Week 0 Recap- Standout Defensive Performances Across the State

Man, Week 0 was ELECTRIC!   Today, we're watching some of our Standout Performers on the defensive side of the ball. These prospects dominated this past week and have huge seasons ahead of them- we're all going to have to watch out for them moving forward.   With that being said, make sure you watch their film below!    [player_tooltip player_id='657147' first='Braiden' last='Howard'] is a talented DB out of Opelika who caught our attention earlier this year, and is coming off a HUGE opening week against Benjamin Russell.   “Howard is quick, plays with a ton of speed, and dominates out in coverage. It was easy to see this both in person at camp and on tape.   I was really impressed with Howard's ability to adjust to WRs- he isn't easily beaten and wears down WRs physically, making it really difficult for them to haul in passes. Howard does a great job getting his hands on the ball- he's seriously good at breaking up and picking off passes. Offenses need to have him circled every down going into next season if they want to move the ball in the passing game.“   Howard played extremely well against a talented passing attack in Benjamin Russell, recording 2 tackles, 3 PBUs, and one FR on the night.   I have been continually impressed with Howard's game over the last few months. He's a problem in coverage with terrific timing and ball skills, which both showed up big Friday night.   Howard was a huge factor in his team's 25-20 win. We're all going to have to look out for him and this Opelika defense moving forward; they've got a ton to offer.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/_Bray5x/status/1959361952972472603 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1622120' first='Alandias' last='Thomas'] is a talented 2026 DB out of Ramsay who made a bunch of plays against a really talented Parker team last Friday.   "Thomas is a DB opposing offenses have to circle leading up to games- he completely shut down his side of the field in coverage while also having the ability to create game-changing turnovers/scoring plays within a moment's notice. Thomas is excellent at identifying plays pre-snap, consistently flying downfield, and putting himself in great position to create huge stops against the run.   Something that really impressed me with Thomas' tape was his ability to produce as a single high safety- his defense trusts him over the top, and it's easy to understand why. He is excellent at reading opposing QBs' eyes, flies to the ball, and is a constant threat to break up and pick off passes everywhere on the field."   Thomas was all over the field Friday night, recording 9 total tackles, one FF, one INT, and one catch.   Although Ramsey lost Friday, there's a lot to like with how Thomas played. He's a rangy safety who uses his speed and play recognition to defend the run and pass equally well.   I think we will see him and this Ramsay defense bounce back this week; they've got some really talented players across the board and a big year ahead.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/landias02/status/1959328266914791799 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='401091' first='Cruz' last='Lee'] is a dominant EDGE out of Northridge we watched earlier this year, and man, he started his senior year with a huge performance.   “At 6'5 200, Lee has terrific size and athleticism and can completely overwhelm opposing OL in the trenches almost every down. Lee is quick off the snap, has a wide variety of pass rush moves, and can work his way into the backfield to consistently generate pressure and place big hits on the quarterback.   Lee is just as dominant against the run. He's great in pursuit and frequently wraps up the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage for some huge stops for loss.”   Lee ended Friday night with 3 total tackles (one for loss), one sack, and 2 QB pressures.   I was really impressed with Lee's pass rush this week. He came up big defensively in Northridge's 41-21 win over Calera, consistently finding ways into the backfield and creating problems for their passing attack. If he's not racking up sacks, he's making his presence felt with pressure; it's really impressive to see.   Take a look at some of Lee's highlights below. There's a lot to be excited about with him this season. He can cause chaos down in the trenches.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CruzLee44/status/1959420533399060650 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='212200' first='Tristan' last='Lyles'] dominated in Central's 59-16 opening win over Pinson Valley this week.   “Lyles is a dominant defender who can play the run and pass extremely well. He explodes off the snap, plays with great speed and leverage, and can easily work his way around offensive linemen to get into the backfield and make plays.   I'm most impressed with Lyles' pass rushing. He has an impressive blend of speed and power and a wide variety of moves he uses to quickly get to the quarterback and generate pressure/rack up sacks.”   Lyles only played the first half and ended up recording 4 tackles for loss, one sack, and one pressure.   We've been big fans of Lyles since his freshman year, and he's still finding ways to impress us. Pinson Valley had no answers for him upfront; it didn't matter if they were trying to run or pass, he continually found his way into the backfield to create stops for loss.   Check out some of Lyles' highlights from this week, you'll come away impressed.      Jaylen McCollum is another talented DB we watched earlier this year, and he showed up big in Jasper's opener last Friday.   "At 6'1 180, McCollum has great size and plays with a ton of speed and physicality outside at CB.   McCollum is highly instinctual and excellent at reading and reacting to plays. He isn't easily beaten in coverage, is a constant threat to pick off/break up passes, and consistently puts himself in great position to take down the ball carrier when defending the run.   McCollum thrives off his physicality. He reroutes WRs at the line of scrimmage, is great in man coverage, and can easily fight off blocks and deliver huge hits to the ball carrier."   McCollum more than did his part in Jasper's 41-7 win over Brookwood, hauling in an INT, FR, and providing great coverage and run defense all game long. It didn't matter what Brookwood was trying to accomplish; Jasper and this secondary had an answer.   I can't wait to see more from McCollum this year, in the meantime, check out some of his highlights from this week:   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/TheJ4yShow/status/1959295616158208495 </div></figure>

Man, Week 0 was ELECTRIC!