Five Western Kansas Defensive Tackles to Watch

So far this summer I have covered Western Kansas linebackers, defensive ends and secondary players. In this installment, I will be showcasing five defensive tackles from the Western half of the state. They will be coming from such leagues as a the Western Athletic Conference, the Hi-Plains League and lastly three from the Central Prairie League. These prospects will be coming from the 2026 and 2027 classes.   All of these prospects have been getting after it this off-season in the weight room, summer camps and any other athletic activities they have been a part of. I'm eager to see how they have developed and perform this coming fall.   Once again profiles for each of these athletes have been created on Prep Redzone and can be claimed by using the following link.   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/prospects-index/#claim-profile-anchor">https://prepredzone.com/prospects-index/#claim-profile-anchor</a>    The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Geist is the anchor of a talented Hays defensive front. He was a big reason Hays made the 5A State Title game this past season as a sophomore.   Explosive and athletic, this past fall he had 70 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and nine sacks from his defensive tackle position.   He was a First Team All-Western Athletic Conference and Honorable Mention All-State 5A at that position.   He also takes care of business in the classroom where he holds a 4.0 GPA. With two more years to go, Geist should be one of the more highly recruited defensive lineman in the state when that time comes.     Standing 6-foot-3, 245-pounds, the Ness City product is a long, athletic and strong small school defensive tackle that is ever developing. On the offensive side of the ball he plays both center and tight end on occasions.   Due to his athletic ability and frame, he definitely has the potential to being a college prospect down the road. He also plays basketball but it is the gridiron where he makes his mark.   This past season he had 22 tackles (12 solo and 10 assisted) and 5.5 tackles for loss. Keep a definite eye on Brenner this coming fall but keep in mind he is still will only be a junior.     Standing 6-foot-2, 250-pounds, Cantu excels at both offensive line and defensive line for Lakin. Powerful frame and very heavy hands, Cantu is an definite mauler for the Broncos.   On offense he uses his strong base and quick feet that allows him to effectively get positioning and leverage on defenders. He moves well pulling, on trap blocks and chipping off to pick up second level defenders. Along the defensive line he shows a high level motor, a very good get off and plays with good pad level allowing him to stuff the run with ease.   He was honored as a First Team All Hi-Plains lineman this past season. Statistically he had 30 tackles (12 solo and 18 assisted) and two tackles for loss.   Known more as a run-stopper at his defensive tackle position, he is still capable defender to string plays out sideline to sideline.   Most definitely a prospect to keep an eye on as he enters his senior season. Added size will determine his likely playing position at the next level.     The heart and soul of the Oilers upfront, the 6-foot-0, 240-pound Daniels succeed on both sides of the ball this past season. Known for his leadership and his physicality he helped lead Central Plains to a 8-Man I state runner-up finish before falling to Hoxie.   On the offensive side of the ball, he helped the Oilers rack up 3,613 yards (301.1 per game) but also succeed on the defensive side. Always living in the backfield, he had 40 tackles (16 solo and 24 assisted), seven tackles for loss and two quarterback sacks.   He garnered First Team 8-Man I All-State honors along the offensive line and also was First Team All-Central Prairie League at both offensive and defensive line.   He was not only a part of a state runner-up team in football but helped the Oilers place 4th in 1A-I state basketball this winter.     The Knights of Victoria had a tremendous season this past year where their lone loss of the season came to the hands of arguably the best 8-Man team in the country in the Axtell Eagles. That loss came in the 8-Man II state title game. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound Huser is a big reason for their success since he controlled both side of the line of scrimmage.   One doesn't see lineman win most valuable player type awards very often but Huser was named the Central Prairie League Offensive Player of the Year this past season due to his dominant play. Honors wise, he was First Team as a center and was also Second Team as a defensive tackle.   An absolutely a beast along the offensive line due to his size, strength and quickness off the snap, he was just as effective on the defensive side of the ball. This past fall he had 42 tackles (17 solo and 25 assisted), five sacks, nine tackles for loss, one safety and one forced fumble.   Keep an eye on not only Huser as a prospect, as he and his teammates hope to make it back to the state title game. The Knights return a fair amount of their top end talent from this past season squad. He has already started to picking up college offers this summer.    Once again be on the look-out for more positional prospect breakdowns from the western half of the state. Next update will see us going to the offensive side of the ball where I'll showcase some of the best running backs Western Kansas has to offer.   I'm always looking for the next studs to showcase and evaluate, so don't be afraid to follow and message me at @Coach_Mitchum on X.

So far this summer I have covered Western Kansas linebackers, defensive ends and secondary players. In this installment, I will be showcasing five defensive tackles from the Western half of the state. They will be coming from such leagues as a the Western Athletic Conference, the Hi-Plains League and lastly three from the Central Prairie League. These prospects will be coming from the 2026 and 2027 classes.