Nebraska's top high school football players: Meet the state’s best defensive linemen
We wrap up our look at the best football players in Nebraska from 2023 with the top defensive linemen. See that list below.
Pierre Allen Jr., Lincoln Southeast Junior, 6-2, 200
Allen had 10 or more tackles in two games and totaled 70 on the season with three sacks. Already has over 150 tackles in his career with one more season to go.
JT Brands – Oakland-Craig Senior, 6-2, 280
Brands has played every game since his freshman season and has had an impact every time out. His best year in terms of stats was a sophomore with 88 tackles, 12 TFLs and four sacks, but he was good again this past fall. Brands added 71 more tackles to his career and finishes with 256 total stops and 32 behind the line.
Caden Cetak – Lincoln East Senior, 6-3, 200
Cetak’s season up front for the Spartans included 90 total tackles, 16 sacks and an impressive 32 TFLS. Played in eight games last fall and recorded a TFL in all of those but one and had a sack in all but three. Also played tight end for East, caught eight passes for 110 yards and scored a touchdown.
Caleb Daniell – Yutan Senior, 5-10, 250
Daniell finished a stellar Yutan career with more than 100 tackles, 59 of which came this past season. He’s had 19 total TFLs and 16 sacks the last two years to go with 13 games where he’s made five or more stops.
Spencer Eberspacher – Exeter-Milligan/Friend Senior, 6-2, 180
EMF played in its first state championship since the programs combined this fall. Eberspacher and his 59 tackles were an important piece to making that a reality. He had five or more tackles in six of 13 games including in each of the final three games of the playoffs. Eberspacher’s career closed with exactly 100 tackles, 21.5 TFLs, nine sacks and three fumble recoveries.
DL – RJ Eckhardt, Westside Senior, 6-1, 225
Somewhat undersized up front compared to the guys across the line. But what he lacks in weight, Eckhardt makes up for in speed and quickness. He had 60 tackles, seven sacks and had two games with three sacks apiece.
Nolan Fennessy – Norfolk Catholic Senior, 6-5, 250
Fennessy also made the SBLive list for the best offensive linemen in the state. He was an important piece of the 2022 state championship squad then one of just a handful of returning starters in 2023. His leadership was a major factor in the Knights getting back to Lincoln and winning it all again.
Carter Gintz – Roncalli Catholic Senior, 6-0, 250
Gintz began to earn playing time as a junior and rewarded the faith of his coaches with 23 tackles in six games, three TFLs and two sacks. As a starter this past fall, Gintz recorded 52 stops, seven behind the line and had a sack and a fumble recovery.
Nathan Hagemann – Howells-Dodge Senior, 6-3, 220
Hagemann walks away from varsity football with one heck of a career that saw him collect 158 tackles in 39 games. His impact started as a freshman when he had 32 stops in eight games then continued into 41 in 10 games as a sophomore. Hagemann wasn’t fully healthy in 2022 but he returned to full strength this fall and had a career-high 70 tackles, six tackles for loss and five sacks. His best was 13 tackles in a playoff win over Dundy County-Stratton.
Eric Ingwerson – Papillion-La Vista Senior, 6-7, 235
Ingwerson will play tight end for Nebraska. For the Monarchs, he was good everywhere but especially on the defensive line. He finished with 52 tackles, 8.5 for loss, five sacks and had 11 stops in a win over Omaha Central.
Jack Jansen – Bennington Junior, 6-1, 230
Bennington was the back-to-back reigning champ this fall with several questions. Jansen provided an answer on defense with a season that saw him amass 80 tackles, nine for loss, collect two sacks and recover a fumble. He had 10 or more tackles in three games and two TFLs also in three games.
JR Leucona - Millard South Senior, 6-2, 235
Leucona heads to a college career at FCS national champion South Dakota State looking to have the same impact he had for the Patriots. Millard South went 10-2 and reached the semifinals for the third time in five years thanks in part to Leucona up front. He totaled 88 tackles, an insane 29 TFLs, 8.5 sacks and an interception. SDSU coach Jimmy Rodgers told the Brookings Register: “JR is a huge addition to our Chain Gang. His physicality, motor, and toughness are all college-ready. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him on the field next year.”
Aidan Miller – Millard South Senior, 6-4, 245
Miller made quite the combination up front with teammate JR Leucona, mentioned earlier on this list. He was second on the team with 97 tackles, 33 TFLs, had four games with double-digit tackles, sacked the quarterback five times and caused three fumbles. Miller will play for Northern Iowa at the next level.
Burke Moody – Auburn Junior, 6-2, 175
Moody had an abbreviated sophomore season due to injury. That was a bummer for the Bulldogs who saw Moody announce his arrival as a playmaker with 40 tackles and three for loss. He still managed 37 in six games but was back to full strength this fall and doubled his previous best by totaling 87 tackles, 16 for loss, 5.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and an interception.
