Anwar Witherspoon
Anwar Witherspoon
About Anwar
Expert Analysis
Brendan Mankarious | Prep Redzone Scout
With two outstanding defenders already in the fold, Anwar Witherspoon Anwar Witherspoon 6'2" | 185 lbs | LB St. Thomas Aquinas | 2026 State NJ is perhaps the most acclaimed defender the Trojans roster. Although I think he can sink to his drop a bit more deeply, he is a bit longer of a linebacker and thus inherently does an outstanding job clogging passing lanes and getting his hands on passes you might not expect. It seems as though he reads down-down-kick to the outside a bit better than iso directly at him. Where Roberts and Frias before him where outstanding profile tacklers, Witherspoon has mastered leverage tackling a bit more, using his momentum as a weapon to bring ball carriers down. He uses his hands well to catch the ball, although when he does possess it Witherspoon carries it very low and loose away from his body. An area missing on Witherspoon’s tape is his open-field speed.
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Read EvaluationBrendan Mankarious | Prep Redzone Scout
After a highly successful campaign for St. Thoams Aquinas, one that saw them win their first home playoff game in nearly three decades, the proof is in the pudding for this talented roster. Defensively they are headlined by Anwar Witherspoon Anwar Witherspoon 6'2" | 185 lbs | LB St. Thomas Aquinas | 2026 State NJ who, in recent months, has collected offers from Wofford, Lafayette, Stony Brook, Army, Bryant, Delaware, and Temple. All this comes off of a campaign that saw Witherspoon make 105 tackles (65 solo), 20 TFL, 4 sacks, 1 FF, 1 FR, 3 Int, and 1 pick-six.
Prior Ranking: 101
Prior Ranking: 40
Stock Increase: +61
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Read EvaluationBrendan Mankarious | Prep Redzone Scout
Back for more is the Trojan’s tight end in their power-run sets, Anwar Witherspoon Anwar Witherspoon 6'2" | 185 lbs | LB St. Thomas Aquinas | 2026 State NJ . Although he was just 3/32 receiving as a tight end, he appeared to be STA’s primary tight end in their run-first offense. Defensively Witherspoon is a defensive end who made 34 tackles (17 solo) with 6 tackles for loss and 5 sacks.
The success that Witherspoon had along the defensive line starts with his good get off. At his best, Witherspoon figured out how to weaponize his athleticism to beat his man off the snap. Related, the standout edge player appears to get hands on the man in front of him and works them low-to-high. Then like a textbook, Witherspoon locks out and moves his feet in order to be in position to shed and make a play. Given his athleticism Witherspoon has a motor that allows him to get into several players and bring heat bearing down should he not get home. Witherspoon has the potential to explode on the scene as he becomes more aggressive when he is the play side defender.
I would like to see more of Witherspoon’s highlights include his run blocking skillset; however, he does show flashes as an intended target. Witherspoon catches with his hands and never the body and appears to like the ball thrown on the top shelf so only he can make a play. He has also served as an h-back on occasion.
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