Beehive Buzz- Linebackers

In this edition, we stay on the defensive side of the ball with some Linebackers in the state that you should get to know    Coester is an instinctive Linebacker who shows good read and react vision. He is light on his feet with good closing speed to track the ball carrier. Coester shows good athleticism and good hand-eye coordination. His play on the offense comes through when you see him in tip drills and his soft hands come into play. He will get into passing lanes and his active hands allow him to be an impactful player in a multitude of ways. Coester does a good job at shedding his blocker to make a play. He knows when to get small and slip past the opposing blocker and has a good burst to finish off a play and get to the ball carrier. Coester has good closing speed and tracks well when in coverage. He can play all three backer positions but is best as a MIKE or WILL backer due to his quick reactionary instincts to the ball and athletic playmaking abilities.     Downs has great frame to add 15-20 lbs easily. He has great instincts and quick reactionary skills. Those two traits allow him to disrupt an offense's game plan. Downs will diagnose a play quickly and attack downhill. He does a good job at getting small when attacking the line, easily slips through, and finds himself in the backfield to create chaos. Downs is a physical player who will shed his initial blocks easily and continue to chase downhill to get to the ball carrier. He takes great angles and showcases good technique to bring a ball carrier down. Downs is a versatile backer but MIKE is his natural position and a leader at a young age. He does an excellent job of not overplaying the ball carrier and doesn't allow cutback angles. Downs has good speed, easily chases down a play, and has excellent lateral movement. Athletically, Downs is fun to watch, moves freely, and finds himself helping his defense and minimizing big plays. In coverage, Downs is light on his feet, moves side to side easily, has good instincts, and will disrupt passing lanes. Downs is a two-way player and a physical runner with good vision and will lower his pads to take on defenders and pick up tough yards. His home is on the defensive side, but Downs would make for a great short-yardage/goal-line back     Mertz does a good job shedding his blocker to make a play on the ball. He showcases good vision and patience and knows when to get small to blast through the line and make a play on the ball carrier. Mertz does a good job in run support and will take on a bigger lineman and not shy away from contact or physicality. He is best as a strong side backer but he isn't lost in coverage. He has good footwork and will work his way back to cover his zone and doesn't get lost in the secondary and has good vision to chase down a play as a coverage backer.     Aholeli is a compact backer who shows excellent timing as a blitzer and causes a lot of disruption in the backfield. He shows good instincts with solid vision and changes direction with ease. What he lacks in length, he makes up for in quick bursts. As a blitzing backer, he is a heat-seeking missile. He isn't a one-trick pony, utilizes his speed to excel in coverage, and can quickly cover his zone and area. Aholelei is a physical tackler who plays at full speed on every down. With his closing speed and ability to cover much ground, his future might be at strong safety. He has a nose for finding the ball and making plays. Aholelei is an exciting prospect who falls into the athlete mold instead of being pigeonholed as a position player.     Wood has excellent reactionary skills and is very good at coverage. He also has excellent footwork, covers his area well, and showcases good vision. Wood is a textbook tackler who takes great angles and has a quick burst with a good first step as a rusher. Wood is a versatile backer and can be used as a SAM or WILL and that versatility frees up the Linebacking group. He is an instinctive player who showcases good speed for the position. Wood does a good job at shedding his blocker with good technique and doesn't over-extend himself out of a play. Wood is a very nice prospect in the state.    That wraps up our first look at some of the returning Linebackers in the state.

In this edition, we stay on the defensive side of the ball with some Linebackers in the state that you should get to know