Ashton Murphy – Elkhorn South Senior, 6-5, 245
Murphy was a major playmaker for the Storm on their way to the Class A state title game. He has the potential to play on either side of the ball for Nebraska but projects to defense where his career at Elkhorn South included 102 tackles, 11 for loss, 6.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Andrew Namuth – Fort Calhoun Junior, 6-3, 195
Namuth controlled the line of scrimmage every time out this past fall, putting together 80 total tackles while posting four games of double-digit stops. He closed the year with 16 and two TFLs including a sack in his final game of the season. Namuth also picked off a pass and returned it 19 yards.
Orion Parker – Plattsmouth Senior, 6-7, 280
Parker is a playmaker whether it's on the gridiron or the wrestling mat. Up front for the Plattsmouth defense, Parker totaled 29 tackles, two for loss, sacked the quarterback twice and recovered a fumble. On the wrestling mat, Parker is a state qualifier who was 18-1 through the first half of the 2023/24 varsity season.
Henry Prochazka – Elkhorn South Senior, 6-4, 230
Doesn’t have quite the monster measurables of his older brother but is still full of talent and especially impactful on defense where he made seven tackles for loss, 50 total, five sacks and picked off a pass. Prochazka will play college football at perennial D-II powerhouse Northwest Missouri State.
Rio Remund – South Loup Senior, 6-4, 230
Remund maximized his talent at South Loup and will graduate as perhaps the best player in school history thanks to 35 career games and 224 career tackles. That talent was evident as a freshman when he had 21 tackles in six games and 4.5 tackles during a year the Bobcats struggled to 0-8. But as he and South Loup grew, the Bobcats won a game his sophomore year, went 6-4 his junior year and was 11-1 with a trip to the semifinals this fall. As a senior, he piled up 83 stops, 16 TFLs and seven sacks.
Tom Roberts – Boone Central Junior, 6-3, 205
Boone Central dominated the season start to finish, but it was mostly the offense that got the attention behind 483 total points and over 37 per game. But take a look at the other column, points allowed, and it's even more impressive. Roberts was the top player on the Cardinal defensive line and was third on the team with 58 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and six sacks. Boone only gave up 63 total points all season.
Jake Scanlon – Wahoo Junior, 6-0, 235
Scanlon was one of the top defensive linemen for any class in the state with 71 tackles and eight for loss. But as much as the numbers say, once you see him on tape or in person, it’s even more impressive. Scanlon is relentless in fighting to get to the ball carrier and inflicting punishment on anyone who lines up across from him.
Brady Singer – Douglas County West Senior, 5-11, 205
Singer didn’t start the year as a defensive lineman but made that suggestion to his coaching staff following injuries. Given the chance to mix it up at the line of scrimmage, Singer collected 81 tackles, five for loss and had a sack. On offense, he had over 1,300 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.
Sean Skrydlak – Creighton Prep Junior, 6-3, 230
Skrydlak has been working hard and waiting for his chance to make an impact on varsity for the Junior Jays. He had that chance this fall and took advantage with 76 tackles, 7.5 for loss and a sack. His first varsity start included 10 tackles, and it only got better from there. Skrydlak had three more games with 10 or more tackles including 14 against Gretna.
Harrison Smith – Waverly Junior, 6-2, 210
Doubled as a backup running back and defensive lineman for the Vikings but was most effective on the line of scrimmage. He and his defensive mates led Waverly to the semifinals and an 11-win season by limiting opponents to just over 10 points per game and putting together four shutouts.
Tyson Terry – Omaha North Junior, 6-3, 270
Terry will remind many of current Husker D-linemen Nash Hutmacher. Hutmacher came to Lincoln as an unbeaten four-time state wrestling champion who signed with Nebraska for the recruiting class of 2020. Terry is in the middle of his junior wrestling season and is a two-time champ who also has yet to lose a match in two and a half years. This past season he had 72 total tackles, 15 for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Cal Wells – Broken Bow, Junior, 6-1, 235
Wells is one of the best big guys in the state whether it’s wrecking offenses or putting opponents on the mat. The Broken Bow junior had 43 tackles and a sack for the Indian football team and is the reigning Class C 220-pound state wrestling champion.
Zeb Wilde – Sandhills/Thedford Senior, 6-1, 220
Sandhills/Thedford made it to its third title game in four years in November but finally finished it off this year thanks to Wilde up front. In 13 games he had 135 tackles, 16 for loss, 10 sacks and three fumble recoveries. He had seven games with more than 10 tackles including 12 in the state championship game, a TFL and a sack.
Lane Wright – Cozad Junior, 5-11, 215
Wright was among the leaders in tackles this past fall in all of the state of Nebraska, an accomplishment that seems unlikely for a defensive lineman. But Wright had at least 11 tackles in every game, the best of which was 21 in a game against Minden. He has 187 career tackles and another year remaining on the Cozad roster.
Tyson Terry is perhaps the most dominant defensive force in the state of Nebraska and he still has one more year of varsity football remaining. Terry has 212 career tackles, 38 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks. Photo by @mikejschaefer on X.
--Nathan Charles I @SBLiveNeb
