Top 20 defenders in the country halfway through the 2022 high school football season

As we enter the stretch run of the season, here are 20 defensive players who've been tearing it up

Heading into the 2022 high school football season, we took a look at some edge rushers, defensive linemen, linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties expected to be the cream of the crop across the country.

Now we're checking back in with those positions to highlight the top performers.

Some are repeats from the first lists, some aren't, and some came out of nowhere.

Here are our midseason all-stars on defense.

Dominic Dixon photo by Ron Rigdon

Dominic Dixon, LB, East St. Louis (Illinois)

Dixon is a tackling machine for one of the Midwest's top programs. The 6-foot-tall junior has been credited with 77 tackles and five sacks in seven outings. 

Anquon Fegans, S, Thompson (Alabama)

Fegans has shown why he's a top 10 recruit in the sophomore class. The 6-foot-1 defensive back has seven interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns, and 40 tackles through eight games this season.

Deejay Holmes Jr., EDGE, Pahokee (Florida)

Holmes, who holds offers from UCF, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh and more, has put up monster numbers this year. The senior has 19 sacks, 64 tackles and an interception through seven games.

Kelze Howard, DL, Spring Valley (Nevada)

The highest-rated defensive commit in Oregon State history has put on a show thus far in 2022. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior has tallied eight sacks, 17 tackles for loss through seven games. 

Norell White, CB, St. Martin (Mississippi)

One of Mississippi's top-ranked juniors, White has performed well on both sides of the ball this year. The four-star recruit has three interceptions and 2.5 tackles for loss, and he's rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns and caught 32 passes for 405 yards and four scores. 

Drayk Bowen, LB, Andrean (Indiana)

Bowen has had a huge season on both sides of the ball, but defense is where the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Notre Dame commit will play in college. This season he has 77 tackles (10 for loss) and three sacks, plus 691 yards rushing and 216 receiving with 16 total touchdowns.

Warren Roberson, S, Red Oak (Texas)

Roberson has found the end zone on two receptions, one interception and a kick return. The four-star senior is being recruited by TCU, SMU, Oklahoma State and others. 

Dylan Williams, LB, Long Beach Poly (California)

Put simply, Williams has a knack for getting to the ball. Through seven outings, the future USC Trojan has 54 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, six sacks, two blocked punts and a blocked kick to his name.

Jeremiah Hughes, CB, Bishop Gorman (Nevada)

An LSU commit, Hughes currently holds it down in the secondary for the No. 3 high school team in the nation. The 6-foot-1 senior has three interceptions, one pick six and one sack. 

Keon Keeley, EDGE, Berkeley Prep (Florida)

Through six games, the five-star senior has racked up 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Once a Notre Dame commit, Keeley has offers from Alabama, Ohio State and more.

A'mauri Washington, DL, Chandler (Arizona)

Washington has totaled five sacks and nine tackles for loss for the No. 9 team in the country. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound lineman committed to the Oregon Ducks in September.

Javien Toviano, S, Arlington Martin (Texas)

Toviano's accounted for 27 tackles and two interceptions, one of which was a 98-yard pick six, and he's caused and recovered a fumble. The four-star senior holds offers form LSU, Texas and Michigan, among others. 

Raylen Wilson, LB, Lincoln (Florida)

In five games, the No. 2 ranked linebacker in the nation registered 43 tackles, six tackles for loss and four sacks. The Georgia Bulldogs commit also carried the ball six times, three of which went for scores, and he has been a return man on special teams.

AJ Harris, CB, Central-Phenix City (Alabama)

Another Georgia Bulldogs commit, it's easy to see why the defending national champions want Harris. The 6-foot-1 senior has 41 tackles, two interceptions (one of which he returned for six points) and a fumble recovery taken back for a touchdown. 

Tausili Akana, EDGE, Skyridge (Utah)

Akana has had a strong season for team on the bubble of the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25. The uncommitted four-star junior has posted 6.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 34 total tackles in nine games.

Kayden McDonald, DL, North Gwinnett (Georgia)

The senior has seven sacks and 34 tackles, 20 of which came for a loss. The uncommitted four-star recruit is also the team’s go-to man in short-yardage situations, as he’s carried the ball 32 times for 163 yards and six touchdowns.

Nasir Wyatt, EDGE, Mater Dei (California)

Wyatt is only a sophomore, but he's provided a huge boost for the top-ranked team in the country. The five-star recruit has posted 24 total tackles, 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a fumble recovery.

Austin Romaine, LB, Hillsboro (Missouri)

A jack of all trades, Romaine puts up big numbers on offense and defense. The Kansas State commit has posted six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, along with 631 rushing yards and nine scores. 

Jabrae Shaw, S, Mills University (Arkansas)

Shaw sits near the top of the national leaderboard with nine interceptions this season, and he's returned two for touchdowns. The Central Arkansas commit has also returned two fumbles for scores and tallied 25 catches, 440 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Timothy Roberson, CB, Valdosta (Georgia)

In seven games, Roberson has picked off seven passes and broken up eight more, plus he's recovered two fumbles. The 6-foot-tall senior entered the season with zero college offers but now has 11 to his name.