Defensive Underclassmen of the Week

Nick Rock October 13, 2020 @ 01:58 PM

A handful of underclassmen were able to step up and make a defensive impact this week. Many of which are some new faces that are looking to rise their recruiting stock. Here's a look at 5 underclassmen that stood out in week 2: [player_tooltip player_id="42842" first="Brandon" last="Craddock"], LB, O'Connor HS (2022) Craddock totaled 19 tackles, 4 TFL's, and 1.5 sacks against a very explosive Desert Edge offense. Craddock was easy to spot as he was flying around the field on every play. He displayed great play recognition and instincts, and showed very good speed. He took good pursuit paths at the middle linebacker position by being able to make plays on the edges and tracked down speedy ball carriers. He shows no hesitation and attacks the ball carrier well while being a fundamental tackler. He has a very good football IQ with big potential, and proved to be one of the best linebackers in Arizona. Justin Holmes, DE, Cactus HS (C/O 2022)<img class="alignright wp-image-44645" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/08/9E126264-1CBE-4EB9-9BCF-7FC6BE8980B7-300x246.jpeg" alt="" width="270" height="221" /> Holmes was a beast against Peoria by racking up 15 total tackles, 2 TFL's, and 2 sacks. Holmes plays with a high motor and is extremely fast off the edges. He did a great job of shedding blocks to blow up plays, and oftentimes used his speed to get a hurry or force the Peoria QB out of the pocket. He played the run very well as he showed good peripheral vision and was able to get lateral quickly to make plays. Holmes is extremely versatile and could be used in a wide variety of ways throughout the season. Leo Palelei, LB, Shadow Ridge HS (C/O 2022) Palelei stepped up big on Friday by accumulating 12 total tackles and 2 sacks. He is an aggressive, tough, gritty player. His weight room strength translates to the field as he is able to bully through bigger lineman. He showed great anticipation while blitzing which helped him get a quick get-off. Palelei had some big hits which clearly set the tone and put hesitation into the Westwood ball carriers. He is a major factor thus far on a sleeper Shadow Ridge team, so keep an eye on him throughout the season. Derek Saenz, DB, Morenci HS (2023) Saenz filled a big role and was able to put on a clutch performance for the Morenci defense. In a 21-14 win, he racked up 2 INT's, 3 PBU's, and 7 total tackles. Saenz is an upcoming stud in 2A, and helped his case this past Friday. He is an athletic kid that will continue to get better as he matures, and was able to step up and make some clutch plays throughout the game. Timothy Nieto, DE, Yuma HS (2023) Nieto played a hard fought game with 8 tackles and 3 sacks. Despite the lack of film, Nieto has proven to be a key player so far for the Yuma defense as a sophomore, and he could be prone for a solid career. With a couple more years to develop, expect Nieto to continue to be the anchor for the Yuma defense.