The following players have been selected to the 2024 USA TODAY NETWORK All-New Jersey football defensive teams.
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Blaise Boland
Toms River North senior lineman
Boland was the leader of a defense that allowed just 7.9 points a game in 14 games. He was in on 108 tackles, 26.5 of which were for a loss. He also had 9.5 sacks. Opposing offenses had to account for him on every play.
Tommy Borgia
West Morris senior lineman
Borgia set a career high with 10 sacks to lead a Wolfpack defense that held opponents to seven points or less for six straight weeks. Borgia had 92 total tackles, including 10 during a win at Morristown that included four sacks and a forced fumble.
Darren Ikinnagbon
Hillside senior lineman
Go ahead, just try to run past Ikinnagbon. The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder provided an imposing presence at defensive end and swarmed to the ball. He delivered 53 tackles (7 TFL) and forced four fumbles for the Comets. 247Sports ranks the Georgia commit as the top senior in New Jersey.
Brandon Simmons
Glassboro junior lineman
The 6-foot, 270-pound tackle was a game wrecker for the Bulldogs’ defense. The junior finished with career-highs in tackles (122), tackles for loss (34) and sacks (20) for the state Group 1 champions. He also blocked a punt for a touchdown. For his career, Simmons has notched 40 sacks with 77 tackles for loss.
Tyler Houser
Pope John senior linebacker
Houser had 124 total tackles for the Lions, including eight straight games with double digit tackles after returning from an injury suffered in the season opener. A Wake Forest commit, Houser averaged more than 17 tackles per game as Pope John reached the Non-Public B state final as the No. 6 seed.
Austin Kiernan
Rumson-Fair Haven senior linebacker
Kiernan was the leader of a defense that allowed just 13.4 points a game. He was in on 121.5 tackles, 9.5 of which were for a loss. He also had 6.5 sacks and recovered two fumbles. Kiernan had eight games with double-digit tackles, including 13 against Point Pleasant Borough in the Group 2 state semifinal.
Donovan Linthicum
Oakcrest junior linebacker
One of the top defenders in South Jersey, the 5-foot-11, 215-pound junior is a tackling machine. He notched 122 tackles with 24 for loss and five sacks for the Falcons. He posted nine double-digit tackle games this fall and has 244 total tackles in two seasons. Linthicum also rushed for 711 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Matt Occhipinti
Don Bosco junior linebacker
Occhipinti was a key piece for a defense that registered three shutouts for the Ironmen (8-4) and helped trigger a six-game winning streak and trip to the Non-Public A final. The 6-3, 230-pounder had 75 tackles, seven of them for losses, featuring five sacks. Occhipinti’s list of recruiters includes West Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Daniel Russo
Delsea senior linebacker
A tough, physical two-way player, the Penn-bound Russo made plenty of noise on the defensive side with 81 tackles and three interceptions. The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder finished with over 4,200 rushing yards and 56 touchdowns for his career, including 988 and 13 respectively for this season.
Omari Gaines
Shabazz senior defensive back
The Stanford-commit Gaines gave Shabazz Division I-caliber talent on its roster. The senior safety helped lead the Newark team into the Group 2 final, where he had a red zone interception against Rumson-Fair Haven.
Jahmir Joseph
St. Joseph (Montvale) senior defensive back
Joseph is a two-time All-State honoree for the Green Knights (6-5) and ranked the state’s top senior defensive back by 24/7 Sports. The 6-1, 185-pounder is among the state’s premier cover corners and had 29 tackles and four interceptions, including two diving end-zone pickoffs in a 28-17 regular-season loss to top-ranked Bergen Catholic. Joseph will continue at Penn State.
Naiim Parrish
Bergen Catholic senior defensive back
Parrish is a two-time All-State selection and two-way threat to score. The 5-11, 175-pounder had 33 tackles and a team-leading five interceptions for the four-time reigning Non-Public A champion Crusaders (11-1). He has a penchant for big plays, returning two of his 15 career pickoffs for TDs, and two of his four receptions this season went for scores. Parrish is headed to Minnesota.
Xavier Sabb
Glassboro sophomore defensive back
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore delivered seven interceptions and 26 tackles for the state Group 1 champion Bulldogs. One of the most electric players in South Jersey, he returned one of those picks for a touchdown. He also caught 12 TD passes and returned a punt for a score.
Jake Blum
Mainland junior athlete
Another two-way standout from South Jersey, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound junior had 55 tackles, five for loss and five interceptions. He had two huge picks in the postseason, including one in the state final where he also had 10 tackles. On offense, he caught 52 passes for 1,287 yards and a program single-season record 15 touchdowns.
Cameron Miller
Winslow senior athlete
Few quarterbacks were tempted to throw this senior’s way because of his lockdown coverage. The Kentucky-bound Miller was a top two-way threat for the state Group 4 champion Eagles. He had two interceptions, including one in the state semifinal win over Millville. He finished with 28 tackles and a sack. On offense, Miller caught 42 passes for 722 yards and 14 touchdowns, two coming in the state final. He also returned two punts for scores. He finished his scholastic career with 2,889 receiving yards and 47 combined touchdowns.
Alex Orecchio
Old Tappan senior athlete
Orecchio is North Jersey’s most versatile player and led the Golden Knights (12-1) to a second Group 3 title in three years. The 5-9, 165-pounder had a North Jersey-best seven interceptions, and 62 tackles. In the 28-16 title win over Mainland, he had five tackles and 219 all-purpose yards, catching a TD, rushing for a score, throwing a TD and kicking four extra points. Orecchio is bound for Johns Hopkins.
Tyler Huseth
St. Joseph (Metuchen) senior punter
Huseth is a pinpoint punter who placed six punts inside the 10-yard line. He finished with 27 punts for 1,264 yards (46.8 yards per punt average). He also went 6-for-9 in field goal attempts (long of 43) and was 30-for-32 in extra points with 16 touchbacks. Huseth wasn’t your typical kicker. As a defensive end, he set the Falcons’ career record with 11 1/2 sacks and had 56 tackles (26 solo) with nine sacks this season.
Darian Blachewicz, Millville senior lineman
Vin Ferrara, St. Joseph (Montvale) senior lineman
Delaney Fludd, Bergen Catholic senior lineman
Andrew Avent, Rahway junior linebacker
Ethan Cohall, Bergen Catholic senior linebacker
Amir Reason-Dallas, Timber Creek senior linebacker
Nick Rossi, Old Tappan senor linebacker
Jacob Tobias, Rumson-Fair Haven senior linebacker
Bryan Anderson, Woodbridge senior defensive back
Renick Dorilas, Don Bosco senior defensive back
Nasir Jackson, Toms River North senior defensive back
Jordan Thomas, Bergen Catholic junior defensive back
P.J. Coffey, Butler senior athlete
Brody Deiter, Rancocas Valley senior athlete
Khajuan Roseborough, Atlantic City senior athlete
Charlie Wingfield, Ramapo senior athlete
Adrian Alena, Hackensack senior punter
Troy Bailey, Delbarton senior defensive back
Anthony Drago, West Essex defensive back
Julian Giambuzzi, St. Augustine, senior linebacker
Ernst Jeune, East Orange senior linebacker
Terrence Hanratty, Bernards senior linebacker
Jeremiah Hayes, Union City, senior linebacker
Dashawn Long, Washington Township senior defensive back
Anthony Nittoli, DePaul, senior linebacker
Aidan Stieglitz, Ridge senior linebacker
Donald Weiss, High Point senior linebacker
Trey Tallmadge, Brick Memorial, junior linebacker.
Cole Toddings, Barnegat, senior linebacker.
