5STAR PREPS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (2023) — Ryan Scott, Knoxville West LB

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5STAR PREPS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS

2018 — Xavier Washington, Central, DB
2019 — Kalib Fortner, Central, LB
2020 — Grey Carroll, Alcoa, DL
2021 — Walter Nolen, Powell, DL
2022 — Ryan Scott, Knoxville West, LB
2023 — Ryan Scott, Knoxville West, LB

BY DAVE LINK

Senior linebacker Ryan Scott and his West High School teammates were confident when the 2023 football season started.

Forget the fact the Rebels appeared to be in rebuild mode after graduating 17 starters from the 2022 team that went 15-0 and won the Class 5A state championship.

“Going into the season we thought that we could win,” Scott said. “The only people that really believed in us were the people within the walls of the place, though. Nobody else really believed in us. We knew that we lost a lot of people, but we knew we also had pieces coming back that could make a difference in the game.”

Scott was one of the key pieces after earning the 2022 5Star Preps Defensive Player of the Year award, and there was no performance drop his senior year.

Not only was Scott the top defensive player when West (14-1) won its second consecutive state championship; he adjusted to a new position in the locker room.

“I guess my role changed because we had more people that were new this year,” said Scott, who repeats as the 5Star Preps Defensive Player of the Year. “So just trying to help teach them and coach them up a little bit, with my other inside linebacker Jack Keith, helping him as much as I could.

“And also trying to lead. Last year, my junior year, I led, but I didn’t have to lead as much because we had some strong leaders on that team, so this year I tried to step into that role and play that role for our team to have somebody to look up to or talk to.”

REPEATING AS CHAMPIONS

Scott and the Rebels got an early confidence boost with a 14-10 victory over rival Bearden in the season opener.

West was breaking in a new quarterback – with Hunter Dance replacing 2022 starter Carson Jessie, MVP of the 2022 BlueCross Bowl – along with players in almost every position group.

“First game, just seeing some first-year starters like (junior receiver) David Drata and Hunter Dance being able to pull some stuff off like they did was really encouraging for the rest of the team,” Scott said, “and a lot of those people that had started before to see that we were going to be competitive all year and we had people that can make plays.”

West’s only loss of the season came Sept. 29 at home against Alcoa, which won its ninth straight Class 3A state title later in the year.

Once the Rebels reached the playoffs, they rolled into the state championship game, outscoring its four opponents by an average of 33-2.

West posted shutouts the first two rounds against Daniel Boone and Morristown West before beating Powell 31-5 in the quarterfinals and Walker Valley 38-3 in the semifinals.

In a repeat of the 2022 state final, West defeated Page by a 24-19 score, denying the Patriots the potential winning touchdown in the final seconds when senior defensive back Syxx Hoard batted down a pass by quarterback Jonathan Palmer. (Hoard was MVP of the game).

Scott had 14 tackles (nine solo) and two tackles for loss in the championship. He finished the season with 178 total tackles (115 solo), 18 tackles for loss, two sacks, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown.

“We thought we could pull it off,” Scott said. “Our whole team was peaking. Everybody was coming back (from injuries) for the first round of the playoffs with Thad Sterling, Syxx Hoard, and Brison Leyva, all those players coming back. Those were starters we had at the beginning of the year. We knew our team would only get better and we knew if our team got better then we could go far.”

WHAT’S AHEAD

Scott (6-1, 205) has not committed to play college football.

He’s narrowed his four choices (as of Jan. 29) to Murray State, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee, and Wake Forest. UT’s offer is as a preferred walk-on.

“I just took my official visit to Murray State, so that really just gives me more to think about,” Scott said. “Murray State is beautiful, and from what I’ve seen these other campuses are beautiful as well, and talking to the coaches and the players, they’re all really nice too, so I’ve got to figure out what I want to do.”

In the meantime, he’s staying busy with offseason workouts.

Scott is being recruited as a linebacker.

“From talking to every school,” he said, “they think when I put size on I’m not going to get any slower. I’m still going to be able to move well, so they all want me at linebacker and beef me up.”

Which means lots of calories, along with work in the weight room and conditioning.

Scott is working on every facet of his game.

“I’m really working on my speed and then my size because with workouts I’ve got to eat a lot,” he said. “I’m trying to get bigger so I go into college a little stronger, a little heavier and a little faster. That’s really what I’m working on in the offseason, trying to put myself in the best situation.”

That was Scott’s method at West.

Work hard. Maximize potential.

Scott won’t forget his run with the Rebels.

“Just being able to put your footprint in the concrete was really nice for us, and obviously we like winning,” he said. “Not just that, but when you’re playing really good football, you’ve got that community behind you, and West has a great community. These teams will be remembered for a long time, and that’s just something that’s fun to think about.”