USA TODAY High School Sports Awards presented by Bridgestone: Dallas football nominees — defense
The USA TODAY High School Sports Awards presented by Bridgestone are coming to Dallas.
On May 15, 2020, the top athletes from around the Metroplex will be honored at Music Hall at Fair Park.
Here are the 10 nominees for Dallas Football Defensive Player of the Year.
Billy Bowman
School: Ryan (Denton)
Position: Defensive back
Class: 2021
College: Texas
Noteworthy: Bowman (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) is a ball hawk with the instincts to take sure first steps toward the ball, and he can cover plenty of ground with an aggressive gait.
J.D. Coffey
School: Kennedale
Position: Safety
Class: 2021
College: Uncommitted
Noteworthy: Coffey practiced patience when reading quarterbacks, often entered the picture with one of his shoulders lowered and punished wide receivers willing to cross his path in the secondary.
Prince Dorbah
School: Highland Park (Dallas)
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2020
College: Texas
Noteworthy: Dorbah demonstrated what he will bring to Texas next season with dominant streaks that included forced intentional groundings, collecting tackles for loss and sacking quarterbacks in short order.
Lorando Johnson
School: Lancaster (Texas)
Position: Cornerback
Class: 2020
College: LSU
Noteworthy: Quarterbacks had limited options when they saw Johnson at one corner and his perfect complement, Theron Stroops, who is Baylor bound, on the other side.
Jalen Kimber
School: Timberview (Mansfield)
Position: Cornerback
Class: 2020
College: Georgia
Noteworthy: Long and fast, Kimber, who stands 6-foot and weighs 167 pounds, is still filling out his frame, but he leaves little room for opposing quarterbacks to throw the ball past his reach.
R.J. Mickens
School: Southlake Carroll
Position: Safety
Class: 2020
College: Clemson
Noteworthy: Mickens balanced his responsibilities with aplomb, making plays as a wide receiver for the Dragons and blasting counterparts as a defensive back. His counterintelligence will come in handy when he patrols the secondary for Clemson.
Jahari Rogers
School: Arlington (Texas)
Position: Cornerback
Class: 2020
College: Florida
Noteworthy: Rogers led Arlington to a 10-0 regular season as a junior quarterback before transitioning to corner over the summer, where he plans to play for the Gators next season.
Drew Sanders
School: Ryan (Denton)
Position: Linebacker
Class: 2020
College: Alabama
Noteworthy: If he wasn't plowing through defenders, he was picking off quarterbacks or returning fumbles for touchdowns as an all-around whirl for Ryan.
Ja'Tavion Sanders
School: Ryan (Denton)
Position: Defensive end
Class: 2021
College: Texas
Noteworthy: Having played both receiver and defensive end for Ryan, the 6-foot-4 Sanders possesses the speed to raid the backfield and the closer's mentality to wreak havoc on quarterbacks.
Chris Thompson Jr.
School: Duncanville
Position: Safety
Class: 2020
College: Auburn
Noteworthy: Few defensive backs sprint upfield from a pre-snap position to wrap up counterparts better than Thompson, who was a stalwart for a stingy defense.
For more information on the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards in Dallas presented by Bridgestone, visit sportsawardsdallas.com. Answers to frequently asked questions about the event can be found here.