Meet The Post's 2023 Football Defensive Player of the Year nominees

Palm Beach County kept the thrills coming on the gridiron in 2023.

With 14 local teams advancing to playoffs in the Florida High School Athletic Association's state series and two contenders — including first-year program and state champion Oxbridge — in the Sunshine State Athletic Association series, area athletes stuffed the stat sheet to see their teams go the distance.

Along with first-team, second-team and honorable mention selections, below are nominees for the defensive player of the year for the Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards to be held in the spring.

Defensive POTY nominees are also designated as first-team members. The winner will be announced at the show, which is sponsored by Baptist Health Orthopedic Care. More details about the program are coming soon.

During the live show, POTY nominees will be honored, along with the top three finalists and the award winner. Those official nominees can receive a free ticket. Check back later for information on how to RSVP.

The Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.

Player of the Year nominees

Linebackers

Cole Cooper, Jr., Spanish River

Spanish River's dramatic transformation from an independent team that went from 1-9 to 7-4 in Class 4M was built on a strong defense, highlighted by a 100-tackle season for Cooper. Forty-three of those tackles were solo and 20 for loss. He also had four sacks, 14 hurries, one interception, three pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble as the Sharks made a run for the region quarterfinals against Palm Beach Central.

Brody Costolo, Jr., Boca Raton

Defense wins championships and a stellar season for Costolo saw the Bobcats clinch their first district title since 2001. As Boca reached the region semifinals for the first time since 2015, the junior collected 101 tackles, eight for loss, two sacks, a fumble recovery and a defensive touchdown.

Jermaine Graddick, Sr., Pahokee

75 tackles — 39 solo and nine for loss — marked Graddick's senior season. His stat line led the roster and helped the Blue Devils forge a path to the 1R region semifinals despite the team's struggles with injury throughout the season.

Ty Jackson, Jr., Seminole Ridge

For three consecutive seasons, Jackson has posted over 100 tackles. The year offered the 6-foot-2, 205-pound four-star recruit his best one yet. Ridge went 7-3 with 135 tackles from Jackson, whose year was highlighted by a stat line of 18 tackles against Atlantic in the district championship. He also had two interceptions, a fumble recovery and four forced fumbles along the way.

Karl Luccin, Sr., Atlantic

Right behind Florida State commit Jayden Parrish in tackles was Luccin, who recorded 61 with a team-best 14 for loss. For Atlantic to go on to win districts once again and return to the 3M playoff, the team captain added five sacks, two hurries, and three forced fumbles. A game-high 11-tackle performance in Atlantic's 44-28 win over Santaluces saw Luccin take player of the game honors.

Jayden Parrish, Sr., Atlantic

Florida State is ready for its "dynamic" linebacker to bring his talents to Tallahassee. Parrish led Atlantic with 68 tackles and recorded four sacks, four hurries, an interception and a pass breakup. The three-star was also a force on the ground for the Eagle offense, hauling in six touchdowns on 39 carries for 181 yards.

Sean Silva, Sr., Park Vista

Silva took it up a notch in his final season with the Cobras. The 6-foot, 215-pound senior stunned the county week after week with his ability to sweep from sideline to sideline in pursuit of the opposition, accounting for a career-best 133 tackles — 69 solo — to rank No. 3 in Class 4M and No. 27 in Florida, regardless of classification.

Nicholas Thomason, Sr., Dwyer

Whether it's a winning season or losing season, Dwyer's always certain to have Division I talent. Thomason, who got his first offer from Stetson earlier in December, put in the work to get noticed. The underrated senior recorded 112 tackles, 18 for loss, plus six sacks, eight pass breakups, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Tackles

D'Andre LaVassaur, Sr., Benjamin

LaVassaur's strength — benching 310 pounds, deadlifting 585 pounds, and squatting 475 pounds — was imperative for Benjamin on both sides of the ball, not giving up a sack all season on offense, but especially on defense. UNC-Charlotte, Dartmouth, and Bethune-Cookman are among the colleges that have made offers to the 6-foot, 275-pound tackle.

