Despite being a sophomore, Ben’s tape shows a three down LB prospect. The 6’3″ 205 lbs ILB is building a well balanced game. He has strong instincts, reads the flow of the play and is able to slide to maintain his gap and then close on the RB in the hole. Ben does a great job of avoiding blockers between the tackles while mirroring backs in the backfield. Wenzel is a reliable tackler that you can count on ending the play when he makes contact. His ability to take on and shed blocks with his length and power is excellent. The sophomore is also impressive in coverage, showing range to get out in a zone and the ability to close and change direction in space. Check out his tape below.

The “other” ILB on this dominant Appleton North defense is sophomore Ben Wenzel Ben Wenzel 6'4" | 220 lbs | LB Appleton North | 2026 State WI . Wenzel has quickly developed into a high end LB prospect, and a game wrecker on Friday nights. Ben has the psychical tools. He has a big frame that is filling out, strength to do the dirty work in the trash between the tackles, and the athleticism to chase sideline to sideline or drop into coverage. Wenzel is aggressive and decisive. Not something you see from a lot of sophomore LBs. It seems like North always has two studs in the middle of their defense. This year’s duo is a great one.

Right next to Brock is the next up and coming LB in WI. Ben checks in with a frame that looks like it will also fill out to be the prototypical LB size. He is currently  6’3″ 205 lbs, and that frame has all the room in the world to continue to fill out. Even now though, Wenzel was a stout defender in the middle of the defense. His burst and closing speed stood out multiple times as he would fly into a gap for the stop or flow across the field to maintain his gap and stuff the outside rush attempts. Ben used his length well to keep himself clean and moved through the chaotic front seven with ease to get to the ball. It was a great night for the quickly rising LB. He looks like a future D1 talent.

Appleton North has produced many impressive defensive players recently, and are rostering some studs this fall. An up and coming member of the team is our new LB1 Ben Wenzel Ben Wenzel 6'4" | 220 lbs | LB Appleton North | 2026 State WI . The 6’3” 195 lbs prospect is molding his frame to look the part of a next level LB. The tape should excite coaches too. As a freshman, Ben showed off good strength and hand use to shed blocks when filling against the run. He was able to keep himself clean while attacking downhill. It looks like he is developing the instincts needed to lock down the middle of the defense too. He moves with the flow of the play and has the speed to be an effective blitzer. I will be watching him closely to see where he plays this fall. A rising prospect to know in the Class of 2026.