SWMO 2025 Defensive "Honorable Mentions"

I want to start by saying that the athletes who are on this list; do not sell them short from my other 1st and 2nd all SWMO list. These athletes deserve just as much recognition as the other players on the list mentioned before. All of these players worked hard all year long and deserves to be named among the best in the Southwest region no questions asked.   I have much respect for every single athlete who participated in the 25-26 football season. You all have made this season a memorable one, to say the least.   LB    Weldon has registered 75 total tackles,1 interception and 2 PBU.   Weldon has been phenomenal for the state-bound Nixa Eagles. He does a very good job in pass coverage by being in the right zone fits and traveling with runningbacks out of the backfield.   Where he shines is when he can run freely and use his athleticism to find the ball carrier. Very impressive first year starter with alot of good football ahead of him.     Bull registered 136 tackles; and 1 interception.   Bull thrives at linebacker mainly because of his high football IQ. He regularly reads the defense before the ball is even snapped and has enough speed to be at the correct spot to make the play.   Bull is only a sophomore, so he has two more solid years of football ahead of him.       Nathaniel put up 103 total tackles, 18 TFL's, 2 FF, and 4.5 sacks.   Parkview didn't have the year that they were expected to have, but Bousquet played a marvelous brand of physical football for the Vikings. Bousquet thrives in playing close to the line of scrimmage and delivering the hammer to opposing ball carriers.   He really impressed me, the way he can bring the heat on the blitz from the inside and outside. He's one of the best blitzing linebackers in the state of Missouri, and I will vouch for him on that statement.     DB    Jackson Logged 54 tackles, 4 PBU, 1 INT.   Jackson missed some time with some injuries in 2025. But when he was on the field, this was a different Marshfield Bluejays defense. Jackson is a hybrid type of safety that can give you valuable snaps at FS and SS. He can hit with the best of them and shows toughness in the run game. While also having the ability to carry tight-ends out in space in the passing game.   Jackson has a lot of good football ahead of him, and I will keep a close eye on him in 2026.       Ballard had 92 total tackles and 3 int on the year.   A long, rangy type of defensive back that thrives in deep coverage. Quarterbacks think twice when trying to test Ballard over the middle. He routinely jumped routes attended for opposing receivers and made life extremely difficult for offenses in Southwest Missouri.      Johnson put up 44 tackles, 1 INT, 15 PBU.   Johnson is one of those guys that for all extensive purposes should have been on my 2nd or even 1st team all SWMO list for that matter and with that statement I apologize.   He played fantastic all year long, and he is what a lockdown corner is supposed to look like. The interceptions are low because nobody wanted to test him, and by his game tape you can quickly see why.    DL    [player_tooltip player_id='1100496' first='Eron' last='Daugherty'] really opened some eyes this year.   Eron was a two way player in 2025 and basically dominated on both sides of the ball. He's extremely hard to move in the middle of that Fair Grove defense and kept linebackers clean to run around and get tackles.     Keller did great logging 88 total tackles, 9 TFL, 1 sack.   keller is a really interesting case he's a hybrid LB/DL. When the Cardinals needed a push in the middle, Keller lined up right over the center and caused havoc for opposing offenses.   I'm a big fan of this young man and he deserves college recognition, because he will give you maximum effort every time he steps on the field.

I want to start by saying that the athletes who are on this list; do not sell them short from my other 1st and 2nd all SWMO list. These athletes deserve just as much recognition as the other players on the list mentioned before. All of these players worked hard all year long and deserves to be named among the best in the Southwest region no questions asked.