Defenders Setting the Tone in Week 1

*Use code Johnson30 for a 30% discount to access all the Prep Redzone WI coverage*   The offenses seemed to be off to a hot start in Week 1, but when you dive in there were some extremely noteworthy performances from many of the top defenders across WI. We saw a ton of backfield disruption with several multi-sack efforts. One athlete went off for 3 INTs in the 4th quarter! We also dive into the tape of multiple double digit tacklers from the opening week of games. There is a lot of athletes to talk about in our Week 1 recap, and they are all uncommitted. So let's dive in!    Stat Line: 9 Tackles, 2 FFs, 1 FR, 1 Sack, 2 TFLs   I love the way Corbin flies around the field, playing with his hair on fire. He did a great job on the edge in Week 1 vs a run heavy Badger offense. Corbin violently and powerfully took on blocks, driving TEs and OL backwards, disengaging, and then making the tackle at or behind the line of scrimmage. The senior does everything with quickness and strength. A blend that overwhelmed OL in week 1 and allowed Corbin to pile up stats and make a huge impact for his defense. Corbin's run filling while playing inside was equally as violent as his play on the edge. He triggers downhill so quickly and has that D1 quality power to beat blocks very quickly. Tap into the highlights below.      Stat Line: 12 Tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 QB Pressures   The years of varsity experience really paid off in Week 1 of Connor's senior season. The LB was so quick to diagnose plays and was able to quickly find the ball and then close on it in a hurry. The senior LB proved to be very slippery and agile while working through traffic, avoiding blocks and closing quickly on the ball carrier. He did a great job of flowing with the OL while maintaining his gap and coming downhill to meet the ball carrier. Of course he was a very effective tackler on top of it all. The senior also flashed some range to be able to drop in coverage and also get out to the sideline to make tackles in the passing game. It was a great start for the uncommitted senior LB!      Stat Line: 5 Tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF, 1 PBU   Next up we have an intriguing 2028 CB in Oconomowoc's [player_tooltip player_id='2006697' first='Ethan' last='Bloom']. The CB put up a great first week of his junior season. The variety in his impact is what stands out most. He is a kid that showed you can trust him out on an island. He has the awareness and range to be able to play a deep zone, keep things in front of him, and closing quickly on the ball. Ethan also showed that he was fearless providing run support on the edge. He is a reliable 1 on 1 tackler and even managed to knock a ball loose that the defense recovered. The junior CB is constantly working to get involved in plays no matter where the ball in on the field. Definitely a good first impression for the Raccoons' DB.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/ethan_bloom2028/status/2091745508951839081 </div></figure>     Stat Line: 8 Tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 Sack   One of the best defenders in the state started his senior season off on a high note. The film verifies the high level traits that the6'4" 220 lbs senior brings to the field. It starts with him flexing his acceleration and closing burst to make a sack and one of his TFLs. Then we see the first step burst off the edge allowing him to make his 2nd TFL of the tape. The long edge defender was simply too explosive for the opposing OL and it led to Harker having a free pass into the backfield. This is one of the best available athletes in WI. You can't talk about the best uncommitted athletes in the Class without talking about Harker.      Stat Line: 11 Tackles, 3 TFLs, 1 Sack   We have one heck of a 2028 prospect here. The Kettle Moraine Lutheran DL already has an elite build standing at 6'7" 250 lbs. His frame is built to be able to hold even more weight than that based off how he looks in his Week 1 tape. The impressive 2028 spent Week 1 creating plenty of backfield disruption. He is blessed with length, a solid first step, and the power to be able to build rush and then shed blocks in the backfield. The big man plays with very active hands that help him stay clean and give him space to disengage and also find the football. The raw tools are very intriguing here. Coaches, get this 2028 on your radars and dive into the Week 1 tape!      Stat Line: 8 Tackles, 1 FF, 2 PBUs   We got a bit of a different look at Will in Week 1 of his senior season. Instead of playing in that super wide alignment every down we got to see him more off the line and playing in space. The long, lean edge defender looked at home and natural sliding and changing direction in space. He did a really good job of closing quickly on receivers and making open field tackles. That long frame came in handy as he was able to get his hands up to break up passes at the last second. It is hard to find LBs you can trust dropping into coverage. Will gave several examples of that ability in Week 1. Coaches, don't miss out on this versatile defender!      Stat Line: 10 Tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 Sack   Peyton has been a constant in the weight room during the offseason over the past couple years and in his first game of his junior year the big man flexed that dedication. Peyton was a force on the interior. He violently could shed OL aside. He was able to control the line of scrimmage against the run game. The 2028 DT also could bull rush his man into the backfield to make TFLs. The big fella has a massive frame, and the power to match. Peyton also has several varsity starts already under his belt as well. Everything is coming together for him early in his junior season. If this is a sign of what is to come coaches should be very intrigued by the big man! He isn't just a space and/or block eater. He can get the job done on his own as well. Check him out!      Stat Line: 4 Tackles, 3 INTs   We don't have the full highlights, but we have the cut ups of the three INTs that Jonah secured. As if that wasn't enough, Jonah made all three in the 4th quarter as Waterford was trying to stay in the game. Jonah's athleticism gave him the range to easily roam the ack end of the defense and be in position the make the grabs. Every time the opposition tried to spark a big play it seemed like Jonah was there to create a turnover. The playmaker is an impressive athlete and is well worth keeping an eye on. I'm excited to see what more is to come from the versatile and explosive athlete.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/j_sad_9/status/2091349614175682577 </div></figure>     Stat Line: 8 Tackles, 6 TFLs, 3 Sacks   Right off the start of the tape you see the next level athleticism as Naz chases down the opposing RB, preventing a TD. That same speed and burst flashes on the next play to earn Nash one of his trio of sacks. The senior edge rusher was all over the backfield harassing the QB and RBs in Week 1. The few times he didn't win with speed into the backfield were on plays where he read run and took on pulling blockers, forcing the ball inside and even making the tackle himself on a few of the plays. The senior did really well using his length to maintain separation so that he could quickly disengage and make the stop. It was a great first week for the senior steal. I highly recommend diving into the highlights for yourself, coaches.      Stat Line: 6 Tackles, 4 TFLs, 2.5 Sacks   A couple days after his week 1 performance Trevor added another offer to his options from UW- Oshkosh. A great example of the type of game he played Friday night. Trevor was a menace on the interior. He has al ways had a very effective base of quickness and burst, however this year we are seeing him use that to generate power that was bull rushing OL and violently disengaging with them soon after initial contact. The senior did a really good job playing with violent hands and letting his power be on full display, and as soon as he was free we saw that athleticism that has been a key piece to his game. Trevor is on the rise. Don't sleep on him. Check out the highlights!

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