Editors note: This is the fifth in the eight-part “YPS Top 40” series from Your Prep Sports highlighting 40 of the top returning football players for the 2024 season. 

Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The YPS Top 40 is an eight-story series highlight 40 of the top returning football players in the Your Prep Sports area by position group.

Over the last four days Your Prep Sports has highlighted 21 of the top returning players in four different stories on four offensive position groups.

Today the focus turns to the defensive side of the ball starting with the big guys on the defensive line.

Over the next several days defense will remain the focus as Your Prep Sports looks at the top returning defensive backs, linebackers and special teams players.

Here is a look at six of the top returning defensive linemen in the Your Prep Sports area.

Brody Clubb

Senior, Clear Creek Amana

A rare four-year starter, Clubb is back from an injury that cut short his junior season and ready to cap a stellar career with a big senior season.

The 6-foot-4, 255 Clubb is a two-way force up front but does perhaps his best work at defensive end where he has been among the best in the state over the past several seasons.

A North Dakota State commit, Clubb has 99.5 career tackles including 15.5 for loss with 4.5 sacks.

Before an injury sidelined Clubb last season he was on his way to the best season of his career making 16 tackles including 4.5 for loss and a sack in three games.

Look for a huge year from Clubb this season as he has the athletic ability and size to cause major problems as both a run stopped and pass rusher.

Jalyn Ford

Senior, City High

After making his varsity debut as a sophomore in 2022 Ford exploded last season leading City High in tackles for loss and ranking second on the team in sacks while earning all-district and all-Mississippi Valley Conference honors.

Ford emerged as a disruptive force from his defensive end spot last season ranking fourth on the team with 36 tackles.

The 6-foot, 231-pound Ford had a team-high 13 tackles for loss including four sacks last season during his breakout junior season.

On a defensive line loaded with talent look for a big season from Ford who has the ability to impact the game on every play.

Vinnie Keller

Senior, Clear Creek Amana

Playing alongside Clubb for the past three seasons Keller has perhaps been slightly overshadowed but the powerful two-way lineman was simply too good to ignore last fall in a breakthrough season.

With Clubb sidelined Keller took his game to another level ranking fifth on the team with 31.5 tackles to go with six tackles for loss and a fumble recovery from his defensive tackle spot.

Another four-year starter, the 6-foot, 270-pound Keller has played, and played well, on both sides of the ball during his career but was most impressive on defense last season when he earned first-team all-district honors.

Keller and Clubb combine to give Clear Creek Amana one of the top defensive line duos in Class 4A.

Diame Lipanda

Senior, City High

There may not be a more physically imposing defensive player in the area than the 6-foot-3, 314-pound Lipanda who moves more like a linebacker than a defensive tackle.

In his first varsity season Lipanda got better the more he played and should become a force in the middle of the City High defensive interior this season.

Incredibly nimble for his size, Lipanda showed great power last season while racking up 27 tackles including 6.5 for loss and a sack from his defensive tackle spot.

Lipanda should be in for a much bigger season this fall with a  year of experience and strength training under his belt and could emerge as one of the best defensive lineman in the state.

Noah Clark

Senior, Regina

A two-year, two-way starter Clark is going to be a major factor on both sides of the ball for Regina this season but the senior will be especially valuable on the defensive side following a breakout junior season in which he led the Regals in tackles for loss.

Clark was impressive in his first season as a full-time starter last fall making more than half of his 29 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

The 6-foot, 225-pound Clark consistently found his way into opposing backfields ranking up a team-high 16 tackles for loss while ranking second on the team with five sacks.

Like his teammate Matt Colony look for Clark to be a leader on both lines for Regina as the Regals look to duplicate the success of last season when they went 9-2 and reached the Class 1A quarterfinals.

Cooper Gates

Junior, West Branch

Gates doesn’t have prototypical defensive linemen size but after making the move from linebacker to defensive line last season Gates demonstrated a knack from making plays.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Gates used his combination of strength and quickness to become a major problem for opposing offensive lines last season.

Gates ranked fourth on the team with 39 tackles from his interior defensive line spot and ranked second on the team with 10 tackles for loss along with a team-high four sacks.

Look for more of the same from Gates this season now that he has more experience playing at the line of scrimmage.

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