VISAA D1 All-State Defense

The VISAA announced the 2025 All-State team. Here are the players who earned honors on the defensive side of the ball.

VISAA Defensive Player of the Year

St. Christopher’s senior Darius Gray was selected the VISAA D1 Defensive Player of the Year. He led a defense that held five teams to single-digit scoring games. He finished with 68 tackles, including 25 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, and four pass breakups.

Defensive Line

Junior Sean Boyd was a dominant force, especially down the stretch, helping Benedictine win their 3rd straight State championship. Starting at defensive tackle, Boyd finished the year with 62 tackles, 11 sacks, 20 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.

Teammates Paul Pritchett and junior Damari Hawkins earned 2nd team All-State honors. The two combined for 90 tackles and nine sacks.

Linebackers

Benedictine linebacker Landon Snyder was my Mid-Season Defensive Player of the Year. He earned 1st team All-State after being named 2nd-team All-State as a junior. He finished the season with 108 tackles, one pick, and one forced fumble. Snyder won three State titles at Benedictine, and he is committed to VMI.

Howard University commit Mason Love earned 1st team All-State honors for the 2nd straight year. Love had several Power 5 offers and has Power 5-caliber talent, but chose Howard for reasons beyond football.

Senior Elijah Brandon started the early part of the season with two interception returns for touchdowns. Brandon was credited with 31 solo tackles and three interceptions.

Woodberry Forest junior Shorty Strother started at safety last year but moved to linebacker this year. He had two sacks and a pick to go along with a team-leading 53 tackles.

Defensive Backs

Trinity Episcopal safety Khalid Rainer earned his 1st All-State selection. He is a Rivals 3-star recruit and ranked among the top recruits in the state. Rainer has over 20 offers, including Michigan, Virginia Tech, Indiana, USC, Wake Forest, and South Carolina.

Woodberry Forest senior Cade Ellis was the only repeat All-State performer in the secondary. He had four interceptions while adding 28 solo tackles. Ellis has signed to play at William & Mary.

Episcopal School junior Darian Coates Cameron was a hybrid safety/linebacker for the Maroon. He has many D1 interests, including Virginia, Old Dominion, and Maryland.

Senior Reed Fox helped Norfolk Academy reach the playoffs. He had 39 tackles and four interceptions during the regular season.