Season Review: Disruptive Defenders in 2028 Class

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code:&nbsp;howe30&nbsp;in the coupon code area</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/12/season-review-iowa-guys-with-highest-ceilings/">Season Review: Iowa Guys with Highest Ceilings</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/12/season-review-sophomore-qbs-on-the-rise-in-25/">Season Review: Sophomore QBs on the Rise in '25</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/12/season-review-impactful-freshmen-of-2025/">Season Review: Impactful Freshmen of 2025</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/12/season-review-2029s-that-shined/">Season Review: 2029s That Shined</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/12/season-review-multi-phase-2028s-to-know/">Season Review: Multi-Phase 2028s to Know</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As you can see from the links above this sentence, we've begun our postseason look-back at the 2025 campaign. It's kicking off a long offseason of content you can expect from me and the other great scouts here at Prep Redzone Iowa. Check out the site daily for the high school football fan in all of you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've published a couple of pieces on a talented sophomore group already. Here's a closer look at other members of the class that proved disruptive on defense:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2077495"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693725efdaa2b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I wasn't sure what I was going to get when I put on Crom's <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22516700/6913c3d4cc4483b5a6c18100">sophomore highlight video</a>. It's eight-player football, where physical dimensions and positions often are less defined than in the 11-player game. Turns out, the Fremont-Mills 10th-grader is a good football player. We see him get after it as a defensive lineman on the first few clips of his tape. Then, there's a play with him dominating as an offensive guard. How his frame develops from here will determine where Crom might project for the next level, but a foundation is place for success wherever that may end up being. Fast and tough, his motor makes it look like he's playing a tick or two fast than the opponent. Crom totaled 37.0 tackles (18 solo, 16.0 TFL), notched 9.5 sacks and recovered a fumble. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2077515"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693729cebefb0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The eight-player game can be tricky to evaluate. It's partially like position-less basketball because positions tend to blend together. Linemen can be linebackers and tight ends meld with receivers. When we pop on Fay's <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/23484416/6914df724f38d669b7dd21c6">sophomore highlight video</a>, there's a dynamic two-way player on display. He's solidly built, which allows for advanced physicality in relation to age. Fay also flashes a burst and explosion when the ball is in his hands or when pursuing the ball as a defender. I could see him developing into a safety/linebacker or a receiver/tight end in the 11-player game on the next level. His talent led to Fay piling up 40.0 tackles (26 solo, 8.5 TFL) and 6.0 sacks. On offense, he delivered 22 receptions for 242 yards and three touchdowns along with 156 yards and a score on 19 carries.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2077537"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69372d2068e63"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Liggett impacted the action as a sophomore on the varsity in 2025. Listed as a running back and linebacker on Seymour's roster (nose guard and cornerback on his Hudl), he did more damage on the defensive side of the ball. There, the 10th-grader registered 38.0 tackles (25 solo, 10.5 TFL) and 6.0 sacks. He also recovered five fumbles. When viewing Liggett's <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/27054850/68ffa8e58e6128b768638a85">highlight video</a> from this fall, we can see a fast and tough performer that embraces the game's physicality. Depending on future growth, I could see him fitting in the secondary as a safety or corner. His quickness and burst gets him to the ball in a hurry. It's difficult for blockers to square him up and fast hands get separation when they do.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2077562"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693731860a282"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Video footage on Swenson's <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/23323711/ben-swenson/highlights">Hudl page</a> is limited. The few plays on there offer enough intrigue to have me looking forward to more highlights being available for coaches and scouts. Swenson is advanced physically, not only his frame, but the strength he possesses. He looks interesting as an offensive line prospect but also could be a prize on the defensive front. Swenson collected 51.0 tackles (31 solo, 7.5 TFL), 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He even showed off his athleticism while returning a couple of kickoffs. This kid definitely should be on the radar of college staffs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1863557"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693735933f7b0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Prochaska contributed as a high-motor edge rusher for a Trojan outfit that reached the state quarterfinal round in Class 5A. He was credited with 10.0 tackles, seven of which were of the solo variety. His 7.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks spoke to his ability to disrupt the opposing offense. Prochaska already flashes an intriguing combination of athleticism and advanced strength for his age. He lists his vertical leap at 36.1 inches with lifting marks of 255 pounds on the bench press, 365 on the squat and a 245 clean. We can see how Prochaska gets the job done during his <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22760796/691b93087f241119208fa20c">10th-grade highlight video</a>. He has a good feel playing off the edge, and his future could end up being there, depending on physical growth. There's also a chance linebacker can be home down the road, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2077599"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6937395c5776b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Marsh served noticed that he was going to be a problem as a freshman last season, when he piled up 54.5 tackles (40 solo, 2.0 TFL) and a pair of sacks. He followed that up with a sophomore campaign when he collected 68.0 tackles (47 solo, 5.0 TFL), 5.0 sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Marsh lists his 40-yard dash time at 4.8 seconds, and reports 250 pounds on the bench press, 405 on the squat and a clean of 225. The power and speed combination that helps him excel as a multi-sport athlete shines through when we watch Marsh's <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22131853/68f66c83731191b049efc5d2">10th-grade highlight video</a>. He's strong in setting the edge and shows a burst in pursuit.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->