Boom Showcase Day 2: Lemming's Top DL's, LB's & DB's

Overview On Sunday, August 9th, I attended the Boom Showcase in Naperville. The event featured testing like the 40-yard dash, shuttle and broad jump. Following that, players competed in individual drills and eventually went on to 1 on 1’s. The event had to have close to 400 kids in attendance and a large group of Division one prospects. Here’s which DL’s, LB’s and DB’s that stood out! <hr /> Defensive Linemen Caleb Dietlin, West Aurora, SR Caleb had himself a day Sunday. He dominated during 1 on 1 drills and showed a great first step off the ball and good bend. He could transition to more of a 3-4 standup defensive end at the next level if need be. He needs to add a little weight, but this kid has a ton of upside as a pass rusher. Michael Bumpus, St. Francis, SR Bumpus is a really intriguing prospect to me. He’s filled out at 6’3, 250, has great burst off the ball, and a heavy punch. Positional drills seemed like second nature to him all day. He’s got a few Division II offers, and I think he’s got a serious chance to pick up some FCS stuff here in the near future. [player_tooltip player_id="20306" first="Tommy" last="Matheson"], Warren, SR Downright, one of the best players at the entire showcase. Tommy is every bit 6’4, 260, and can run. He was smooth during positional drills and showed great body control for a big man. Once it came to 1 on 1’s, he dominated. This guy has such good quickness off the ball and can overpower offensive linemen with his strength. [player_tooltip player_id="20368" first="Carmine" last="Bastone"], St. Charles North, SR We have Bastone on our site listed as an athlete, mainly because he’s a legitimate prospect at offensive line and defensive line. He showed up playing defensive line and refused to back down all night. He was electric during 1 on 1’s and could have been overall the best one. He’s got impressive quickness and bend for an interior defensive lineman. Carmine is a major sleeper in the 2021 class. Demond Butcher, Montini, SR One of the more twitchy, big guys at the event. Demond has a great first step and was dominant at the point of attack. He’s a natural hand fighter, who has quite a few moves in his pocket for a big man. I thought he looked good during positional drills in terms of his movement skills. Keep an eye on him this winter. Xavier Slayton, Crete Monee, JR Someone please offer this man. Slayton is such a gifted pass rusher, with active hands and a high motor. He understands how to set up offensive linemen and often catches them lunging forward. This guy can flat-out move too and used his speed to be one of the top defensive linemen in attendance. He should be an FBS kid moving forward. <img class="alignnone wp-image-42521" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/08/87EFA660-8A28-44F0-A9B8-CB497D506BB0-300x280.jpeg" alt="" width="334" height="312" /> [player_tooltip player_id="20837" first="T.J." last="McMillen"], St. Francis, SO When you watch T.J., you can just see the raw tools for a kid who’s only going to be a sophomore. The kid does everything right and was great all night long. He was one of the most heavily recruited players in attendance, and he showed why. I can’t wait to watch this kid develop over the next three seasons because he has 4-star type potential.   Other DLs Who Stood Out Cristobal Guiterrez, Nazareth, SR Michael Roath, South Elgin, SR Willie Norwood, Kankakee, SR Jackson Funderburg, Sycamore, JR Tyler Wood, St. Francis, SO <hr /> Linebackers [player_tooltip player_id="20318" first="Malachi" last="McNeal"], Warren, SR I personally believe McNeal is one of the most underrated prospects in the state. This kid is so twitchy on film and was constantly making big plays for his team. I hadn’t seen him in person before this event but came away extremely impressed by his movement skills. He held his own during 7 on 7 and 1 on 1’s and showed he can easily run with backs out of the backfield. Joe Saviano, Walter Payton Prep, SR Payton Prep has quite a few talented prospects on their 2021 roster, and Saviano is one of the best. Joe showed solid speed and agility during drills. He can move well laterally and was really quick for a linebacker. This kid played all out during the entire event and really impressed me. Zachary McClure, St. Charles North, SR One of the many St. Charles North standouts that were in attendance Sunday. McClure is long, with a good build, and looked athletic as they come. He’s got good body control that allows him to come up and breakdown in space. He can accelerate at the drop of a hat and was easily able to tag off shifty ball carriers. Adam Sturtz, Naperville North, SR Sturtz is built more like a safety, but he can run like one too. He’s got great ball skills and showed excellent coverage ability during 1 on 1’s. I think he’s probably an ideal fit as a nickel at the next level. He needs to add a little weight, but I think the kid has a lot of positive traits. <img class="" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfGmjNgX0AEDM0q?format=jpg&name=large" alt="Image" width="264" height="352" /> [player_tooltip player_id="20915" first="Quin" last="Wieties"], Fenwick, JR This is a kid who looks like your prototypical 3-4 outside linebacker. He’s explosive for a big bigger guy and can come up and make plays in space. He took good angles to the ball all night, ensuring he didn’t get cut back on. I had projected him as a defensive lineman before this event, but he clearly showed he can play LB as well, Tyler Jansey, Batavia, SO Remember this name! I’m telling you right now; this kid is going to blow up from a recruiting standpoint following his sophomore season. This kid looks like a senior and plays like it already. He performed well during 7 on 7 and was one of the most naturally gifted linebackers during position drills. He has the potential to be Batavia’s next bigtime recruit.   Other LB’s Who Stood Out Jalen Pace, MICDS (MO), SR Colin Gudella, Glenbard North, JR Caden Phengkeokaisone, St. Charles East, SO <hr /> Defensive Backs Jordan Nubin, St. Charles North, SR Nubin is flying a bit under the radar right now, but he showed Sunday he’s worthy of attention. He’s got a good off-hand jam and quick feet to go with it. He features a clean pedal and knows when to open up his hips against wideouts. He’s on the smaller side, but he has that pitbull mentality and will face anyone, anytime, anywhere. Marc Davila, Warren, SR Davilla had a tremendous junior season for Warren and was one of their most reliable defenders. This kid showed great straight-line speed, impressive ball skills, and exceptional anticipation. He hasn’t seen a ton of recruiting attention just yet, but I think he’s going to have a monster senior year, and scouts are going to take notice. Brody Roth, New Trier, SR A freak athlete who also stars on the rugby field as well. Roth showed on Sunday that he’s not afraid to roll up and guard wide receivers out of the slot. He’s got adequate speed and the strength to jam wideouts on their release. He did a good job of leaning and locating the football during 1 on 1’s. [player_tooltip player_id="20930" first="Saveon" last="Brown"], Thornwood, JR This kid is a major Division one prospect and already holds a few FBS offers. Brown has the elite mixture of quick feet, loose hips, and good ball skills that you look for in a defensive back. This was the first time I saw him in person, and I was so impressed by how put together he was. He had clean breaks all night and shined during 1 on 1’s. [player_tooltip player_id="20932" first="Peter" last="Roll"], Nazareth, JR This is a name I think people are going to know after his junior season. Roll transferred into Naz from Lake Park, where he was a hard-hitting strong safety. Roll came out Sunday and showed he could come up and make plays in space. He’s got good size for a safety and was tremendous in man coverage. He’s physical enough where I could possibly see him transitioning to sam linebacker if need be.   Other DB’s Who Stood Out Quintin Hale, Thornwood, JR Benjamin Wilson, Warren, JR [player_tooltip player_id="20877" first="Jacque" last="Walls"], Fenwick, JR