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High School Sports

2022 preseason all-area defense: Denton Ryan’s Anthony Hill is our Player of the Year

SportsDayHS will be breaking down and analyzing Dallas-area teams before the start of the 2022 season.

SportsDayHS will be breaking down and analyzing Dallas-area teams before the start of the 2022 season. Today we examine the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year along with the all-area defensive team.

Defensive Player of the Year

Anthony Hill, Denton Ryan, DL

Sr., 6-2, 225

He’s the No. 1 player on The Dallas Morning News’ top 100 recruits list for the Class of 2023. He’s the top-ranked linebacker in the country. He’s going to anchor a state-title hopeful’s defense this season.

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Anthony Hill, a five-star Texas A&M pledge, is an easy choice for Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

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A 5A Division I state champion as a sophomore and an all-state honoree as a junior, Hill had 131 tackles (18 for loss) with 8 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions last season. A two-way player, he also rushed for seven touchdowns — including a 59-yarder versus College Station in the 5A Division I regional final.

Defensive line

Anthony James, Wylie East

Sr., 6-5, 265

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The four-star Washington pledge is the No. 1 defensive line recruit in the Dallas area for the Class of 2023, and was an All-District 7-5A Division I second-team honoree as a junior. 247Sports.com’s Chris Singletary wrote that James “is a guy with a lot of potential and positive traits.” He’s one of three star defensive lineman who’ll play in District 9-6A this fall, joining Garland Naaman Forest’s Markis Deal and Garland Lakeview’s Trey Wilson.

Enow Etta, Colleyville Covenant

Sr., 6-4, 260

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Etta passes the eye test and the numbers test. The Michigan pledge made 17 sacks in 2020 and 22.5 in 2021, and with an 81-inch wingspan (per 247), he has 10 pass breakups to his name since his sophomore season, too. A four-star recruit, Etta projects to be one of the top defensive players in all of TAPPS this fall. He’s ranked as the 17th-best defensive line recruit in the country, according to 247.

Colin Simmons, Duncanville

Jr., 6-3, 225

The five-star junior is the nation’s top edge rusher recruit and already holds 42 scholarship offers, including from from Alabama, LSU and USC. Simmons was named a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American in 2021 after he had 68 tackles and 12 sacks for a Duncanville team that advanced to the 6A Division I state championship game. He’ll follow in the footsteps of Omari Abor, a five-star edge rusher now at Ohio State, who was last year’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

Parish Episcopal defensive end Tre Williams is one of the top defensive players on the 2021...
Parish Episcopal defensive end Tre Williams is one of the top defensive players on the 2021 team (Courtesy/Parish Episcopal)(Courtesy/Parish Episcopal)

Tre Williams, Parish Episcopal

Sr., 6-1. 216

A cornerstone of Episcopal’s defense as it aims for a fourth straight TAPPS state championship, Williams had 11 sacks and 24.5 tackles for loss as a junior. He broke up 6 passes and forced a pair of fumbles, too. Williams, a three-star recruit, holds offers from Michigan, Stanford, Washington and others. He’s one of two star defensive lineman at Epsicopal, the other being four-star junior Caleb Mitchell Irving.

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Linebacker

Payton Pierce, Lovejoy

Jr., 6-1, 225

Pierce established himself as one of the state’s — and the nation’s — premier inside linebacker prospects as a sophomore. The four-star recruit had 121 tackles (21 for loss), 6 sacks, 6 pass breakups and 6 forced fumbles for the 5A Division II regional semifinalist. Pierce, who played his freshman season at Allen, holds offers from Oklahoma, Baylor, Notre Dame and 26 others. Off the football field, Pierce won a 5A state wrestling championship this past winter.

