Vote: Who should be Texas Defensive High School Football Player of the Week? (10/6/2025)

We narrowed down the top performers of last week. Now, we want to hear from you

Player of the Week / AOTW

Another week of Texas high school football is in the books, and there were plenty of standout performers across the Lone Star State.

Here are High School on SI’s Texas Defensive Football Player of the Week nominees for Oct. 2-4. Scroll down to read about this week’s list and cast your vote in the poll below. 

Voting remains open until Sunday, Oct. 12, at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time). The winner will be announced in the following week’s Texas Defensive Football Player of the Week post.

The poll is below the write-ups on each athlete.

Congratulations to Pierce Atkins of Lake Travis for winning last week’s Texas Defensive Football Player of the Week poll. Atkins tallied nine total tackles (two for loss) and a sack as Lake Travis blasted Bowie, 63-21. 

Want to nominate an athlete? Email Bob Lundeberg at bob.lundeberg@gmail.com

Texas Defensive Football Player of the Week nominees  

1. Cornelius Anthony II, jr., Fort Bend Hightower

Anthony II was unblockable with 11 total tackles (nine for loss) and three sacks in a 61-7 victory over Fort Bend Dulles. 

2. Giavani Baker, sr., Shadow Creek

Baker recovered two fumbles as Shadow Creek blew by Dobie, 47-24. 

3. Torian Brown, so., Westbury

Brown had a monster game in a 58-36 win over Milby with three interceptions and seven total tackles. 

4. Troy Brown, sr., Amarillo

Brown piled up 14 total tackles (two for loss) in a 24-21 loss to Abilene. 

5. Preston Carothers, jr., Lewisville

Carothers had two sacks and five total tackles in a 46-0 shutout of Braswell. 

6. Robert Gonzales III, sr., Harlan

Gonzales III tallied eight total tackles, 1.5 sacks and a quarterback hurry in a 45-7 victory over Marshall. 

7. Ryelan Morris, sr., Honey Grove

Morris, a Stanford commit, had a 108-yard kick-six in a 53-19 rout of Como-Pickton. The senior also ran for two touchdowns. 

8. Ayden O’Donnell, jr., Clark

O’Donnell was unstoppable in a 28-21 win over Churchill with seven total tackles (six for loss) and four sacks. 

9. Christopher Racey, so., Ridge Point

Racey finished with seven total tackles (4.5 for loss), 2.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries as Ridge Point easily dispatched Fort Bend Bush, 62-14. 

10. Demari Ruth, jr., Ryan

Ruth filled up the box score with 16 total tackles (two for loss), two sacks and a quarterback hurry in a 15-14 loss to Aledo. 

11. Quinten Valverde, sr., Mission Veterans Memorial

Valverde had a 103-yard pick-six, two pass breakups and four total tackles in a 42-19 win over Hanna. The senior also had a receiving touchdown. 

12. Cooper Witten, jr., Liberty Christian

Witten notched 16 total tackles and a forced fumble as Liberty Christian edged West Plains, 41-35. He also had seven receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown. Witten is the son of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. 

13. Ben’treal Wright, sr., Channelview

Wright had 13 total tackles and two sacks in a 32-21 loss to Humble. 

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting

High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

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-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports

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