Ta'Narie Locust, Sr., Cardinal Newman

The heart of another run to the 1M region championship, Locust posted 50 tackles through 10 games. He also had eight sacks, and, most notably, the first touchdown of Newman's low-scoring showdown against Atlantic with a pick six.

Xavier Reid, So., West Boca Raton

West Boca's 9-3 run for its first-ever playoff appearance saw Reid be the star of the show on defense. Reid had 70 total tackles, 27 for loss, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. The sophomore already holds offers from Marshall and USF.

Defensive ends

Devon Byrd, Sr., Cardinal Newman

Byrd’s arrival from his former stomping grounds at Atlantic was necessary for Newman to make a three-peat run to the 1M region championship. The USF signee led the team with 66 tackles, 22 for loss, and sacks, totaling 18.

Sedrick Clarke, Sr., Palm Beach Gardens

Through eight games, 38 tackles, 13 for loss, by Clarke, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound multisport athlete, kept those with sights on taking down Palm Beach Gardens in check. The Gators battled through injury and sickness for a 6-5 run to the 4M region quarterfinals against Santaluces.

Nicholas Jonathan-Darling, Jr., King's

A 9-3 route to the 2M region semifinals was possible with a team-best 68 tackle season by Jonathan-Darling. The junior had 43 solo tackles and 15 for loss, with more team highs in sacks and hurries, totaling five and 15, respectively. He also had two forced fumbles, a recovery and two pass breakups.

Brandon Littles, Sr., Palm Beach Central

Forty tackles, 15 solo and seven for loss, by the big man, billed at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, were part of the secret sauce for Central’s defensive comebacks as the Broncos paved their way back to the 4M region championship.

Kani Smith, Jr., Pahokee

Smith had big shoes to fill after the exit of Palm Beach Post Defensive Player of the Year DeeJay Holmes Jr. With 47 tackles — 25 solo and 15 for loss — and a team-high 7.5 sacks, plus 20 quarterback hurries, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound junior did it well.

Amaree Williams, Sr., Benjamin

Williams upped his game on offense but stayed true to his roots on the edge of Benjamin’s defensive line. The four-star came in second on the stat sheet with 44 tackles, 31 solo, and led the Bucs with five sacks. He also had a safety, an interception, two fumble recoveries and one defensive touchdown.

Defensive backs

Jacob Cosby-Mosley, Sr., Benjamin

He was a do-it-all guy for the Bucs, but Wake Forest is recruiting Cosby-Mosley for defense. In his last season with the Bucs, he posted 40 tackles, 31 solo, and led the team with four interceptions and three defensive touchdowns.

Corrado DeSantis, Sr., Dwyer

In eight games for the Panthers, DeSantis didn’t allow a single reception. He had 58 solo tackles, seven for loss, as well as, two blocked punts, two pass breakups, an interception, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries.

Mikey Gayle, Sr., Palm Beach Central

The Cornell commit made a big difference for Central’s secondary with 35 tackles, 15 solo, and one fumble recovery. His wisdom, smarts and senior leadership were most critical for the young Broncos as they fought for a return to the 4M final four.

Xanai Scott, Jr., Cardinal Newman

Scott also serves the Crusaders as a running back, but he dominated Newman’s defensive backfield in 2023. He posted 44 tackles, two interceptions, two pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

Ronald Olibreese, Sr., Santaluces

Essential to creating opportunities for the Chiefs' offense, Olibreese came in second on the roster with 84 tackles, 58 solo, and ranked fourth in Class 4M with a team-high five interceptions as Santaluces reached the 4M region semifinals in 2023.

Tony Williams, Jr., Palm Beach Central

The absence of 2022 senior strapper Justin Bostic was mitigated by the impact of Williams. The four-star recorded 21 tackles, 12 solo and one for loss, and led the Broncos in interceptions, totaling four for the second season straight.

Michael Wright III, Sr., Palm Beach Gardens

With 27 tackles on 38 solo, Wright had the right stuff to get the Gators to playoffs despite the team’s struggles with injury and sickness throughout the season. Wright also had two interceptions and a team-high five pass breakups split with corner Keyon Stephens.

First team

Jeron Atwater, Jr., DB, Benjamin

Adam Balogoun-Ali, So., LB, Benjamin

Keshawn Barker, Jr., LB, Santaluces

Dylan Bennett, So., LB, Cardinal Newman

Zion Booth, Jr., LB, Pahokee

Tayegan Briskey, So., WR/DB, Somerset Canyons

Jaydin Broadnax, So., DB, West Boca Raton

Caleb Chamberlin, Sr., S, Palm Beach Gardens

Levi Champion, Fr., LB, King’s

Anthoney Clark, Sr., DB, Spanish River

Devin Connally, Sr., WR/DB, Park Vista

DJ Copeland, Jr., DE, St. Andrew's

Devin Daniel, Sr., DE, Santaluces

Cameron Dwyer, So., LB, Palm Beach Central

Pierre Fertil, Sr., CB, Pahokee

Dylan Furshman, Jr., LB, Jupiter

Demetrius Geathers, So., DE, West Boca Raton

Jadon Goldman, Sr., DT, Somerset Canyons

Tyrique Hollis, Sr., CB/DB, Atlantic

Marlon Huff, Sr., LB, Atlantic

Mcowens Innocent, Jr., DE, Palm Beach Central

Damari Jerry, Fr., DB, Somerset Canyons

Javian Jones, Sr., ATH, King’s

Aidan Kelley, Jr., DE, Wellington

Brennan King, Jr., DL, Cardinal Newman

Kevin Levy, Sr., ATH, Cardinal Newman

Brandon Littles, Sr., DE, Palm Beach Central

Joshua Luiz, Sr., DB, Benjamin

Matthew McKenzie, Sr., WR/DB, Benjamin

Matt McPherson, Jr., DB, King’s

Josh Philostin, Sr., CB, Cardinal Newman

Niko Piatt, Sr., LB, Palm Beach Gardens

Max Redmon, Jr., LB, Cardinal Newman

Dylan Reiman, Sr., DE, Dwyer

Khristian Scruggs, Sr., LB, Palm Beach Gardens

Antonio Simpson, So., DE, Pahokee

Keyon Stephens, Sr., ATH, Palm Beach Gardens

Ollie Vickers-Murphy, Jr., LB, St. Andrew's

Blake Wallace, Sr., WR/DB, Spanish River

Second team

Trey Allen, Jr., Wellington

Gavin Baldwin, Jr., Jupiter Christian

Joshua Boggs, Sr., Palm Beach Gardens

Dante Crews, Sr, Palm Beach Gardens

John H. Beadles, Sr., Oxbridge

Toney Collins, Sr., Wellington

Patrick Downes, Sr., Benjamin

Marvin Dwyer, Jr., Palm Beach Central

Branden Johnson, Jr., Oxbridge

Daniel Johnson, Sr., King’s

Josh Joseph, Jr., Jupiter Christian

Tyrelle Owens, So., Atlantic

Hans Presendieu, Sr., Atlantic

Wilson Stewart, Sr., Oxbridge

Reggie Workman, Sr., King’s

Honorable Mention

Elijah Gonzales, West Boca Raton

Aaron Ford Jr., West Boca Raton

Reagan Fowle, Jupiter

Cruz Baeza, West Boca Raton

Davon’tey Oliver, Wellington

D-Tre Runner, Jupiter

Julian Riaboukha, Wellington

Coach of the year

Ian Headley, Spanish River

Headley arrived at Spanish River with the tall task of reviving a program that never quite found its footing. In his first year, the Sharks went 1-9, competing as a freelance program. This season, after initially joining the Sunshine State Athletic Association, Headley knew his guys were ready to opt back into the FHSAA’s state series. River went 7-4, reaching playoffs for the first time in program history.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The Post's 2023 Football Defensive Player of the Year nominees