In the months of April and May, HSOT Insiders will receive daily articles to preview the 2025 high school football season in North Carolina.

Today, we have a breakdown of the 3A N.C. High School Athletic Association returning defensive playmakers.

We don’t cover returning tackle leaders, since teams have very different definitions of what constitutes a tackle or an assist tackle from one another.

The defensive stats we tracked for this article are sacks, interceptions, and forced fumbles.

Since players often don’t play the same number of games, we break our stats down into averages.

To have players featured in these articles, teams either must post their full stats online or send them to Joel.

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Top Returning 3A Defenders: Sacks Per Game

Minimum: 6 games

• DJ Joyce, senior DL, Mount Airy — 1.36 Sacks/Game
• Jalaythan Mayfield, junior LB, Lincolnton — 0.91 Sacks/Game
• Ethan Clabo, senior DL, Mount Airy — 0.89 Sacks/Game
• Isaiah Leonard, junior LB, West Davidson — 0.7 Sacks/Game
• Noah Gartner, senior LB, Shelby — 0.61 Sacks/Game
• Chris Bell, senior LB, Martin County — 0.59 Sacks/Game
• Nicholas Tierney, senior DL, West Davidson — 0.55 Sacks/Game
• Jayden Moore, sophomore LB, Martin County — 0.5 Sacks/Game
• Cameron Cartlidge, senior LB, Walkertown — 0.5 Sacks/Game
• Jason Arrowood, senior DE, East Rutherford — 0.5 Sacks/Game
• Jailynn Newton, senior LB, Bessemer City — 0.5 Sacks/Game
• Michael Lee Jr., senior LB, Martin County — 0.46 Sacks/Game
• Wendell Way, senior DL, West Bladen — 0.44 Sacks/Game
• Lynwood Harmon Jr., senior LB, Hertford County — 0.4 Sacks/Game
• Jackson Waddle, senior DL, Wake Prep — 0.4 Sacks/Game
• Hudson Hill, senior LB, Wake Prep — 0.4 Sacks/Game

Top Returning 3A Defenders: Interceptions Per Game

Minimum: 6 games

• Nathan Helms, junior DB, North Stanly — 0.636 INT/Game
• Jameson Sumney, senior DB, Providence Grove — 0.5 INT/Game
• EJ Ruffin, senior OLB, Ayden-Grifton — 0.462 INT/Game
• David Zeleya, senior DB, James Kenan — 0.461538461538462 INT/Game
• Landin Newton, senior DB, East Davidson — 0.429 INT/Game
• Jayden Quesenberry, senior DB, West Caldwell — 0.4 INT/Game
• Holden Swift, senior DB, Providence Grove — 0.4 INT/Game
• Ace Smith, junior DB, Hendersonville — 0.4 INT/Game
• Martez Johnson, senior DB, North Moore — 0.364 INT/Game
• Zeke Williams, junior LB, Pender — 0.357 INT/Game
• Parker Burleson, senior DB, Mountain Heritage — 0.333 INT/Game
• Trenton Whidbee, junior DB, Pasquotank County — 0.3 INT/Game
• Tyrell Williams, senior DB, Pasquotank County — 0.3 INT/Game
• Jamal Calloway, senior DB, Draughn — 0.3 INT/Game
• Demarcus Brown, senior DB, Louisburg — 0.3 INT/Game
• Dyqwez Harrell, junior DB, Farmville Central — 0.3 INT/Game
• Javanni Suber, junior DB, Hendersonville — 0.3 INT/Game

Top Returning 3A Defenders: Forced Fumbles per Game

Minimum: 6 games

• EJ Ruffin, senior OLB, Ayden-Grifton — 0.385 FF/Game
• Cason Jones, senior ATH, Mountain Heritage — 0.385 FF/Game
• Brian Jones, senior LB, West Caldwell — 0.375 FF/Game
• Exzavion Croom, senior DB, Kinston — 0.286 FF/Game
• Chance Roberson, senior LB, Louisburg — 0.286 FF/Game
• Jason Arrowood, senior DE, East Rutherford — 0.25 FF/Game
• CJ Jackson, senior DB, East Rutherford — 0.25 FF/Game
• Porter Gibson, senior ATH, East Surry — 0.25 FF/Game
• Shiroski Myers, junior DL, South Columbus — 0.222 FF/Game
• Chase Riggs, senior LB, Pine Lake Prep — 0.2 FF/Game
• Kevin White, senior LB, Louisburg — 0.2 FF/Game
• Isaiah Leonard, junior LB, West Davidson — 0.2 FF/Game
• Tymir Barber, senior DL, Hendersonville — 0.2 FF/Game
• Evan Everhart, senior DB, West Davidson — 0.182 FF/Game
• Justin Walker, senior DB, North Moore — 0.182 FF/Game
• Ethan McCloskey, junior DB, West Davidson — 0.182 FF/Game
• Jalaythan Mayfield, junior LB, Lincolnton — 0.182 FF/Game
• Tyson Youmans, senior LB, Mount Airy — 0.182 FF/Game

HSOT Insiders should stay tuned to the site throughout the spring and summer months for more football preview articles.