2021 Rankings: Defensive Line Breakdown

As we continue our positional breakdowns for the class of 2021 we have arrived at the defensive lineman. This group features more division 1 commits and a couple of guys who have been on the rise for us for some time. Let’s get to know some of the top D Lineman in the class of 2021. [player_tooltip player_id="38500" first="Ethan" last="Downs"] - <strong>Weatherford</strong> The only thing that has surprised me so far this season on [player_tooltip player_id="38500" first="Ethan" last="Downs"] is that this is somehow the first time I’ve written about him since the season started. Everything else this year has been more of the same for the Oklahoma commit. Downs has once again been a dominant force on the defensive line for Weatherford and has been a nightmare for opposing offenses. My favorite part of Ethan’s game is his pure athleticism that gives him a unique ability to make a wide variety of plays at every level, not just in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage. I am not usually one to root for Oklahoma much, but I will be happy to see Ethan succeed for the Sooners at the next level in the future. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="38503" first="Aden" last="Kelley"] - </span><strong style="font-size: 1rem;">Thomas</strong> While he is not quite the athlete that [player_tooltip player_id="38500" first="Ethan" last="Downs"] is, [player_tooltip player_id="38503" first="Aden" last="Kelley"] is another big man along the defensive line that moves quite well for his size. Thomas uses Kelley all over the defensive line where he uses his combination of size, power, and speed, to manhandle opposing linemen in Class A. Kelley is currently committed to Oklahoma State and is truly one of the most dominant players on either side of the line in the state. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="38502" first="Solomon" last="Wright"] - </span><strong style="font-size: 1rem;">Vian</strong> Next up on our list is one of my favorite players to watch along the D Line across all classes, [player_tooltip player_id="38502" first="Solomon" last="Wright"]. Currently committed to Arkansas, Wright isn’t the tallest at 6’1", but he plays much, much bigger than his height. Wright has the build of a traditional nose guard, which is where he will likely play in college, but Vian moves him all over the line due to his speed and nastiness. "Plays like a fire hydrant" is an old term used by some scouts to describe tackles or nose guards because of their body type, and because of their ability to stay low to the ground and anchor down against double teams and that term fits Wright pretty well when you watch his tape. [player_tooltip player_id="38508" first="Isaac" last="Smith"] - <strong>Wagoner</strong> Along with [player_tooltip player_id="38500" first="Ethan" last="Downs"], [player_tooltip player_id="38508" first="Isaac" last="Smith"] is more of a true defensive end, but unlike Downs, Smith does most of his damage primarily with his speed. Smith has great height at 6’5" and is a constant mismatch on offensive tackles and guards due to his speed. His first step off the line is usually enough to leave lineman in the dust reaching for him, and even when it isn’t, he has the craftiness to fight off blocks with his hands before disrupting a play in the backfield. Tulsa should be excited about this young man because he already has some great pass-rushing ability and has the frame to bulk up and add more power to his game. [player_tooltip player_id="38525" first="Luke" last="McEndoo"] - <strong>Stillwater</strong> While he is not in the top 5 of his position, McEndoo is a player I had to include on this list because of his physicality and versatility. McEndoo does a little bit of everything for Stillwater and he does it at a very high level. His best position may be along the defensive line where he is a traditional power/bull rush player who can straight-up bully lineman at times, but he also has the ability to be a fullback or h-back hybrid due to his demonstrated success in the run game as a blocker and in the passing game as both a blocker and as a check-down or security blanket option. Colleges across the country need to stop sleeping on this kid and get him on campus because whether you see him at one position or another, all Luke does is work hard and dominate on the field.