4A PRESEASON DPOY CANDIDATES

There’s some good potential on both sides of the ball in 4A which includes a cluster of slept on prospects. Here’s a look at 10 DPOY candidates as we creep closer to the season:

Jaxson Jones
, DE, Yuma Catholic ’24: Jones is one of the most intriguing prospects in 4A that’s seen a big rise in his stock. Very explosive off the ball as he possesses good quickness and bend around the edges. Excellent combination of length, quickness, agility, and violent hands as he is checking all the boxes as a lethal edge rusher.

Cody Leopold
, ATH, Prescott ’23: Also listed as a potential OPOY candidate, Leopold is a game changer on both sides of the ball. He comes off a 140 total tackle season as he possesses excellent reaction with the strong ability to read and diagnose plays at LB. He does a great job at filling alleys and bringing strength to the POC to finish tackles and also possesses that lateral range to take good pursuit tracks and make plays along the boundary from a variety of angles. Expecting a huge year from Leopold.

Pierson Watson
, LB, Coconino ’23: The BYU commit quickly emerged as a standout player for Coconino, taking a huge leap from his sophomore to junior season last year. He’s a well polished LB with a solid skillset that shows both play strength and play speed. Physical player overall with a ton of potential to put up big numbers on that Coco defense.

Jarred Marquez
, LB, Yuma Catholic ’23: Marquez has an excellent frame and build at 6’2? 210lbs with good instincts and closing speed as a tackler. He shows strength at the POA with a good striking ability with numerous intangibles to build off of.

Mason Stromstad
, DB, Marcos de Niza ’23: Stromstad does a ton of great things for that Marcos defense. He sizes up with a terrific frame and build at 6’3? 195lbs. He does a great job getting a perfect jump off the LOS to frequently disrupt plays in the backfield, as they love to roll him down and blitz him off the edge. A very talented player with the potential to blow up in 2022 and is definitely deserving of some more college attention.

Dane Fidler
, DB, Apache Junction ’23: Fidler is a fast rising 2023 prospect that recently transferred in from Bishop Kelly High School in Idaho. He did a great job at CB as he was oftentimes manned up on an island out there. He displayed solid patience and knows when to flip the hips and avoided being manipulated by double moves. He’s fresh off a PWO from Villanova and could be that ball hawk for AJ here in 2022.

Landen Francis
, LB, Prescott ’23: Francis is a tough kid and a solid two way player for Prescott that definitely deserves more college attention. He plays with a mean streak and is a very physical player frequently showing solid play strength. He plays OL for Prescott as well, but has showcased his athleticism by being able to man up on TE’s, RB’s, and sometimes the slot with the ability to quickly reroute them and disrupt timing. Solid in run support as well as he is a well polished tackler and utilizes his 6’1? 215lb frame well.

Cayden Gibson
, DL, AZ College Prep ’24: Gibson comes off a strong sophomore season with 71 tackles, 11.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles. He’s shown a raw skillset but could definitely take that leap in maturity between that sophomore-junior window, and put everything together this fall. Definitely a kid to watch over at ACP.

Lenoxx Hicks
, DL, Sierra Linda ’24: Hicks flashed solid potential in 2021 and is another kid that can take a major leap from his sophomore to junior season. He racked up 7 sacks and 46 tackles last year, but should see his role maximize dramatically in 2022 as he’ll need to be a key guy on that Sierra Linda defense.

McKay Beardall
, DB, ALA-Gilbert North ’24: Beardall filled a solid role last season and has emerged as a 2024 DB to know, coming off a 59 tackle 3 INT season. I was impressed with his maturity and football IQ as a young prospect, and I think the game will slow down for him with a varsity year under his belt. He did a good job as a 1-high safety, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can sharpen up his skillset and make a leap into his junior season.