Landarryl Hersey

FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE

Defensive Line

Name: Chris Griffin

School: Philadelphia High School 

Grade: Junior

Height/weight: 5-foot-11, 205 pounds

Why he’s here: Griffin put up big numbers on the Tornadoes’ defensive line, finishing the season with 64 solo tackles, 42 assists, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, 10 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

Defensive Line

Name: Jason Newbaker

School: West Lauderdale High School

Grade: Senior

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 230 pounds

Why he’s here: Newbaker tallied 110 tackles, including 17 for loss, for the Knights at defensive end. He also finished the season with eight sacks, 23 quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery. New baker was named to the Region 5-4A Super 22 Team and the first-team Mississippi Association of Coaches All-State squad as a defensive end. 

Defensive Line

Name: Devonte Lloyd

School: Meridian High School

Grade: Senior

Height/weight: 6-foot-2, 270 pounds

Why he’s here: Lloyd was a standout on Meridian’s defensive line this past fall, finishing with 61 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, nine sacks, one forced fumble and 13 quarterback hurries. He was selected to the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game and was named second-team All-State.

Linebacker

Name: Tate Thompson

School: Lamar School

Grade: Senior

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 236 pounds

Why he’s here: Thompson led the Raiders in tackles with 122, including eight for a loss, which was tied for second on the team, and a sack. Thompson helped lead his team to the MAIS Class AAAA, Division 2 state championship and was an MAIS All-Star selection. 

Linebacker

Name: Michael Washington

School: West Lauderdale High School

Grade: Senior

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 230 pounds

Why he’s here: At middle linebacker, Washington was a force for a stingy West Lauderdale defense, as he finished with 152 tackles and 19 tackles for loss, as well as one interception return for a touchdown. He was voted as the Most Valuable Linebacker in Region 5-4A, was a second-team All-State linebacker and was selected to the Bernard-Blackwell All-Star game.

Linebacker

Name: Santrell Latham

School: Meridian High School

Grade: Senior

Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 207 pounds

Why he’s here: A Southern Mississippi commit, Latham finished his senior season with 107 total tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Latham was named second-team All-State and was a Mississippi-Alabama All-Star selection.

Linebacker

Name: Brijuan Dace

School: Quitman High School

Grade: Senior

Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 210 pounds

Why he’s here: Dace returns to The Meridian Star’s first team for the second year in a row after tallying 148 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles for the Panthers defense. He was the Region 5-4A defensive MVP and was first-team All-State as a linebacker.

Defensive Back

Name: Eli Stringfellow

School: Meridian High School

Grade: Junior

Height/weight: 5-foot-10, 179 pounds

Why he’s here: Stringfellow played corner for the Wildcats and finished with 58 total tackles, six interceptions, 29 pass breakups and 714 yards as a return man.  

Defensive Back

Name: Kendarius Glenn

School: Meridian High School

Grade: Senior

Height/weight: 6-foot-0, 190 pounds

Why he’s here: Alongside Stringfellow, Glenn helped form a top-tier tandem in the Wildcats’ backfield, finishing with 83 total tackles, six interceptions, 7 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He is committed to Texas San Antonio.

Defensive Back

Name: Gus Nave

School: Kemper County

Grade: Senior

Height/weight: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds

Why he’s here: A Bernard-Blackwell All-Star selection, Nave locked things down in Kemper County’s defensive backfield this past season, finishing with 42 tackles, eight interceptions and nine pass breakups. Nave is committed to South Alabama.

Defensive Back

Name: Landarryl Hersey

School: Northeast Lauderdale

Grade: Senior

Height/weight: 5-foot-9, 155 pounds

Why he’s here: Also a receiver on offense, Hersey had a nose for the ball this past season on defense, finishing with an impressive 128 tackles. He was also named to the Super 22 squad in MHSAA Region 5-4A.

SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE

DL — Telayes Cole (Newton County): 119 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, Region 5-4A Defensive Player of the Year

DL — Trajan Tanksley (Kemper County): 110 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 5 sacks

DL — Dervon Altman (Quitman): 62 tackles, 7 sacks, 14 QB hurries, 2 fumble recoveries, 3 forced fumbles, first-team All-Region 5-4A

LB — Alex DuBose (Russell Christian): 111 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 blocked punt, first-team All-CFB linebacker

LB — Quidarian Jackson (Union): 74 tackles, 3 fumble recoveries, 5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, All-Region 5-2A for two years, Bernard-Blackwell All-Star selection

LB — D’Angelo Anderson (Meridian): 109 total tackles, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, Bernard-Blackwell All-Star selection

LB — CJ McClelland (Meridian): 155 total tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 TD return, first-team All-State

DB — Nick Grady (West Lauderdale): 70 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 5 interceptions, 1 TD return, 16 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery

DB — Tyren Glaspie (Kemper County): 39 tackles, 4 interceptions, 10 pass breakups

DB — Tareze Grant (Southeast Lauderdale): 35 solo tackles, 29 assists, 4 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery

DB — Alex Hamilton (Newton County): 65 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, 1 TD, Region 5-4A Super 22 selection