The Hard Hitting 90s: 2026 Defensive Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you test in the 90^th percentile, that's good!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you grew up in the 1990s, that's even better!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And if you made 90 tackles in total as a Kanas junior, you are mentioned in this report.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I continue to highlight the best defensive players from Kansas. This report takes a quick look at eight Prep Redzone-ranked athletes who finished their junior seasons with at least 90 tackles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is not an all-inclusive list as some teams do not post public stats. Stats for this report were found on Max Preps. Also, I did not include athletes with missing information in their Max Preps profiles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1515810' first='Carson' last='Schartz'],</strong> LB/RB, 5'10”, 165, Ellis, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Schartz is ranked No. 334 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. He finished his junior season with 99 tackles in eight games. He forced two fumbles and broke up five passes. He rushed for 559 yards and nine touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1398429' first='Korbin' last='Johnson'],</strong> WR/DB, 5'11”, 185, Holcomb, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson recorded 98 tackles in 12 games during his junior campaign. He also finished with nine tackles for lost yardage, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery. He is ranked No. 542 overall by Prep Redzone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1515796' first='Eisaac' last='Girton'],</strong> RB/LB, 6'0”, 195, Clay Center, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Girton is ranked No. 365 overall in the Class of 2026. He recorded 96 tackles in nine games for the Tigers. He finished with two quarterback sacks, five TFLs, and three fumble recoveries. Offensively, he rushed for 552 yards and eight touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1229113' first='Jackson' last='Anderson'],</strong> LB, 5'10”, 160, Hutchinson, ‘25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anderson is ranked No. 215 overall by Prep Redzone. During his junior season, he registered 94 tackles in 11 games. He wreaked havoc behind the line of scrimmage collecting five quarterback sacks and 15.5 TFLs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1115795' first='Austin' last='Lamb'],</strong> LB, 5'9”, 195, Osage City, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Osage City's linebacker is ranked No. 214 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. In 11 games he finished with 93 tackles. He has recorded back-to-back seasons with 90-plus tackles. Lamb also finished with seven tackles for lost yardage, two fumble recoveries, and one interception.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='904448' first='Ezra' last='Spiller'],</strong> LB, 6'0”, 185, Rock Creek, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spiller is ranked No. 98 overall by Prep Redzone. He finished his season with 91 tackles and 11 TFLs in 10 games for the Mustangs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='780105' first='Xavier' last='Tafoya'],</strong> LB, 6'2”, 210, Liberal, ‘26</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Liberals Tafoya racked up 90 tackles in 10 games. He recorded seven TFLs and two quarterback sacks. On offense, the junior rushed for 360 yards and five touchdowns.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1229114' first='Caleb' last='Strathman'],</strong> LB, 5'10”, 160, Nemaha Central, ‘26 Strathman is ranked No. 191 overall by Prep Redzone. In 13 games he registered 90 tackles. He also recorded four interceptions, nine pass breakups, and recovered one fumble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->