Spooky Season: Five Southwest Ohio 2028 Defenders Who Are Scary

As we embark on Halloween there will be goblins running around football fields looking for treats in the form of ball carriers and quarterbacks. Today I take a look at 5 defenders from Southwest Ohio in the 2028 class who hope to live in the nightmares of opposing offensive playmakers.    Whyce made news earlier this month with his commitment to Ohio State. Whyce is a rare blend of size, explosiveness, and athleticism. Guys his size don't move like him and the fact he's showing all of this just as a sophomore is even more rare. His get off is as good as you'll see at the high school level. The bend and ability to turn the corner at his size is really impressive. He can win with speed, and he can win with power. He lines up at defensive end for the Rams, but I project him as a rush tackle at the college level. The Buckeyes got a good one in Whyce.     Cooper plays the edge position for the Taft Senators. He's long and he's athletic. He can rush both with his hand in the dirt and from the standup position. He has a quick first step and great bend. He has good lateral quickness that he uses to cross up blockers. His bend and ability to change directions on a dime are rare. In the run game he uses his length well and is able to anchor and hold his ground. I'd be very surprised if Jeveon didn't start to get P4 interest this offseason.     It's ironic that Blair and blur are so close in spelling because a blur is what he is on the football field. Judah plays linebacker for the Firebirds. Blair has the speed to cover a ton of ground in a hurry. He has a quick read-and-react which makes him a difficult block as he's playing downhill and getting downhill before the blockers really have a chance to get up field. His ability to pursue and rundown plays make him a threat in the run game and his athleticism and fluid hips make him someone who can cover in the pass game. I'm interested to see how he continues to grow and get bigger. Right now, I'd project him as a strong safety at the college level.     It's not too often you see sophomores who are impact players for Saint X, but Lyons is the exception to the rule. Lyon's will line up a number of places on the Bombers defense. Most notably he'll line up at middle linebacker and at defensive end. Lyons has a quick burst and he's really active. He does a great job using his hands to disengage blockers. He finds the ball well and is strong in pursuit. With the kind of the schedule that St. X plays Griffin will have a chance to continue to prove himself versus a high level of competition.     Fortkamp is a really talented linebacker for the undefeated Elder Panthers. The strength of the Panthers is in their defense. Fortkamp really flashes on film. He's fast and he's violent. In the run game he does a good job of sifting through the wash to get to the ball carrier. He plays with good pad level and tackles through the runner. In the pass game he's comfortable in space and shows a nice break and good ball skills. Pete is definitely a player who has power for upside.

As we embark on Halloween there will be goblins running around football fields looking for treats in the form of ball carriers and quarterbacks. Today I take a look at 5 defenders from Southwest Ohio in the 2028 class who hope to live in the nightmares of opposing offensive playmakers.