Cayden Schwab has built his reputation as a disruptive linebacker, but the Clay Center standout is eager to make an impact on both sides of the ball this fall.
After spending his freshman season at tight end, Schwab will transition to fullback, giving him a larger role in the Tigers’ offense while continuing to anchor the defense at strong-side outside linebacker.
“Though defense is my main focus at strong-side OLB, I am excited to be moving to a new position on offense from tight end freshman season to fullback this season,” Schwab said. “I’m excited that Coach Henry has given me the opportunity to get more carries to help our team win this year.”
Schwab has attacked the offseason with the same physical style he brings to the field. His days often begin before sunrise with team workouts before shifting his attention to refining the finer points of his game.
“I have been hitting the weights every morning at 6:30 a.m. with our team,” Schwab said. “Even though that’s the bare minimum, I make sure to hit it hard every day. Then I go up to our football field and work on my craft as a linebacker.”
His offseason also included attending several prospect camps, where he sharpened his skills, improved his football IQ and earned opportunities to make college game-day visits.
“I have gone to multiple prospect camps this summer to work on my skills as a linebacker and boost my football IQ,” Schwab said. “At these camps I was blessed with the opportunity to go on a few game-day visits as well this fall.”
Schwab’s focus entering the season has been improving his speed, both physically and mentally. He believes becoming quicker and processing the game faster will allow him to make even more plays.
“This year I want to show improvement in my overall speed,” Schwab said. “I want to see the game slow down in my head and be to the ball right when and where I need to be.”
To accomplish that, he turned to both track and film study.
“I worked on my ground speed a lot during track season as well as exercises to improve lateral movements,” Schwab said. “To get the game to slow down I have watched hours of film and done live reaction drills.”
The work comes after an impressive season in which Schwab totaled 53 tackles, including 21 solo stops, 12.5 tackles for loss, one sack, eight quarterback hurries and an interception that he returned 41 yards for a touchdown against Louisburg.
Now, his goals are even more ambitious.
“This year I want to get 80-plus tackles as well as double my tackles for loss as a linebacker,” Schwab said. “I also want to record four or more interceptions in pass coverage. On offense I would like to record 1,000-plus rushing yards.”
Those individual numbers, however, take a back seat to what Schwab hopes will be a memorable season for Clay Center.
“For our team our goal is to host a playoff game, and personally I would like to host a few,” Schwab said. “But we need to start the season off strong with a big win against Wamego.”
