RECRUITING THE BOX

Stat Talk: Four Defensive Weapons to Keep in Your 2019 Peripherals

BCP, March 14, 2019- We’re kicking off your Thursday of spring break right, with four more candidates on the opposite side of the ball making some undeniable noise around the bay area and the outskirts of the sunshine state.

Jordan Young, 2021 Jesuit CB- No fly zone. First up in the spotlight, this corner is a master of the swivel, with great hip and lateral movement; Jordan also has the ability to glide down the field in deep coverage stride for stride and highpoints the pigskin with his dominant vertical. You’d better be ready for contact with the rock in your possession right away, because he’ll meet you (aggressively) right when you think it’s safe to turn up-field in the blink of an eye. Checking in at 6’185 pounds, the second-year star registered 35 total tackles, 25 solo, 1 TFL, tacked on an interception on 7 pass break-ups, and recovered a fumble; Tigers’ deep Class 5A state semifinal playoff run and 12-2 overall record.

Garnell Wilds, 2021 Mitchell CB- No through traffic here, proceed route to detour. Dissecting his nine-minute highlight reel, (quite the playmaker) this next 6’cornerbackjams up almost any-sized receiver with his tight press coverage at the line of scrimmage; along with his keen sense of anticipation for letting the play unfold patiently before he makes his move. Once he plants, you better hope you have AT LEAST a few steps on him because his acceleration in pursuit is second to none- always one step ahead in your blind spot. This past season, the hard-nosed sophomore contributed to the Mustangs’ 8-3 season efforts with 22 solo and 34 total tackles with 3.1 TPG, had 3 pics on 5 passes defended, 1 TFL, a fumble recovery and 35 yards on 4 punts returned. 

Ryan Cunningham, 2021 East Lake SAF/ATH- This 5’9” 170-pound two-way athlete eats cereal and nails for breakfast-without any milk. He packs a serious punch for his build and is as hungry as they come; NEVER shying away from making his presence felt with a good thump. Cunningham attacks the edge with precision, courtesy of his elite offensive reads, always keeping his cut-off angles to his advantage and sticks to you like white on rice. This 2018 season, in 10 games portrayed by MaxPreps data, Ryan racked up 40 solo and 19 assisted tackles with 5.9 tackles per game, 1 TFL, 1 INT, defended 2 passes, ran the ball twice for 28 yards and collected 47 return yards on 4 kickoff returns. 

Spencer Williams, 2020 Jesuit SAF- SAFETY!Last but not least, we give you another Tiger who comes up big in Jesuit’s secondary schemes on Friday nights. The first brutally apparent element in his film, is his uncanny knack for catching you flat on your feet (at 6’ 165 pounds mind you); leaving you breathless, looking up at the sky with immediate thoughts of regret, contemplating a different sport. The head hunting, go-getter is a true ball hawk in the defensive backfield and the hits will only get more vicious as he leaves it all on the turf for one last ride in the royal blue and white. According to MaxPreps, the rising senior was all gas no brakes, posting 40 total tackles, 26 solo, 1 TFL, forced 4 fumbles, collected a pair of INTs, and a fumble recovery in his junior campaign.

Vaughan Sixbury, BCP Contributor