5 Defensive Breakout Players In Iowa Highschool Football (5A)
In this article:
What players could break out next season on the defensive side of the ball? In this article, we answer that by looking at five players I believe will have a great upcoming season. Rusty VanWetzinga LB (Pleasant Valley) Class of…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWhat players could break out next season on the defensive side of the ball? In this article, we answer that by looking at five players I believe will have a great upcoming season.
Rusty VanWetzinga LB (Pleasant Valley) Class of 2023 Hudl Twitter
Rusty Vanwetzinga has been one of my favorite upcoming upperclassmen for a while now. While he’s only a sophomore, his play has veteran style. His build is good: 6-1 and 210 lbs. I really like Rusty in zone coverage, where he stays disciplined and makes the smart play. Rusty also has great playmaking ability, getting pass breakups, and he had an interception in coverage last season. Rusty makes great plays at scrimmage as well as getting through blocks and making tackles. He had 56 Tackles, 24 Solo Tackles, 1.5 Sacks, 5.5 Tackles for Loss, and 1 Interception. Rusty won 3rd Team All-State, 1st Team All-District, and was PTO Sports Underclassmen of the Year. Pleasant Valley looks to be the favorite to get to the dome in their division and a big part of that is Rusty and the skills he brings to the field.
Dylan Muszynski Dylan Muszynski 5'8" | 160 lbs | DB Linn-Mar | 2022 State IA SS (Linn-Mar) Class of 2022 Hudl Twitter
Clayton is still under the radar as a prospect but I believe he is due for a big year. Clayton was part of the 2nd Team All-State Team and 1st Team All-Conference Team. Clayton has great awareness and an above-average ability to be around the ball every play. He is an above-average tackler and he shows this by making tons of tough tackles at the line of scrimmage. Clayton shoots through gaps and delivers great hits on ball carriers. He totaled 58 Tackles, 41 Solo Tackles, 7 Tackles For Loss, 1 Interception. He also caught a touchdown against Cedar Falls. Clayton’s role for Linn-Mar was a hybrid type of safety where he spent some time in the linebacker position and was utilized in blitzes. Sometimes he gambled a little too much, and this created some big plays for opposing backs. I think he could fix this easily, though, as he develops more patience. Overall, I like Clayton’s game, and I see him playing college ball someday.
Jackson Penningroth Jackson Penningroth 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Ankeny | 2022 State IA LB (Ankeny) Class of 2022 Hudl Twitter
Jackson Penningroth Jackson Penningroth 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Ankeny | 2022 State IA went on a tear his junior season. He was one of the most physical linebackers in the state, pushing blockers and closing running lanes. Jackson is a great tackler who makes tons of plays at the line of scrimmage. He also shows above-average speed for a linebacker his size. Jackson led the state in tackles for loss for most of the season. His breakout game was against Waukee, where Jackson had 8 Tackles, 6 Solo Tackles, 2 Sacks, and 4 Tackles for Loss. He was continuously forcing pressure and helped shut down one of the top backs in the state in Alexander Linquist. Jackson finished the year with 42.5 Tackles, 24 Solo Tackles, 4.5 Sacks, and 16.5 Tackles for Loss. One of the more impressive things about his amazing junior year is that it was his first year at varsity! He quickly adapted to the pace of varsity, showing himself to be a well-disciplined and smart linebacker. I would say Jackson’s ceiling is FCS level, and I think he can produce nicely at that competitive level. Jackson will be moving to inside linebacker this next season, and I cannot wait to see how he fills that role.
Jaylen Pettus McMullen DL (Dowling) Class of 2022 Hudl
Jaylen is a highly underrated prospect and is going to open a lot of eyes next season. He is extremely athletic for his size and is a big mismatch for inside guards. Guards simply could not keep up with Jaylen on pass sets, and his athleticism generated tons of QB pressure. Watching him play a couple of times (he has limited film), he never failed to impress. I really like his upside and think he will generate a lot more attention his senior year. I think Dowling could move him around and have him play defensive end and defensive tackle. Jaylen finished with 28.5 Tackles, 21 Solo Tackles, 4 Sacks, and 13.5 Tackles for Loss. Jaylen is a quality tackler, and he does a good job of shutting off running lanes. I am very excited for Jaylen’s senior season, and I think he will get tons of college attention.
Bradley Hill LB (Bettendorf) Class of 2022 Hudl Twitter
Bradley Hill had a great start to 2021 by winning a 3A Wrestling State Championship, and you can see some of his wrestling ability translate to football. Bradley Hill attends Bettendorf, a team that always seems to have quality linebackers. Bradley is a great tackler and makes quality plays against ball carriers. Bradley is an above-average open-field tackler making multiple big gains preventing tackles. He is a great block shredder, evading or bypassing blocking to make a play on the ball. Bradley had 52 Tackles, 41 Solo Tackles,1.5 Sacks, and 15.5 Tackles for Loss. I am really excited to see how he plays this upcoming season. Bettendorf is looking to bounce back from a playoff loss against a highly talented Pleasant Valley team, and Bradley will be a big part of that. I’m excited to see how Bradley plays his senior season and believe he could play at a high-level division two school (and possibly an FCS School) if he improves his explosiveness.