TJ Locklin will be leader for star studded Canutillo defense

TJ Locklin is smart, fast, quick and a leader.

He's also poised to be a big-time playmaker for the Canutillo Eagles defense entering the season, one which has high expectations after last season's 10-3 record, which included two playoff victories.

"He's a leader," said teammate and junior defensive back Eduardo Carrillo. "He makes a difference for us in so many ways and he steps up in big games."

Last year, Locklin was a focus of opposing offenses in trying to penetrate the Eagles defense. He finished the season with 82 tackles, two tackles for a loss and an interception on a defense that allowed 10 points or less nine times and in three Class 5A Division II playoff games allowed 36 points.

"I learned so much from last year on the varsity level," said Locklin, a junior who stands nearly six feet tall and weighs nearly 200 pounds. "I wanted to come in and make an impact with this great defense. My teammates make me better and we have lots of speed on defense. Speed is one of my strengths and I love to play on that side of the ball and make plays."

Canutillo coach Scott Brooks said he expects Locklin to be a leader for the Eagles, who open the season on Aug. 24 against Pebble Hills.

"TJ is a smart person, he's great in the classroom and that carries over to the field," Brooks said. "Getting better all the time, he's worked hard to get to this point and he can do so many things on the defensive side of the ball."

Last season, Canutillo's season ended with a 22-18 loss to Abilene Wylie in the third round of the playoffs, a game that went down to the final minute.

Canutillo has been the most consistent playoff winner in El Paso in recent years with two playoff wins each in 2013, 2021 and 2022 and of course the memorable run to the state semifinals in 2014.

Locklin said he believes this team has a chance to do something special.

"We have a great opportunity in front of us," Locklin said. "We learned a lot from last year and that last loss of the year hurt and we want to make a deep run this year. We have a lot of tradition here at Canutillo and we want to continue to build on that."

Locklin will be joined by Carrillo, fellow defensive backs David Alvarado, Chris Brock and Ethan Villa and defensive linemen Alex Jordan, Zach Zamora, Joaquin Ramirez and Marco Acevedo to help form that potent Canutillo defense.

"We push each other, we depend on each other," Locklin said. "We work well as a team and that helps make us successful."

Locklin hopes one day to play college football and spent the offseason attending several camps to improve his knowledge of the game and give colleges a look at his potential.

"I learned a great deal from the different camps," Locklin said. "I just want to keep getting better and working to be the very best leader I can be every day. Everything else will fall into place."

More: El Paso HS rankings Where do El Paso's 32 high school football teams rank in the 2023-24 season?

Felix F. Chavez can be reached at fchavez@elpasotimes.com; @Fchavezeptimes on Twitter

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Canutillo junior LB TJ Locklin eyes big season in 2nd year on varsity