Defensive Prospects Tackle The Compettion

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While many football prospects received the attention and spotlight during the 2025 season, there were those who flew under the radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While offensive stats grab the headlines, what happens on the defensive side of the ball often wins games, and making a key tackle late in the fourth quarter can make a major difference in the outcome of the game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As Prep Redzone Florida continues to provide more coverage of all the athletes in Florida, today we add to that with a look at some of the top tacklers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CHAMPION STANDS ALONE – AGAIN</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He is just finishing his junior year on the gridiron for The King's Academy in West Palm Beach, but <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1680783' first='Levi' last='Champion'] </strong>is already a household name.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For the second straight season, this 6'0, 205-pound linebacker led the way in the Sunshine State as the top producer with 182 tackles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming off another outstanding season, this gifted prospect will head into the off-season as one of the top players to watch for in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His 16.5 tackles per game, 26 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 blocked punts and 7 forced turnovers had opponents all over south Florida talking about this big-time talent.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TAPE: </strong><a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/18043861/68bc5adb6f07174de308032f"><strong>https://www.hudl.com/video/3/18043861/68bc5adb6f07174de308032f</strong></a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OTHER DEFENSIVE STANDOUTS LEADING THE WAY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition to what Champion has done the past two years – especially this season – there are other players that have turned heads as well:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2029 - Noah Finkelstein, LB, 5'10, 165, Coconut Creek North Broward Prep. </strong>When the year was over and this team advanced to the post season, this freshman certainly set the bar high with 150 tackles, 2.5 sacks 10 tackles for loss, 4 fumbles recoveries and 2 pass break ups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TAPE: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/26293095/Noah-Finkelstein">https://www.hudl.com/profile/26293095/Noah-Finkelstein</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 - [player_tooltip player_id='1681618' first='Colton' last='Haywood'], MLB, 6'0, 205, Tampa Jesuit – 4.47 GPA. 33 ACT. </strong>For a team that dominated throughout the season and earned a top seed in the region, here is a gifted talent that made a huge impact with 130 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 5 pass break ups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TAPE: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19599097/674e0b7df944d22bcd5573a9">https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19599097/674e0b7df944d22bcd5573a9</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 - [player_tooltip player_id='1064995' first='Caleb' last='Nordenbrook'], MLB, St. Petersburg Keswick Christian. </strong>In addition to breaking a school record with a 23-tackle performance earlier this season, his 144 total tackles turned out to be one of the best in the state in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TAPE: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19830670/68a961865000976562fda0cb">https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19830670/68a961865000976562fda0cb</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 - Zi'rieck Roberts, MLB, 5'11, 215, Orlando Evans – 3.9 GPA. </strong>What a year it was for the Trojans this season, and when it came to defense, this was certainly someone who led the way. His 174 total tackles, 24 tackled for loss, 4 forced fumbles, 2 passes defended, 22 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss were all huge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TAPE: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19387460/68dd5d946f1a10f63419ff77">https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19387460/68dd5d946f1a10f63419ff77</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 - Wyatt Skinner, MLB, 5'11, 185, South Fort Myers – 3.1 GPA. </strong>This student/athlete truly brought so much to this program this past season. His 165 tackles, which included 6 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 6 forced fumbles, and 4 pass break ups made a major impact this season for the for the Wolfpack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TAPE: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22634373/6713eecf1b4193b98414747c">https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22634373/6713eecf1b4193b98414747c</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 - [player_tooltip player_id='1892794' first='Carter' last='Wasko'], OLB, 6'0, 215, Delray American Heritage. </strong>During a state title run this season, this program had numerous standouts, but this quality prospects more than did his part. With 156 tackles (5th in State), 113 solo, 43 assists, 19 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 blocked field goals, 4 quarterback hurries, 2 caused fumbles, 1 safety and 1 interception, he did his part during a banner season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TAPE: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/17942348/Carter-Wasko">https://www.hudl.com/profile/17942348/Carter-Wasko</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 - Cooper Wiles, LB, 6'0, 175, Monticello Aucilla Christian Academy – 3.98 GPA. </strong>Baseball Prospect. We spoke about this quality student/athlete several times this season as he set the tone for his future. After posting 160 tackles this past year, he now turns his attention to the baseball diamond.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TAPE: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/20158501/Cooper-Wiles">https://www.hudl.com/profile/20158501/Cooper-Wiles</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 - [player_tooltip player_id='1610008' first='Tyson' last='Williams'], OLB, 6'2, 210, Groveland South Lake. </strong>You certainly cannot say enough about the job this program has done over the past few years – going from no wins to 11. One of the big parts of this turnaround has been this quality talent who had 144 tackles, 30 tackles for loss, 3 sacks 3 interceptions, 5 passes defended, 1 fumble recovery, 1 forced fumble and 1 blocked punt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TAPE: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18501790/Tyson-Williams">https://www.hudl.com/profile/18501790/Tyson-Williams</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 - Daniel Wojnowski, FS/SS, 6'0, 188, Dover Specialty Fit Academy. </strong>With 179 total tackles this season, here is someone who stepped up to give this program a major boost. A quality talent that college coaches need to check out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TAPE: <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16931666/Daniel-Wojnowski">https://www.hudl.com/profile/16931666/Daniel-Wojnowski</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PREP REDZONE FLORIDA STOCK UP EVENT. </strong><a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2137/register/stock-up-showcase-florida "><strong>https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2137/register/stock-up-showcase-florida </strong></a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Statewide Coverage Daily. <a href="https://prepredzone.com/florida/">https://prepredzone.com/florida/</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>You Can Contact Larry Blustein with prospect or team information at: Floridakids1@aol.com.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>COACHES, PLAYERS: Do You Have A Subscription? Contact us for a savings code so you can see what everyone has been talking about! <a href="mailto:Floridakids1@aol.com">Floridakids1@aol.com</a>.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->