Living in the Backfield: 252’s Top TFL and Sack Kings

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The guys on the offensive side of the ball usually dominate the headlines when it comes to headlines, specific those that feature 'the backfield' as the headline. But we will dive into the dark side, the defense, and take a look at some of the athletes in the 252 that have take up residence in the offensive backfield, that return to do more of the same in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1717095"],"_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-6a78e9248ee61"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Williams has a massive frame and he used it well last fall for the Eagles, on his way to 9 tackles for loss in his junior campaign. He also produced 7 sacks on the year, for a total of 35 yards lost. He also had 60 tackles on the season, with an average of 6 tackles per game, in 10 games played. Williams holds quite a few offers and recently dropped his top-5 schools, including the University of Georgia and in-state East Carolina.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2264242"],"_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-6a78f58b6112a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">While Bryant may be more undersized than other players to watch on this list, it may actually help him in defeating bigger, slower blockers that attempt to block him. At least, that seemed to be the case last fall with his team-leading 10 tackles for loss. He also led the team in sacks on the year, with four. He also finished second on the team in tackles with 78, as well as forced one fumble and recovered another. A player to watch for coaches, and opposing offenses this fall. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2110733"],"_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-6a78f58b61167"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">West had a very productive sophomore campaign, with a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss in 2025. He also finished first on the team with 9.5 sacks last fall. West was tied for sixth place with 46 tackles, and he also recovered a fumble on the season. With West only being a junior this year, look for him to terrorize offenses for the next two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2224609"],"_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-6a78f58b6119b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Blow had a great year on the defensive side of the ball, leading his team in tackles for loss, with 9 on the season. He was also tied for first place with sacks on the team, as he logged 5 in his junior season, for a total of 65 yards lost. He also forced a fumble, recovered another and logged 29 tackles. He currently holds two offers, both being in-state, but look for more to come with his 6'5 230-pound frame. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->