Vote: Who is the Palm Beach County High School Football Defensive Player of the Year?

We have nominated 10 individuals for the defensive POTY

West Boca defensive end Demetrius Geathers Jr. (11) sacks Western quarterback Jack Spader (12) during the fourth quarter in a 35-0 victory over Western on Oct. 3, 2025, in Boca Raton, FL. / Jeff Romance / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Today, we turn our attention to some of the top defensive players from the 2025 season in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Our nominees include standout defensive playmakers at different positions across the field which tells you the caliber of players that the West Palm Beach metro area has produced.

Our nominees caused havoc all season long getting after the quarterback, racking up tackles for a loss, shutting down opposing wide receivers and intercepting talented quarterbacks.

As always, we ask you, the fans, to vote for who you think is the High School on SI Palm Beach County, Florida high school defensive player of the year.

Voting will close on January 28 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Here are the nominations:

Demetrius Geathers Jr, West Boca Raton

Geathers caused havoc all season long for opposing offenses. He finished with 29 solo tackles, 54 total tackles, 20 tackles for a loss and 12 sacks. He also tallied one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and blocked one punt.

Antonio Simpson, Pahokee

Simpson finished the 2025 season with 69 solo tackles, 92 total tackles and 34 tackles for a loss. He also tallied 13 sacks, six quarterback hurries and forced two fumbles.

Jaylin Bouie, Glades Central

Bouie proved to be one of the top defensive backs in the region in 2025. He finished the season with 27 solo tackles, 36 total tackles, five interceptions and 16 pass breakups. He also tallied one forced fumble, blocked one punt and took one interception back for a touchdown.

Kahlil Gabaud, Cardinal Newman

Gabaud made opposing quarterbacks pay when they threw it his way this season by finishing with six interceptions. He also tallied 51 total tackles, one tackle for a loss and broke up two passes.

Max Doster, Jupiter

In 2025, Doster tallied 22 solo tackles, 37 total tackles and 15 tackles for a loss. He also finished the season with four sacks, 19 quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and blocked one field goal.

Jayvon Dawson, Santaluces

This season, Dawson finished the season with 51 solo tackles, 68 total tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, eight sacks, one pass breakup and forced one fumble.

Jamir Johnson, Atlantic

In 2025, Johnson tallied 39 solo tackles, 53 total tackles and 17 tackles for a loss. He also finished with three sacks and two quarterback hurries.

Luther Howard II, Seminole Ridge

Howard finished the 2025 campaign with 18 solo tackles, 26 total tackles, one tackle for a loss and five interceptions. He also tallied eight pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one interception return for a touchdown.

Michael Kelly, Palm Beach Lakes

Kelly tallied 16 solo tackles, 33 total tackles, six interceptions and six pass breakups in 2025.

Raoul Brown, Royal Palm Beach

Brown is our last nominee for this season after finishing the 2025 season with 24 solo tackles, 33 total tackles and one sack. He also ended the year with nine interceptions, 10 pass breakups and one interception return for a touchdown.

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll.