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Fort Worth All Saints DE Dalton Knapp is about substance over style as a pass rusher

Knapp, committed to Kansas State, already has eight sacks so far this season, tying him for the most among Texas high school football players so far this season.

When Fort Worth All Saints defensive end-linebacker Dalton Knapp sets up on the line of scrimmage he is fearsome sight. Besides being lean and mean at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, he has eye black on much of his face.

According to Knapp however, the face paint isn’t about creating intimidation to the opposition.

“I just do it to look cool,” said Knapp with a laugh.

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The opposition should still be worried because Knapp has more substance than style.

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And he’s been a nightmare for opposing offenses to keep him away from their quarterbacks. Knapp has eight sacks this season, tying him with two other players for the most among Texas high school football players this year according to MaxPreps, including four in a 31-27 win over Plano Prestonwood Christian on Sept. 6. Knapp has 34 tackles altogether with 15½ for losses, 3½ in a 50-0 win over Cottonwood (Calif.) West Valley on Friday.

A Kansas State commit, Knapp has been a big part of All Saints – the top-ranked team in The Dallas Morning News’ Private Schools poll – starting this season 5-0. This has included wins over Parish Episcopal, Prestonwood and the Episcopal School of Dallas by margins of four points or less.

Fort Worth All Saints defensive end Dalton Knapp is committed to Kansas State.
Fort Worth All Saints defensive end Dalton Knapp is committed to Kansas State.(Courtesy / Forth Worth All Saints Episcopal School)

Before anything else Knapp credits teammates such as tackles Blake Robinett (a TCU commit) and Kingston Beyer as well as linebackers Keyon Adkins and Jacob Mainord for drawing attention and making his job easier. Knapp also credits All Saints defensive coordinator Edmondson for helping refine his game.

“I worked on strength and technique in the offseason, and getting more power moves,” Knapp said. “I know about 12 different moves now and I’ll use five or six in a game. Last year I knew six to eight moves and would use two or three.”

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Knapp has become one of the best defensive ends in Texas in a short period of time. When he started his high school career three years ago at Grapevine he played receiver, following in the pass catching footsteps of his father Joey, who played tight end at UT El Paso from 1998 to 2001.

In his sophomore year Knapp moved to defensive end. He transferred to All Saints before his junior season.

All Saints coach Aaron Beck said Knapp (who he calls D.K.) reminds him of Charles Haley, an undersized NFL defensive end who helped the Dallas Cowboys win three Super Bowls in the 1990s and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Haley was a defensive-line coach when Beck was at the Episcopal School of Dallas from 2002 to 2004. Knapp had 43 tackles with 8½ for loss while helping All Saints go 9-3 in 2023.

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“You could see the raw talent coming in last year. We needed to amplify what he did best,” Beck said. “You can see how twitchy he is and how reacts when the ball is snapped. He will take that with him to the next level.”

Knapp said his biggest goal is help All Saints win a state title, which would be the first for the program since 2016 when the Saints won the Class 4A crown in the Southwestern Preparatory Conference (SPC). All Saints has a bye this week before opening TAPPS 1-II play at Grapevine Faith Christian (1-3) on Oct. 11.

In going for that quest, and future football success at Kansas State and beyond, Knapp has a constant visual reminder on his body. He has a tattoo that covers much of his left forearm. The front of his arm features a lion.

The back of his arm has the Bible verses Proverbs 3:5-6. The scripture’s general meaning is trusting God and acknowledging him in everything.

“For me in football it means playing with good sportsmanship and acknowledging when something goes wrong,” Knapp said. “In life and football it’s knowing that God is with me and I want to do what is right.”

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