'27 Keaton Wollan's 20 Tackles Leads the Way for Week 9 Standouts

Coaches are looking for defensive playmakers that are fast, physical and get to the ball. They also love to see disruption in the backfield or in the secondary. Week 9 was loaded with insane tackle numbers and a ton of backfield chaos be created. We have a strong collection of DBs and LBs in this week's standouts made up of seniors, juniors, and sophomores. So let's dive right into it and get to know this group of athletes. Coaches, made sure to have the 2027s/2028s on your boards and give the 2026s a look for a chance at some steals.    Stats: 20 Tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 FR   Junior LB [player_tooltip player_id='1540874' first='Keaton' last='Wollan'] is coming off an unreal Week 9 performance. The LB was truly all over the field tracking down the ball and ending plays to the tune of 20 tackles. You have to love the clutch plays he made too. Multiple of the TFLs were on the goal line where he needed to step up and fly through the OL to drive back the offense and Keaton did that with powerful acceleration at the snap. I love the way this kid wraps up too. When he gets hands on the ball carrier the forward progression ends. Keaton has impressed me with the violence and physicality in his game, but this week showed more of the range and short area burst to his game. We are seeing a much more well rounded prospect this season in terms of Keaton. He is going to be one of the top defenders to know for 2027s.      Stats: 10 Tackles, 3 TFLs, 2 Sacks   Finn just hit my radar with his dominant performance for Waukesha West in Week 9. Finn plays a hybrid S/OLB position for West and was a menace on the edge. The sophomore is currently undersized, but he understands that and has figured out to win. He does a great job of quickly recognizing plays coming at him an using his speed to stay the widest man on the edge and either force the ball inside or fight off blocks and make the tackle himself out in space. Finn's athleticism also shines when picking up RBs or TEs going out into the flats on routes. He easily can turn and run with them and is a menace at the catch point. Lastly, that speed was huge for him to get his sacks. Particularly the second one on film where he got to the QB before things could even develop. I'm intrigued by the sophomore playmaker.      Stats: 19 Tackles   We have been fans of [player_tooltip player_id='1140816' first='Elias' last='Reed'] here at PRZ WI going back to 2024 when the LB/RB was making an impact as a freshman. As a sophomore Elias has looked better than ever at LB. The production matches the development with the sophomore making 19 tackles. In Week 9 it was his play against the inside run game. Elias was able to move cleanly through traffic and get himself into gaps and meet the RB right at the line. Reed did well to quickly bring down the ball and end plays. The athletic LB is a tough one to get an OL onto. I look forward to watching his development and career continue over these next two seasons.      Stats: 12 Tackles   Sophomore LB [player_tooltip player_id='1077370' first='Asher' last='Fontaine'] wrapped up his sophomore regular season with the best performance of his young career. The '28 is the only sophomore starter on defense for the reigning D1 champs, and with efforts like Week 9 we should continue to see more and more of him. Right from the first play on tape you see the impressive natural gifts. Quickly reading and reacting, moving with the flow of the play while maintaining his gap, and tackling with violence. The '28 also brings a strong element of speed to the position. It looks effortless for him to meet the RB in the hole off tackle for no gain. Physical and mental gifts of the sophomore LB are showing more and more as his experience has grown through the season. Asher has a very high ceiling and will be a defender to watch with playoffs starting this Friday.      Stats: 19 Tackles, 1 TFL   Gatlin ended his high school career with a gutsy performance, putting down 19 tackles for the Stoughton defense. Gatlin dominates with his power and old-school thumper play style. He does really well taking on blocks and using his well developed strength to press them away to open up separation and quickly disengaging to make the tackle. The big, physical athlete also has a few clips showing he can move out in space, chase down the ball after shedding blocks, and get depth in coverage and make tackles on receivers. The uncommitted senior is well worth a deep dive. Start with the Week 9 tape below.      Stats: 15 Tackles, 1 TFL   Casey and Hartford Union enter the playoffs on a three game winning streak and off the back of an impressive Week 9 showing from Casey Radermacher at LB and WR. Our focus this time around will be on his defensive efforts. The athleticism that allows him to win out wide on offense makes him a nightmare to try and get an OL up to. Casey is nimble and suddenly explosive when he reads the gap to fly through and meet the ball. For such a long, lean recruit Casey also did a great job of taking on blocks without giving up ground while also maintaining space that he could use to disengage and go make the tackle. The senior is an intriguing athlete that could contribute on both sides of the ball.      Stats: 15 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FR   Will is one of my favorite defenders to watch. Undersized for the LB position but it hasn't been an issue. The junior is scrappy, explosive, aggressive, and violent. He plays with his hair on fire and is looking to set the tone every chance he gets. Will finds a lot of success thanks to his athleticism. He flies around the field like a heat-seeking missile. I love the opportunistic way he plays too, like towards the end of his tape where instead of making the tackle he rips the ball away from the RB. Picago is equal parts athletic, violent, and productive. There is a place for him on a defense somewhere at the next level and hope he is able to put on a show next summer at camps.      Stats: 17 Tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 Sacks   Senior ILB Isaac Johnson took over the game defensively for Altoona in Week 9. We are talking about a kid that was all over the field. Sideline to sideline showing off the range, instincts and agility to flow through the front seven without getting hung up in traffic, and a hard hitting tackler. Yes he is undersized, but it doesn't show up on tape as he blows up offensive play after offensive play. This Altoona team is 7-2 and ready for a playoff push with a talented defense leading the way.

Coaches are looking for defensive playmakers that are fast, physical and get to the ball. They also love to see disruption in the backfield or in the secondary. Week 9 was loaded with insane tackle numbers and a ton of backfield chaos be created. We have a strong collection of DBs and LBs in this week's standouts made up of seniors, juniors, and sophomores. So let's dive right into it and get to know this group of athletes. Coaches, made sure to have the 2027s/2028s on your boards and give the 2026s a look for a chance at some steals.