Zeth Thues Zeth Thues 5'11" | 185 lbs | DB Liberty | 2026 State AZ has a natural feel for the game that makes him stand out on the back end. He does an excellent job reading the quarterback’s eyes and seems to always be in the right place at the right time. He’s the kind of safety coaches can trust to play with freedom and still stay disciplined in his assignments — a rare combo at the high school level. On top of his coverage instincts, he’s aggressive downhill and more than willing to stick his nose in the run game. That kind of two-way impact makes him an invaluable piece in any secondary.

Thues is a highly instinctual safety with the anticipation and high football IQ D1 colleges look for in the position. 5’11” 190 lbs. he’s extremely active in the secondary using great eye discipline to read and react. Good game speed and range to be equally effective in run support and coverage. He plays downhill and aggressive bringing strong contact when filling the lane or attacking ball carriers after the catch. Shows he can break down in space and be reliable tackling in one on one open field scenarios. Fluid change of direction and acceleration out of his break to transition from backpedal to drive phase. Flashes high level ball skills and plus reactionary quickness to locate the ball and close the passing lane while playing through the hands at the catch point. Collected 13 D1 offers before committing to ASU in November. He’s the #9 overall prospect and the #2 DB in the 2026 PRZ state rankings.

13 Offers: Arizona State, Boston College, Colorado State, Kansas, Kansas State, Nevada, NAU, San Diego State, Tennessee, UNLV, UTEP, Washington State, Wisconsin

2024 Stats: 68 total tackles, 45 solo, 13.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 4 interceptions, 5 forced fumbles

The junior standing guard in the back end of Liberty’s defense is the incredibly athletic Zeth Thues Zeth Thues 5'11" | 185 lbs | DB Liberty | 2026 State AZ . Able to affect the game in a similar way to how a hybrid safety would be able to, he does so while still being excellent with his pass coverage responsibilities. Thues spends way more time in the opposing offense’s backfield than most safeties with nine tackles for loss, three sacks, and two more quarterback pressures. As would be assumed with a safety that gets asked to blitz as often as he does, Thues is a physical player who’s not afraid to put his body on the line to make a game-changing play — evident in his five forced fumbles so far in 2024.