Ballhawk Defenders: Senior Interception Leaders

Ronnie Lott, Deron Cherry, Everson Walls, and Joey Browner were the NFL defensive backs I grew up watching.   I have always had an appreciation for ball-hawking secondary players.   Here is a quick look at graduating seniors who were among the state leaders in interceptions in their final prep seasons.   It is not an all-inclusive list, as several teams don't release public stats. I also only included athletes with complete player information, and the cutoff for inclusion in this report was five total interceptions.   Brodie Jarvis, DB, 5'9”, 165, Maize   Jarvis has great hands and finished as the unofficial leader in interceptions with nine in 11 games. He plays shortstop for the Eagles baseball team. He is an unranked prospect by Prep Redzone Kansas. He finished his prep career with 11 interceptions, 19 pass breakups, and 113 total tackles.   [player_tooltip player_id='1462646' first='Jaylin' last='Washington'], DB, 6'3”, 170, Washington   Washington is ranked No. 180 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. He finished his senior season with six INTs in nine games played. Washington finished with high school totals of 10 interceptions, 16 pass breakups, and 74 total tackles.   Aden Morris, DB, 6'3”, 170, Republic County   Morris played on both sides of the ball for the Buffaloes. He finished his senior season with six interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and 26 tackles in 10 games. He also made 29 receptions for 362 yards and seven touchdowns. He is an unranked prospect by Prep Redzone.   <a>Brody Butler, DB, 6'2”, 185, Olathe West</a>   The Owls' Butler tallied six interceptions in 11 games. He also recorded nine pass breakups and 74 tackles. He is an unranked prospect who had two-year totals of eight INTs, and 91 total tackles.   [player_tooltip player_id='1229117' first='Ian' last='Premer'], TE, 6'6”, 230, Great Bend   Premer is the No. 1-ranked athlete in Kansas and has committed to Notre Dame. He grabbed six interceptions in his senior season. He finished with career totals of 14 INTs and 233 total tackles. He is expected to play offense for the Fighting Irish after career totals of 105 receptions for 1,851 yards and 31 touchdowns. He was a beast this past season, as he also rushed for 620 yards and 14 touchdowns.   [player_tooltip player_id='1585150' first='Connor' last='Martin'], LB, 6'2”, 175, Republic County   Morris wasn't the only Buffalo ballhawk defensive player. Martin, a linebacker, picked off five pass attempts in nine games. He also finished as a member of the 100-tackle club, finishing with 110 in his senior campaign. He is ranked No. 413 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. His career totals included seven INTs, 207 total tackles, 23 tackles for lost yardage, and three fumble recoveries.   Cole Ptacek, DB/WR, 5'10”, 165, Eureka   Another unranked athlete among this group is Eureka's Ptacek. He finished his senior season with five interceptions, five pass breakups, and 30 total tackles. He was a two-way player for the Tornadoes, catching 20 balls for 411 yards and six touchdowns.   Kegan Bates, DB/WR, 5'9”, 155, Labette County   Bates is a burner for the Grizzlies. He grabbed five interceptions in 12 games. He also registered four pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and 84 total tackles. He carried the ball 44 times for 142 yards and five touchdowns this fall. He also made 19 receptions for 262 yards and two touchdowns. Bates finished his prep career with 53 receptions for 677 yards and seven touchdowns. He is an unranked prospect.   Jackson McGregor, DB/WR, 5'11”, 160, Christ Prep Academy   McGregor had five interceptions for the Patriots in 13 games played. He finished with 11 total interceptions over four seasons. He caught 42 balls for the Patriots' offense for 737 yards and 16 touchdowns. His career numbers offensively included 117 receptions, for 1,779 yards and 30 touchdown receptions. He is unranked by Prep Redzone Kansas.   Jayden Seitz, ATH, 6'0”, 170, Nemaha Central   Seitz is a do-all athlete for the Thunder. He finished his senior season with five interceptions and 43 tackles. On the defensive side of the ball, he recorded career numbers of 112 tackles, six interceptions, and 11 pass breakups. Offensively, he rushed for 866 career yards, made 15 receptions, and scored 16 total touchdowns.   [player_tooltip player_id='1229114' first='Caleb' last='Strathman'], ATH, 5'10”, 160, Nemaha Central   A second Nemaha Central athlete finished with five interceptions in his senior campaign. Strathman is ranked No. 223 overall in the Kansas Class of 2026. He registered 77 total tackles in 13 games last fall. He accumulated career totals of 254 tackles, 12 INTs, and 24 pass breakups in 41 games played. He made 99 career receptions for 1,402 yards and made 16 touchdown grabs.

Ronnie Lott, Deron Cherry, Everson Walls, and Joey Browner were the NFL defensive backs I grew up watching.