more eyes on him.      Stats: 9 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 FF   An interesting recruit to keep an eye on is Ashwaubenon junior DL Jameson Stewart. The junior is very undersized at only 5'10" 180 lbs, but he was making a lot of plays in the trenches in Week 8. It was impressive watching him bull rush OTs off the ball with power and leverage. The junior also has excellent range to make the chase down tackle or pursue out in space and deliver a big hit. Jameson did a great job of creating separation from OL with his strength and hand use. It will be interesting to see if we see him at LB in the future. I believe that is where he fits best based off frame and talent.      Stats: 9 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 FF, 1 Blocked Kick, 1 PBU   Robert is an exciting LB prospect. You don't see many LBs also handle kick return duties, but that is where you will find Robert impacting the game. The junior has a fantastic base of athleticism from long speed for the returns and sideline to sideline pursuit. He also uses his lateral agility to slide around the front seven avoiding blocks and getting to the ball for tackles. Robert is explosive off the edge with his dominant first step and rapid acceleration. Piskula's skill set allows him to be used out over the slot to either cover a zone or blitz from that wider alignment and still get to the QB. The Cedarburg junior is a name to keep a close eye on.      Stats: 14 Tackles   A small school standout on the defensive side of the ball is junior LB [player_tooltip player_id='1610291' first='Henry' last='Quintana']. The 6'2" 210 lbs MLB has a quickly developing skill set that is impressive to watch. Against the run, Henry is a stout defender who does a great job filling his gap, being a strong tackler, and either avoiding blocks or quickly shedding them away. In coverage the junior shows a surprising base of athleticism. He can cover ground in zone coverage with ease and Quintana plays with a high motor to make the effort play. Henry is a high impact piece in the middle of the Grantsburg defense. Check him out.      Stats: 11 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 INT   Jackson is a senior lineman that can play on either side of the ball at the next level. Every week Jackson is putting up numbers on defense while also being a key piece to the Mosinee OL. The senior is so strong on the edge at DE/OLB. He stands up blocks at the point of attack, clogging up the designed running lane. Jackson has a strong lower body and heavy hands that set the edge perfectly. The senior does a great job of finding the football and getting to it. Even as a two way player, Lindell maintains a high motor on defense. Give the senior OL/DL a look. He is a talented prospect that is under the radar.

This week's top defensive performances article brings us a fantastic group of athletes. We have sophomores and juniors making a name for themselves with big numbers. Once the film came on it was clear that they will also be names to know going forward. We also have seniors that seem to be flying under the radar, but their film suggests that needs to come to an end. Dive into the group of hidden gems, rising prospects, and big numbers. Enjoy!