Class of 2020 Players to Watch – Defensive line
With our players to watch series, we switch to the defensive side of the ball and highlight some of the top defensive linemen in the state. On the list, we have a long-time Division I commit who has been playing…
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Continue ReadingWith our players to watch series, we switch to the defensive side of the ball and highlight some of the top defensive linemen in the state. On the list, we have a long-time Division I commit who has been playing football his entire high school career as well as a guy who completed his first season just a few months ago but whose potential is enticing enough for DI schools to be impressed enough to ask him to campus. Here are ten of the top defensive linemen in Minnesota’s 2020 class.
Aaron Witt Winona
Witt committed to Minnesota some time back and had offers from Iowa State and Iowa. He uses his long arms to keep offensive linemen away from his body. As a defensive end, Witt can play with his hand in the ground in addition to a stand-up defensive end role. He is extremely quick off the ball and is on or past blockers before they can even get their hands on him. He is solid at the point of attack but is even better running down plays from behind.
Seth Anderson Moorhead
Anderson has offers from Kansas, Wyoming, Buffalo, NDSU, SDSU, and UND. He is strong at the point of attack and doesn’t get moved off the line of scrimmage easily. One of the reasons he is so effective is his ability to keep his hips low. Once he gets his base established, he has quick enough feet to move laterally and good enough hands to shed blocks and get into the backfield.
Isaiah Green St. Cloud Tech
Green has offers from UNI and South Dakota, as well as game day invites to Iowa and SDSU, and junior day invites from Minnesota, NDSU and Northern Illinois. Green played primarily as a 3-4 defensive end, but on occasion, he did line up over the center. Like Witt, Green is extremely quick off the
Isaiah Green photo from knsiradio.comball, and although he can use his hands to shed blocks, his strength is using his size and speed combination to beat blocks right off the snap.
Hayden Johnston Albert Lea
Johnston has invites to Iowa, Iowa State, Michigan State, SDSU and NDSU. He played both defensive end and nose tackle in Albert Lea’s 3-4 base defense. He uses a strong initial punch with his arms to immediately get separation from the offensive lineman. Johnston’s upper body strength also allows him to get off blocks quickly. He has good speed to run down plays from the backside. He is also the team’s long snapper.
Joe Demro Wayzata
Demro has invites from Minnesota, Iowa State, SDSU and UND. He is a powerful defensive end who uses his upper body strength to bully offensive linemen. He has a low base to help him drive through offensive lines and hold his ground as he uses his upper body to get off blocks. His speed is also impressive when tracking down plays from the backside.
Carvon Gurley Minnetonka
Gurley has game day/junior day invites to Notre Dame, Michigan State, Iowa State. He is a classic interior line run stuffer. His pure power makes him hard to block one on one. He rarely gets moved off the line of scrimmage. He can also help a team as a strong-side defensive end taking on double teams, holding the edge and disrupting the tight end. Gurley has quick feet for an athlete his size.
Yahya Black photo from hudl.comYahya Black Marshall
Black has an offer from South Dakota and has a game day invite NDSU. As a junior, he mainly played a linebacker, defensive end hybrid but was usually in a two-point stance. With his frame, as he puts on some additional weight, he will fit right in at a defensive end spot. He is extremely long and uses his length well. He plays sideline to sideline and has good speed for an athlete his size.
Will Davis Edina
Davis has junior day/game day invites from Iowa, Northern Illinois, Iowa State, SDSU, and UND. He is an excellent combination of speed and power. He is explosive off the line of scrimmage and uses his hands and upper body strength well when shedding blocks or keeping linemen away from his body. Davis is comfortable with his hand in the dirt in addition to playing a stand-up defensive end or outside linebacker.
Randy Keumogne Tartan
Keumogne has junior day invites from Minnesota and UND. Keumogne is extremely raw. 2019 was his first year playing football. Extremely athletic and is quick and explosive off the line, he can beat offensive linemen off the ball and by getting his pads clear of the offensive lineman’s shoulder. He doesn’t give the blocker a good angle to try to get a solid hit on him.
Blake Whaley Prior Lake
Whaley has invites to SDSU, NDSU, South Dakota, Northern Iowa, and Eastern Michigan. Whaley uses his upper body and his hands to keep linemen away from his body. He has great quickness and lateral ability. With quick feet and a solid base, Whaley can move down the line of scrimmage to make plays on the outside and while sliding down inside. He has excellent speed to get to the quarterback and run down plays from the back-side.