"All Gas, No Breaks: Effort, Instinct, and Impact"

Cooper Kraus

@cooperkraus52

6’1, 210lbs | Class of 2026

Buena HS (AZ)

Facing one of Arizona’s toughest 5A schedules, Cooper shows up every Friday with the same promise to himself- make the tackle, get to the ball, do it again. That mindset along with years of heavy lifting and a true “no-plays-off” approach, turns him into a one-man headache for offenses. He loves the big stage, embraces contact, and treats every snap like a chance to flip the field for his brothers. If the ball is thrown 30 yards downfield, he’s still coming; if a guard climbs to him, he shocks, sheds, and arrives with bad intentions. Even when he knows he won’t be the finisher, he’ll blow his gap up, create a pile, and let the defense rally, winning the snap even without the stat.

His superpower is the work he does before the whistle. Pre-snap, he clocks the formation, recalls the opponent’s tendencies, and checks the defense to the best answer. His eyes move through the “triangle”, guard feet to backfield, that lets him read run versus pass in a heartbeat. He learned to read backs as a youth linebacker and added line reads in high school; now he does both at once, which is why he’s often moving while others are still thinking. That football IQ, layered over physicality in the box, is what separates him.

The production validates his impact. Per the MaxPreps board in his graphic, he’s sitting on 81 total tackles with rankings of #2 in Arizona, #1 in AZ 5A, #1 in the 5A Sonoran, and #88 nationally. His Week 5 line was a statement again with 18 tackles (12 solo, 6 assists), 3 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble. Those numbers land because the pre-snap plan meets full-speed finish. And while he’ll own the stats, he credits the guys up front and on the edges, when they hold their gaps and force the ball, he’s there to close.

He doesn’t sugarcoat setbacks. A recent loss featured three empty red-zone trips (missed field goal, missed two-point, chances at the goal line) and a battered secondary. The takeaway wasn’t finger-pointing, it was resolve. There’s a top 6A opponent next, so the answer is to pin the ears back, play fast, have fun, then return to region play and stack wins. Tough games now are the steel that hardens them for November; as the roster gets healthy, they plan to chase it all.

I assess that Kraus brings immediate value as a MIKE who can set the front, make checks, and clean up drives with sure tackling. He wins with preparation (formation and tendency recall), strike power (block destruction in the box), and range (snap-to-whistle pursuit). A staff can count on him to elevate practice habits, communicate adjustments on the field, and anchor run fits while contributing on special teams. He’s a tone-setter who raises the defensive floor the moment he steps in.

Continued gains in top-end speed and man/zone detail (which he’s already improved) will only widen his impact. With his film study, triangle reads, and added mass from the weight room, he is already a college-ready linebacker who can rotate early and grow into a centerpiece. Expect high snap volume, steady production, and leadership that travels. The ceiling rises with every rep, because the motor, the study, and the standard are already in place.