The lone defender to make this evaluation for Clifton is Zaiden Hughes Zaiden Hughes 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Shabazz | 2026 State NJ . Last fall Hughes was credited with 78 tackles – 43 of which were solos – along with 1 sack. A thickly-built mike linebacker, he does an outstanding job gobbling up ball carries in the run game. Hughes does a solid job of committing to his initial read step to diagnose where the ball is going. He then typically makes most of his tackles within the offensive tackle box. As he prepares for next season Hughes would benefit from embedding the following three words into his head: hit, wrap, drive. Should he do these three things, ball carriers will go become shell-shocked and stopped dead in their path.

Hudl: https://www.hudl.com/profile/19584649/Zaiden-Hughes/highlights

A menace in the middle of the field, Zaiden Hughes Zaiden Hughes 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Shabazz | 2026 State NJ is a rising 2026 linebacker for Clifton. Earning 1st team all division, Zaiden made crucial tackles all season long as he amassed 78 tackles and a sack to go with it. Quick out of his stance, Zaiden reads the play quickly and can meet the runner in the hole before they can make their way past the line. A player that is not easy to get away from, Zaiden has a rare amount of speed and athleticism from the linebacker position. With a huge amount of upside, Zaiden is dynamic enough to even play from the rover or safety position in the future.