Difference Making Defensive Efforts: Week 9

The regular season is in the books. Time to take some time to quickly recap the final week on the defensive side of the ball before we dive into playoff coverage and a little bit of prediction. Week 9 gave us some exciting things on defense to look at. We have new athletes on our radar from 2025s- 2027s. We have athletes from every level of the defense wrecking havoc in the backfield and on the backend of defense. Plus we take another look at a stud that everyone needs to know about in LB [player_tooltip player_id='700149' first='Brendan' last='Foley']. Check out this group of defenders before turning your attention to the playoffs!    Stats: 9 Tackles   A new sophomore LB has just hit our radar from Wausau East HS. Aiden is a 6'1" 210 lbs athlete that flashes three down versatility in his Week 9 highlights. Aiden is developing a well rounded skill set. He has solid agility and change of direction to be able to line up over a slot in man coverage. He also has the range to go from his MLB position to the sideline while pursuing the ball or pressuring the QB. The bigger athlete also is able to pack a punch when attacking downhill against the run game. You see him take on and bull rush through OL or FB blocks and still make the tackle. Wausau East has multiple names to know coming through their program currently, and Aiden has put himself near the top of that list to watch.      Stats: 5 Tackles, 2 Sacks, 2 TFLs, 1 FR   Another impressive sophomore who went off in Week 9 was DL Harlan Kuehn. His big day helped Lourdes Academy cap off a fantastic second half of the season and secure a playoff berth. The 6'3" 195 lbs sophomore DE/OLB did a fantastic job of using his long arms to get first contact on his OT and to maintain space so he could get off the block and get after the QB on both of his sacks. The sophomore also did a great job of keeping contain while getting after the QB on those plays. Harlan also showed off his high motor as he made some effort plays like downfield tackles. The impressive sophomore also possesses the range to be able to turn and pursue out to the sideline when the ball does get outside of his containment. I'm really liking the tools and motor this rising sophomore plays with. Check out his tape.      Stats: 9 Tackles, 1 PBU   Junior LB [player_tooltip player_id='1801908' first='Ayden' last='Bystol'] was able to come back from injury for the final couple weeks of the season, and the tape from week 9 has me interested in his future potential. The junior is a hard hitting tackler that punishes ball carriers and receivers. He is also a versatile athlete with solid athletic traits that Shawano uses to their advantage. You will find Ayden lining up at LB, in the slot, or at safety. Wherever he lines up, you can trust that Ayden is going to get to the ball and punish the offensive player when he arrives. Check him out in the tape below.      Stats: 9 Tackles, 1 INT, .5 Sack   Senior DL Ryan Cameron delivered a big time performance in a huge week 9 victory for Sussex as they defeated Germantown. Right off the bat, Ryan shows great awareness to intercept a pass while fully engaged with the OT to start the tape off. You also see the range he has off the edge as he makes multiple chase down tackles on plays where the offensive thought they could leave him unblocked. Even against the very talented Germantown OL, Ryan showed off effective hand fighting to beat blocks and get after the QB. The ability to take on pulling linemen and force ball inside or make the tackle himself was impressive to watch too. The senior DL is an under the radar prospect who has caught our eyes multiple times this season. Give the kid a look.      Stats: 13 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 3 TFLs   One of the top junior defensive players put on a clinic in Week 9. Brendan was disruptive force all night long against the run and passing game. His ability to navigate through the front seven is outstanding. Snap after snap he is getting to the ball clean. Whether it is his agility, burst, or ability to quickly read and react to what he sees, Brendan is one of the most difficult LBs to get a lineman on. The junior has excellent speed for the LB position, too. Showing he can blitz from his off-ball position or get around the edge before the QB can get the ball away. Brendan is a versatile LB prospect with a high ceiling. Big things still to come for him.      Stats: 7 Tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 Sacks   The junior DE out of Janesville Parker dominated the trenches in Week 9. The 6'3" and now 215 lbs DE lived in the backfield, throwing off timing and making plays of his own all night long. Cody did a fantastic job of finding the ball and pursuing it while not letting himself lose leverage or contain until he got to the ball to make the tackle. As a pass rusher, I liked the bend, hand use, and first step quickness that he plays with off the edge. The junior also has the ability to play with excellent lateral agility and body control to get around offensive linemen. Get this kid on your radars for camps this offseason and the 2025 season.      Stats: 10 Tackles, 2 INTs   You can watch the 2 INTs or the 90+ yard TD reception to see that Fletcher clearly has reliable, natural hands. It looks like the first INT comes in man coverage where he does a great job trailing the WR and then going up and high pointing the ball. On the second INT the senior shows off the awareness in zone coverage and the closing speed to come off the man he was close to to go jump the route that was also in his zone. Fletcher finds and plays the ball in the air very well. The senior is a sleeper prospect to get eyes on.

The regular season is in the books. Time to take some time to quickly recap the final week on the defensive side of the ball before we dive into playoff coverage and a little bit of prediction. Week 9 gave us some exciting things on defense to look at. We have new athletes on our radar from 2025s- 2027s. We have athletes from every level of the defense wrecking havoc in the backfield and on the backend of defense. Plus we take another look at a stud that everyone needs to know about in LB Brendan Foley Brendan Foley 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Arrowhead | 2026 State WI . Check out this group of defenders before turning your attention to the playoffs!