Another returning piece in the secondary is Dylan Knapp Dylan Knapp 5'10" | 160 lbs | DB/WR Bishop Heelan | 2028 State IA , who immediately stood out in his sophomore year as a deep middle defender. Knapp finished 4th on the team in tackles (55.5) while adding 2 TFLs, a FF, a fumble recovery, and an INT. Knapp’s size and athleticism may better suit him at the Strong Safety position, being able to close down on the ball-carriers with quick speed while showcasing great range being able to cross sideline-to-sideline in a flash, making it difficult for players to beat him outside the perimeter on the run, and excelling as an open-field tackler. With some more size to his frame, Knapp could emerge to become quite the enforcer for the Crusaders’ defense.

Knapp showed he was one of the state’s better sophomores during the season, then capped it off with a fine performance at the UNI-Dome. The 10th-grader piled up 14.0 tackles and forced a fumble in a semifinal win against defending champion Wahlert Catholic. He followed up that outing with 14.0 more stops in the title game versus Nevada. For the season, he collected 55.5 tackles (33 solo, 2.0 TFL) and an interception. Knapp looks natural at the safety position, adjusting after reading formations pre-snap and flowing well to the football once the play is underway. There’s explosiveness in pursuit and an understanding of angles. He is a fundamentally sound tackler, someone with skills to stand out on special teams, too. Like most sophomores, adding strength will be a goal this offseason so he can raise his level of physicality.

Stepping up as the last line of the defense for Heelan, sophomore defensive back, Dylan Knapp Dylan Knapp 5'10" | 160 lbs | DB/WR Bishop Heelan | 2028 State IA was added to the rankings thanks to his performance in the state title game. A top-four tackler for the Crusaders this season, Knapp showed up in a big way for his team when needed most.

Serving in the third level of the Heelan defense, Knapp was seemingly involved in every play and never left the screen, finishing with a team-leading 14 tackles.