Stonewall Defensive Effort: Best of Week 3

I love doing these weekly recaps of standouts on offense and defense. Every week is a new wave of names to learn and discover or it is a great chance to catch up with athletes that dominated the summer. This week's defensive article brings both of those types of players into the spotlight. The performances were elite. Backfield disruption, athletes flying around making tackles, and a ton of pressure on the QB are all areas that will show up player to player. So let's dive in, watch some film, and talk about about who coaches need to be checking out!    Stats: 10 Tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1 Sack   When it comes to disrupting the backfield you will have a hard time finding a more consistent force than Monona Grove's [player_tooltip player_id='1620332' first='Deangelo' last='Clay']. The 5'11" 235 lbs DT has one of the best first steps off the line in WI, and it isn't wasted either as he instantly flashes quick hands and can turn that burst into power. His leverage quickly bull rushes IOL into the QB's lap, and his quickness gives him so many chances to only have to beat half a man because of the way he attacks them while also getting up field. There is so much to like about the IDL presence of [player_tooltip player_id='1620332' first='Deangelo' last='Clay']. Check out his Week 3 performance more!      Stats: 11 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 3 TFLs   One of those new athletes to hit my radar that I mentioned in the intro is River Falls' [player_tooltip player_id='1861740' first='Thade' last='Drier'] at LB. While the senior LB may be undersized for the position it hasn't slowed him down from producing on the field. In Week 3 the tape shows an athlete who can consistently get into the backfield. He did it pressuring the QB and also did it against the run. It was the run defense reps that really impressed me. Being able to square up on and bring down shifty backs in the hole is no easy task, but Thade delivers. The senior also looked natural moving laterally as he mirrored the RB and met the in the hole out on the edge. It was a strong week for the senior LB. Check him out further in the highlights.      Stats: 8.5 Tackles, 1.5 TFLs, .5 Sacks   Jaegar is in that next wave of two-way impact players for Stratford. The 5'11" 205 lbs senior locks down an OL position along with his play at LB. You have to love how efficiently Jaegar plays the position. No wasted steps, quickly finds the ball, moves through traffic swiftly, and gets to the ball. The senior does really well avoiding blocks while knifing through the trenches and does it without having to make multiple moves. He has a plan and executes. Plus he clearly is producing too. Check him out.      Stats: 6 Tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 Sack   An under the radar senior DL/OL to take a deeper look into is Shoreland Lutheran's [player_tooltip player_id='1653897' first='Bret' last='McLean']. He has developed an excellent frame for the edge over the past few years. A frame with length, power, and some explosive burst. You see the burst off the line and closing speed in his highlights when the OL shifts away from him. A decision I wouldn't recommend. Bret has the range to pressure the QB to the edge and beyond. I was equally as impressed by his ability to set the edge against the run. He won by taking on blocks, disengaging and then making the stop or by showing off his agility, making the OL miss, and then stuffing the RB in his tracks for a loss of yards. Bret's Week 3 highlights show a potential future three down DE. Tap in to watch.      Stats: 9.5 Tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 FR   This was my first look into the senior DB/LB and I am liking the early returns. Jameson and New Richmond went up against the run heavy Chi-Hi offense in Week 3 and it gave us a look at the run defense for the 5'11" 185 lbs athlete. The first takeaway is that Jameson is a hunter. He is going to find the ball and attack without hesitation. The senior closely aggressively and is a very sound tackler. The range was on display too, going from 8-10 yards deep and still making those TFLs and recovering that fumble at the line of scrimmage. Don't overlook the senior out of New Richmond.      Stats: 5 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Sack, 1 FR   One of the major defensive steals in this Class is [player_tooltip player_id='1880914' first='Andrew' last='Oehler']. The senior OLB has an elite 6'4" 220 lbs frame and the way he can move in space at that size sets him apart. The versatility of where he can play was on display this week. He could line up tight, flash the speed to cross the face of the OT and attack inside with success. We also saw his ability to line up out towards the slot but still get into the backfield and set the edge against the outside run. It isn't just the downhill efforts from Andrew, though. The senior also is asked to drop into coverage and has shown he can get out in space, change direction, and make one on one tackles. The kid is definitely an athlete to have on your radars by now.      Andrew is an intriguing weapon. He is listed at safety, but in Week 3 he spent his time on the edge near the line of scrimmage. He was a mismatch there. You see him go up and snag an INT where most edges would bat the ball away. That superior athleticism also made it look easy for him to corral the ball carrier as they got to the edge. Andrew dominated Week 3 on the edge overall. He made outstanding individual plays, sparked defensive scores for his unit, and showed his versatility and athleticism while doing it all. I recommend getting familiar with this kid.      Stats: 16 Tackles, 1 TFL   Things didn't go Appleton East's way in Week 3, but senior safety [player_tooltip player_id='1222038' first='Birk' last='Kozlowicz'] seemed to be everywhere for their defense. The kid has a nose for the football and next level quality tools to get himself to it. Birk has explosive acceleration that he uses to quickly come downhill and fly through gaps to get into the backfield. I love his range and the mentality he plays with. It led to a lot of tackles near the line of scrimmage while lining up 15 yards deep. The senior is a very sound wrap up tackler, and his strength when hitting usually ends the forward progression. Tap into these highlights. A steal in the making.      The top talent in today's article is Evansville LB [player_tooltip player_id='1733710' first='Harker' last='Larsen']. The rising junior checks so many boxes. A great frame with length, potential D1 quality athleticism, and strength that stands out from the field. Harker is raw when it comes to the finer techniques of the OLB position, but the way he can win with speed or strength off the edge is exciting. Larsen also got a chance to show off his versatility, lining up on the edge and also inside where he could show off more of that football IQ reading the play and flowing downhill to meet the ball carrier for no gain. There is a ton to be excited about with Harker.      Stats: 15 Tackles, 2 TFLs   Connor put together a fantastic summer of camps, so I was excited to see tape come out from a very strong individual performance. The junior tested extremely well athletically this summer, and I'm jacked up because it has translated to the field. You see the junior LB flying downhill and into the backfield early in his tape. Connor also shows off that sideline to sideline range in pursuit. The growth shown this summer were hints of the development we were going to see this fall. This is an athlete you need to have on your 2027 boards.

I love doing these weekly recaps of standouts on offense and defense. Every week is a new wave of names to learn and discover or it is a great chance to catch up with athletes that dominated the summer. This week's defensive article brings both of those types of players into the spotlight. The performances were elite. Backfield disruption, athletes flying around making tackles, and a ton of pressure on the QB are all areas that will show up player to player. So let's dive in, watch some film, and talk about about who coaches need to be checking out!