Scanning the Top 50: 11 Defensive Linemen Stand Outs in NJ

Defensive linemen may be the most important position on the field aside from quarterbacks. Setting the tone up front for a defense, it’s no surprise that New Jersey’s top fifty prospects are stacked with talent at QB and DL. Ten QBs leads the offense, but eleven defensive linemen are the most of any position. Here is a look at what the top-ranked (all within NJ’s 44 best prospects) defensive linemen bring to the game. [player_tooltip player_id="27859" first="Tywone" last="Malone"], Bergen Catholic The feats of NJ’s top overall prospect have been well documented here, as the Bergen Catholic 2021 weighs offers from LSU, Alabama, Ohio State, and other Division I power-five schools. Though the future of both HS sports in NJ for the fall and for college football after that is unknown, it hasn’t stopped Malone from standing out on the baseball field - leading a group of Bergen Catholic players in the Last Dance Baseball Tournament. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="light"> [player_tooltip player_id="27859" first="Tywone" last="Malone"] (<a href="https://twitter.com/TywoneMalone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TywoneMalone</a>) continues to show why he’s an elite Garden State athlete. This young man can RAKE! Malone powers <a href="https://twitter.com/BergenCathBase?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BergenCathBase</a> to the <a href="https://twitter.com/NJLastdance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NJLastdance</a> Round of 32 with a pair of huge hits. Watch the FULL highlights from BC’s 9-3 win HERE! 📽️: <a href="https://t.co/v2XJiN7sB7">https://t.co/v2XJiN7sB7</a> <a href="https://t.co/bl2NU9ZEao">pic.twitter.com/bl2NU9ZEao</a> — Jersey Sports Zone (@JSZ_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/JSZ_Sports/status/1283992663126159361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> On the field Malone is a powerful defensive tackle that shows elite burst towards the quarterback. Quick with his hands, Malone bends the corner well for his size and can disengage well while upright. Will create push against linemen against the run as well. [player_tooltip player_id="27860" first="Aaron" last="Armitage"], Blair Academy Armitage is the second ranked prospect in the state, behind only Malone. Entertaining offers from USC and a host of other Division I programs, Armitage displays similar upper body power to Malone but in a thinner frame. Lining up at the left defensive end spot for Blair, Armitage can set the edge against the run with length. He’ll also be a respected pass rusher at the college level, running the arc with a low bend while providing a small blocking area. Armitage saw reps as a right defensive end as well, where the 6’4" end was a force against the pass - pressuring quarterbacks with quickness and deflecting passes. [player_tooltip player_id="27862" first="George" last="Rooks III"], St. Peter’s Prep Rooks is a run stuffing defensive end with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Boston College, Miami, Rutgers, and more. Comfortable lining up in a two or three point stance, Rooks beats offensive linemen with leverage. Capable of shooting gaps with speed or moving laterally on the line of scrimmage, Rooks is a rare blend of athlete with movement ability and power. When blockers do get a hand on Rooks, he’s quick to swat them away while rushing the quarterback. Rooks will play up and down the defensive line with no issue stacking up against the run and resetting the line of scrimmage from a nose position. [player_tooltip player_id="27868" first="Keshon" last="Griffin"], St. Joe’s Hammonton Griffin is the second highest ranked prospect committed to Greg Schiano’s Rutgers program, behind linebacker [player_tooltip player_id="27861" first="Khayri" last="Banton"]. The sixth overall player and third ranked defensive linemen measures in at 6’4", 220 pounds. Griffin is a stand up rusher that saw plenty of time on offense at TE and WR as well. A forceful defensive lineman with quick twitch ability, Griffin has a knack for creating turnovers and deflecting passes with college-ready length. The intangibles are ready for the Big 10 with Griffin, who will need refinement as a rusher with his hands and ability to avoid blocks to progress. [player_tooltip player_id="27883" first="Mike" last="Jarvis"], Shawnee Jarvis is a gap-shooting interior lineman that uses his quickness well against guards. A square frame with quick feet, Jarvis holds his own at the point of attack but makes his living in the backfield. This is a player with rare pursuit skills at the position. Jarvis doesn’t allow blockers into his frame, keeping them at an arm’s length with a go-to swim move. [player_tooltip player_id="27886" first="Zaire" last="Angoy"], Irvington Angoy is a physical specimen at both defensive tackle and guard. Looking for work at both positions, Angoy will dig out linebackers with devastating knock back on offense while drawing double and triple teams on defense. Changing directions well, Angoy projects best as a one technique tackle, receiving snaps in three and four man fronts. Angoy does show flashes of being able to play with suddenness against tackles, making him a chess piece to add depth to any defensive line. [player_tooltip player_id="27889" first="Rakim" last="Cooper"], Mater Dei Cooper’s future in football is likely on the offensive line, but this two way player from a rising program in the Shore is a technician on both sides of the ball. Winning with a strong first step, Cooper understands how to run the arc and close on quarterbacks. [player_tooltip player_id="27890" first="Louce" last="Julien"], Orange Julien can wreck an entire offense with his presence in the backfield. Working into the frame of tackles, Julien has an incredibly low center of balance. His ankle turn to snap the corner and pursue is ready for the next level. A fluid mover, Julien isn’t deterred by blockers at his feet and possesses ideal stopping power against the run. [player_tooltip player_id="27893" first="Joshua" last="Nobles"], Woodrow Wilson Nobles is a lanky rusher that excels at providing a small blocking surface area. At his best, Nobles will flash the quick twitch ability to turn the corner and disengage with leverage. Can play with both power and finesse against guards, uses a swim move to his advantage. Nobles closes ground in a hurry in pursuit of the quarterback and rarely gets stuck against the run. Standing up runners in the hole and running them down with sideline to sideline range is a part of Noble’s game college coaches will love. [player_tooltip player_id="27899" first="Dominick" last="Giudice"], Mater Dei A teammate of [player_tooltip player_id="27889" first="Rakim" last="Cooper"], the seventh ranked prospect on this list, Giudice is committed to Michigan as the 41st overall prospect in NJ. Giudice is a blur on tape, stunning blockers with speed and heavy hands to put tackles on skates. Ankle flex and bend aren’t the strength of his game, impressing more with power as a technician at defensive end. The Wolverines will have a special mix of strength and speed to add to a long history of developing solid defensive line talent. [player_tooltip player_id="27902" first="Ethan" last="Hunt"], St. Joe’s Hammonton Rounding out the top eleven is another teammate of the previously ranked [player_tooltip player_id="27862" first="George" last="Rooks III"] and [player_tooltip player_id="27868" first="Keshon" last="Griffin"]. Hunt is the 44th best prospect in NJ, and similarly to Rooks is a standout at defensive tackle. An immovable object against the run, Hunt can win hand battles at the line of scrimmage to disengage and turn to the quarterback. Hunt resets the line of scrimmage well from a nose position, moving laterally with light feet and a strong upper body to create leverage against guards. <hr /> The defensive line talent in New Jersey is as strong as ever, with the players featured above wrecking game plans for opposing offenses all over the state. Eight of these linemen remain uncommitted to colleges.