5A SIC Defensive Player of the Year Preview
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Boasting some of the state’s top defensive talent year in and year out the 5A SIC will once again be loaded. Known for teams with hard hitting athletes who fly around all over the field and make plays its not…
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Continue ReadingBoasting some of the state’s top defensive talent year in and year out the 5A SIC will once again be loaded. Known for teams with hard hitting athletes who fly around all over the field and make plays its not hard to see why many of the state’s top defenses come from the SIC. Here are some of the players who have made a name for themselves along with some to watch out for as to who will win the prestigious SIC Defensive Player of the Year only time will tell:
LB Nathan Reynolds Nathan Reynolds 6'4" | 220 lbs | LB Meridian HS | 2023 State ID – Meridian 2023
Reynolds leads one of the top defensive units in the entire state regardless of division. A defensive stalwart that is the anchor for a Meridian defense that will be as tough as they come. He is a sideline-to-sideline player with great instincts and really knows how to finish tackles. He is a one-man wrecking crew on the field and look for him to have one of the best senior years in the valley.
LB Max Maile – Mountain View 2023
Maile has a motor that coaches can only dream of. One thing you can say about the senior is that his football IQ shows up on tape. He is constantly in the right position to make plays and has had a standout offseason for the Mavericks. A player who is a tough nosed as they come look for him to be one of the next great linebackers for Mountain View.
DL Tucker French Tucker French 6'2" | 225 lbs | DL Capital HS | 2023 State ID – Capital 2023
French is going to be #1 on the scouting report for every offensive line group in the SIC this year. Strong at the point of attack with a great first step his did major damage in pass rush last year for Capital. He has great hand usages and plays with fantastic leverage constantly setting the edge of the line of scrimmage. He will be one of the tops in the state in sacks again this year.
LB Gage Tanner Gage Tanner 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB Rocky Mountain HS | 2023 State ID – Rocky Mountain 2023
Tanner is everything that you look for in a linebacker. Strong, fast, and smart are three words that instantly come to mind when you think of how Tanner plays. He has been making a killing during the camp series this year walking away with multiple LB MVP awards. He is as good as they come in coverage as well being able to match up with running backs out of the backfield.
DB Troy Wilkey Troy Wilkey 5'9" | 165 lbs | DB Rocky Mountain HS | 2023 State ID – Rocky Mountain 2023
Wilkey is going to end up being one of the top DBs in the state that isn’t getting the recognition that he deserves; he plays the back end like a young Earl Thomas who can get everyone lined up and then will hawk every football thrown in his vicinity. He is great coming down hill and is one of the best open field tacklers in the state.
LB Eli Mikita Eli Mikita 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Eagle | 2024 State ID – Eagle 2024
Mikita was a standout as a sophomore for the Mustangs last year, leading his team as one of the best players in the SIC. He is a force on the defensive side of the football with blazing speed that shows up on film. He can really chase offenses down and constantly makes impact plays for his team. Don’t be surprised to hear the announcer this year call out Mikita’s name over and over as the linebacker making a tackle.
Players to Watch out For:
LB Mason Chiles – Mountain View 2023
LB Ivan Perkins Ivan Perkins 6'1" | 220 lbs | LB Mountain View | 2023 State ID – Mountain View 2023
DL Kade Steadman Kade Steadman 6'3" | 255 lbs | DL Rocky Mountain | 2023 State ID – Rocky Mountain 2023
LB Carter Davis Carter Davis 6'3" | 220 lbs | LB Eagle HS | 2023 State ID – Eagle 2023
DL Payton Gunter Payton Gunter 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Nampa HS | 2023 State ID – Nampa 2023
DL Fabrice Ndaitouroum – Centennial 2024
LB Trace Freeman – Borah 2023