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S’Maje Burrell, North Crowley

Sr., 6-0, 215

A four-star Texas pledge, Burrell stuffed the stat sheet as a junior at North Crowley with 104 tackles (13 for loss), 5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and an interception. He was named the District 3-6A Co-Defensive MVP as a junior, and also competes in track and field. He’ll give first-year coach Ray Gates a defensive cornerstone to build around as North Crowley looks to make the playoffs for a third straight season.

South Oak Cliff defensive back Malik Muhammad (1) celebrates after a Lubbock Cooper turnover...
South Oak Cliff defensive back Malik Muhammad (1) celebrates after a Lubbock Cooper turnover during the first half of a Class 5A Division II state semifinal at Shotwell Stadium on Friday, Dec. 10, 2021, in Abilene, Texas. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)
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Secondary

Malik Muhammad, South Oak Cliff

Sr., 5-11, 175

The four-star Texas pledge anchored South Oak Cliff’s defense as it won the 5A Division II state championship last December. Muhammad, the nation’s sixth-ranked cornerback recruit, made 68 tackles and recorded 3 interceptions as South Oak Cliff held opponents to just 82.87 passing yards per game — the second fewest among Dallas-area 5A teams. As South Oak Cliff aims for a repeat, look for Muhammad and the rest of the team’s star-studded defense to lead the way.

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Javien Toviano, Arlington Martin

Sr., 6-0. 185

All eyes will be on Toviano — the area’s top uncommitted recruit in the Class of 2023 — this fall. A five-star prospect and the No. 2 player on The News’ top 100 recruit list, Toviano holds 34 scholarship offers. While he excels at the cornerback position, Toviano also rushed for eight touchdowns and scored on a kickoff return last fall. Texas, Texas A&M, Michigan and LSU are among those in the race to land the prized recruit.

Calvin Simpson-Hunt, Waxahahchie

Sr., 6-0, 175

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A four-star cornerback recruit, Simpson-Hunt’s stock rose fast this past spring. By June, he had decommitted from Texas Tech and committed to national power Ohio State. The 14th-best cornerback recruit in the nation, per 247, Simpson-Hunt clocked a time of 10.67 in the 100 meters in March, and was a District 11-6A first-team honoree last fall. His battles with star wide receivers from Duncanville and DeSoto this fall should be appointment viewing.

Braxton Myers, Coppell

Sr., 6-1, 185

The son of former Alabama and Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Michael Myers, Braxton’s genes have helped him to a four-star ranking and a commitment to USC. A District 6-6A first-team selection last fall as a cornerback, Myers broke up 11 passes and intercepted 5 others. Per 247, he’s the No. 12 safety recruit in the country.

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Return specialist

Denton Guyer defensive back Peyton Bowen (22) returned a second quarter interception against...
Denton Guyer defensive back Peyton Bowen (22) returned a second quarter interception against Tomball. A game official marked him as stepping out of bounds just short of a touchdown on the play. The two teams played their Class 6A Div. ll state semifinal at Baylor's McLane Stadium in Waco on December 11, 2021. (Steve Hamm/ Special Contributor)(Steve Hamm)

Peyton Bowen, Denton Guyer

Sr., 6-0, 185

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There may not be a more versatile player in the Dallas area than Bowen, a four-star Notre Dame pledge who scored touchdowns on defense, offense and as a kick/punt returner last season for the 6A Division II state runner-up. A safety by trade, Bowen intercepted six passes last season and returned three kicks/punts for touchdowns. He’s one of three Guyer seniors with a four-star rating or better, a big reason the team will open the season as one of the favorites to play for a title at AT&T Stadium come December. His younger brother, Eli, is one of the top defensive back recruits in the class of 2024.

Utility

Samuel Omosigho, Crandall

Sr., 6-1, 208

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A true two-way star, Omosigho made 89 tackles and intercepted 4 passes last season as a linebacker. As a wide receiver, the four-star recruit caught 41 passes for 803 yards and 7 touchdowns. He committed to Oklahoma in June, and also competes in track and field team as a triple-jumper and a relay runner.

On Twitter: @McFarland_Shawn

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