Vote: Who should be Texas Defensive High School Football Player of the Week? (12/15/2025)

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

Player of the Week / AOTW

Another week of the Texas high school football postseason 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 Dec. 11-13. Scroll down to read about this week’s list and cast your vote in the poll below. 

Voting remains open until Sunday, Dec. 21, 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 Caleb Taylor of Stephenville for winning last week’s Texas Defensive Football Player of the Week poll. Taylor dominated with 10 total tackles (three for loss), a sack, five quarterback hurries and a force fumble as Stephenville defeated West Plains, 41-21. 

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

Texas Defensive Football Player of the Week nominees

1. Dixon Kellner, sr., Hamilton

Kellner recorded three tackles for loss as Hamilton pulled away from West Texas, 29-12. 

2. Za’Qwaun Nunn, sr., North Shore

Nunn led the way with three sacks in a 28-6 victory over Lake Travis. The Louisiana Tech signee has 20 sacks this season for North Shore. 

3. Jackson Richmond, jr., Stephenville

Richmond tallied four total tackles, two sacks and one quarterback hurry in a 24-21 win over Celina. 

4. Phillip Smith, sr., Smithson Valley

Smith had the game-clinching interception as time expired, sealing a 31-28 victory over Port Arthur Memorial. The senior also had eight total tackles in the win. 

5. Ben Taylor, sr., Wall

Taylor recovered two fumbles — including an end zone recovery in the fourth quarter — as Wall edged Gunter, 28-25. The senior also had four total tackles (one for loss). 

6. Isaiah Udom, jr., South Oak Cliff

Udom intercepted two passes and piled up seven total tackles in a 35-17 win over Melissa. It was the first multi-interception game of the season for Udom. 

7. Ja’Cuincy Walker, jr., West Orange-Stark

Walker piled up 12 total tackles and an interception as West Orange-Stark took down Sinton, 28-3. 

8. Rhett Walterscheid, sr., Muenster

Walterscheid dominated with 18 total tackles, two sacks, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble in a 21-18 victory over Grover. 

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.

— 

-- Bob Lundeberg | @sblivesports

Download the SBLive App

Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school sports news.

To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App