School: Clovis

Year: Senior

Position: Secondary

Height/weight: 6-2/186

Donnell Vercher's Blitz database page

He's qualified because: Tri-River Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Bee Player of the Year finalist was a two-way force at safety and wildcat-formation quarterback, most responsible for the turnaround of an 8-5 team that had gone 5-26 in the previous three seasons. He had 112 tackles, three interceptions, six forced fumbles, four recovered fumbles and three blocked kicks. And 12 of his 55 carries went for TDs – the last a 33-yarder for a 14-7, third-quarter lead over Clovis West in the D-I semis – after receiving direct snaps in the wildcat scheme.

He said it: "Rather than the typical free safety making tackles 18 yards downfield, he did a great job of making his read, knowing if it was a run or pass and getting to the ball very quickly. He was our eraser – if we made a mistake, Donnell made the play." – Cougars coach Rich Hammond