Week 8 Recap- Standout Defensive Performances Across the State

What a week!   Today, we're watching some of our Standout Performers on the defensive side of the ball. These prospects dominated this week and have been putting together some impressive seasons- 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='1669274' first='Alijah' last='Johnson'] is a dynamic player for Benjamin Russell who had a huge week for his team's defense.   "Johnson is a talented dual-threat QB who can hurt you with his arm and his legs. Johnson has some serious arm talent- he throws with impressive accuracy and can push the ball downfield really well for huge gains. He's also quick to make decisions, I'm really impressed by his processing and how he performs under pressure- you can tell he's experienced at the position.   I think Johnson's best trait is his ability to throw on the move- he has some serious arm talent that lets him roll out and deliver some really beautiful passes while he's on the run/off platform. With his athleticism, he opens up so much of what you can do offensively- it's really fun to watch."   Johnson was all over the field this week, hauling in two INTs and even a rushing TD on the opposite side of the ball.   It's a blast watching Johnson play. He's one of the most versatile playmakers in the state and deserves a lot more attention than he's recieved. Be sure to watch some of his film below:      [player_tooltip player_id='1635743' first='Kalun' last='Cobb'] is a talented DL from Guntersville who's fresh off one of his best performances of the season.   "Cobb is a force against the run- he has a great burst off the line of scrimmage, eats up space, and will fight off multiple blockers to pursue and take down the ball carrier. Cobb is really good in pursuit- he consistently plays through the whistle, covering tons of ground to come up with stops against the run and pass.   On top of that, Cobb is just as productive as a pass rusher, he generates a ton of pressure on passing downs and consistently forces QBs into making bad decisions with the ball."   Cobb was terrific this week. He hauled in his career first INT, racked up 10 total tackles, and forced two throwaways.   I've been really impressed with Cobb's play this season. He's a talented DL having a big senior season. Make sure you watch some of his film below:      [player_tooltip player_id='212200' first='Tristan' last='Lyles'] had another unbelievable perforamcne against Opelika last Friday, further cementing himself as the top pass rusher in the state.   “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 was unstoppable yet again this week. He ended the game with 9 total tackles, 5 sacks, and one forced fumble, wrecking the entire gameplan for Opelika's offfense.   Be sure to check out some of Lyles tape from this week. He's a dominant prospect we're all going to miss once he heads off to the next level.      De'Narrius Crawford has emerged as one of the top pass rushers/defenders on Hewitt Trussville's defense.   "Crawford is incredibly versatile and used in a ton of different ways in Hewitt-Trussville's defense. As a blitzer, Crawford plays with a ton of speed and flies through blockers to get to the quarterback- he comes off the edge incredibly fast and generates huge plays in clutch situations for his defense.   Against the run, Crawford is terrific in pursuit- it doesn't matter where he lines up pre-snap, he works his way across the entire field to make tackles on the ball carrier. Crawford is just as valuable in coverage, lining up inside, and completely taking away WRs/TEs from opposing passing games."   Crawford had another massive performances against Oak Mountain this week. He racked up 5 total tackles, 3 sacks, and one INT.   Week by week, Crawford continues to get better and make more and more massive plays. If you haven't watched him already, make sure you cehck out some of his cliups below:      [player_tooltip player_id='1645215' first='Walker' last='Turner'] is a dominant LB who's been one of the best tacklers on Enterprise's defense, and this week was no different.   "At 6'2 216, Turner is quick on his feet, plays with great pursuit, and has a high football IQ that allows him to quickly recognize and disrupt plays. Turner is terrific at reading and making plays in pursuit- he takes great angles and has impressive closing speed he uses to rack up plays all around the field.   On top of that, Turner is really effective on passing downs- he constantly blitzes his way into the backfield to generate tons of pressure and has the ball skills out in coverage to track and break up passes as well."   Turner was terrific in his team's 42-6 victory over JAG. He ended the game with 16 total tackles (one for loss), creating stops all over the field.   I've been a big fan of Turner's since earlier this year, he's a talented defender who can make sideline-to-sideline stops nearly every snap. Check him out below:

What a week!