Level 2 Playoffs: Defensive Stalwarts

Some of the best of the best on defense came to play in Level 2 of the playoffs last Friday night. In today's recap of the best defensive performances we have LBs showing off their versatility as three down LBs and defensive linemen who were able to control the trenches and pressure the QB. Every athlete in this article from 2025- 2027 is uncommitted, so get them on your radar and get in contact with the seniors ASAP. With that all said, let's get to the tape!    Stats: 11 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 5 TFLs, 2 PBUs   With recent commitments, Nigro is quickly moving towards being the best available LB in the state. The tape from Level 2 verifies that. Mitchell is so versatile. Off-ball MLB, edge rusher, off-ball OLB. You will find the senior everywhere and he makes plays from every alignment. His natural, physical traits are impressive. He plays with an explosive get off, strong hands, and effective lateral movement as a pass rusher. His instincts at off ball LB are impressive. He is so quick to read the play and trigger downhill against the run. Mitchell flows and fills so quickly and is able to play through the trenches without getting stuck on blocks. His blend of agility, strength, burst, and size are hard to find. Check out the tape!      Stats: 9 Tackles, 5 TFLs 2.5 Sacks   Unfortunately, Verona saw their season end in Level 2 vs Arrowhead, but junior edge defender [player_tooltip player_id='1363713' first='Boden' last='Brotzman'] went out with an impressive performance. Arrowhead has a very good offensive line, so watching Boden win rep after rep says a lot about the player he is and the potential that his future holds. Right off the bat the junior edge defender shows his raw power and ability to win the leverage battle as he bull rushed his way to backfield disruption. The junior did a great job of playing with his hands and keeping separation from OTs. Boden was also able to play stout on the edge vs the outside run. He didn't give ground, forced the ball inside, and disengaged to make the tackle out in space. I'm very excited to watch the 2026 develop this offseason.      Stats: 5 Tackles, 1.5 Sacks, 1 TFL   Senior DT [player_tooltip player_id='1017008' first='Hunter' last='Szyszkiewicz'] was a force in the middle of the Mukwonago DL during their Level 2 victory. He proved to be immovable with his stout base and overall power. Hunter did a fantastic job of playing with his hands and creating separation while holding his ground. He proved he could quickly disengage and make the tackle vs the inside run. The senior also showed that he could play with some lateral movement to cross his man's face to attack a gap over. Hunter was a huge piece in controlling the trenches for the Mukwonago defense and forcing Racine Case to be more one dimensional. Don't sleep on the impressive IDL.      Stats: 9 Tackles, 2.5 Sacks, 2 TFLs   I have watched Easton live and seen his tape a couple other times this season and the senior has been putting together a great final season. He keeps looking better and better. Easton has a frame that coaches will love to build on at 6'4" 240 lbs with long arms. His power matches the size too. Easton is able to turn his get off into power right at the point of contact to either bull rush or swat OTs aside. The big DL has the range to get around the edge or chase down plays. Where he sets himself apart is the lateral movement and ability to change his rush path or counter while attacking. His body control at his size is next level quality. The senior DL is one of the top under the radar prospects in WI. You need to check him out.      Stats: 15 Tackles, 8 TFLs   Speed kills and Jaden was killing the Elkhorn OL with his quickness off the ball. Jaden was able to shoot through gaps from the DE position and make a lot of plays right at the line or in the backfield. The senior is an agile athlete in the trenches. He will leave an OG reaching for air as he flashes past them with a swim move or quick lateral cut. Mair has the range to make tackles all anywhere in the backfield. The speed he plays with is a mismatch in the trenches. Check out the tape for yourselves.      Stats: 12 Tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 FF   We just talked about the sophomore LB last week, but we had to bring him back up after another strong performance. A performance that helped secure another playoff victory for Lourdes Academy. Max was a force against the inside run game of Hilbert. He read and flowed really well while always playing downhill towards his gap. The sophomore once again did a great job of staying clean in the trenches and is a strong, wrap up tackler who quickly puts an end to plays. The instincts that the 2027 plays with are strong and have developed very quickly. He already plays reactively instead of having to think through each play. Keep an eye on the development of the sophomore defender.      Terron went up against some very talented OTs in Level 2 and put together a fantastic collection of tape. The senior is a twitchy athlete who can get off the line quickly with an explosive first step. He is able to transition that speed to power so smoothly and efficiently too. Terron plays with active, quick, and strong hands that were highlighted throughout the tape as he threw linemen aside or long-armed them on the way into the backfield. The lateral quickness to get around OTs instantly after disengaging makes Terron so hard to block and re-engage with once he gets that separation. Check out the senior DL steal.

Some of the best of the best on defense came to play in Level 2 of the playoffs last Friday night. In today's recap of the best defensive performances we have LBs showing off their versatility as three down LBs and defensive linemen who were able to control the trenches and pressure the QB. Every athlete in this article from 2025- 2027 is uncommitted, so get them on your radar and get in contact with the seniors ASAP. With that all said, let's get to the tape!