Candidates For Defensive Lineman Of The Year

These defensive lineman were getting it done in the trenches and creating fear in opposing offensive backfields and should be in consideration for defensive lineman of the year!   [player_tooltip player_id="58650" first="Zeiqui" last="Lawton"] South Charleston High School 2021 DL Zeiqui was consistently dominant in the few games that South Charleston played this year. He’s arguably the best player in the state and was named captain of the all state team for this year. He’s great with his hands and used his raw athleticism to beat offensive lineman off the ball and forced many teams to game plan against him and alter his stats. But he’s still one of the best players to come through the state and will continue playing his collegiate ball at the University of Cincinnati in the fall.   [player_tooltip player_id="58753" first="Nemo" last="Roberts"] Cabell Midland High School 2022 DL Nemo had a great junior campaign for the knights this year playing in pretty much a full season. He stood out on tape and will arguably be the most dominant defender to come back next year throughout the state. There were times where Nemo would get double and triple teamed by offenses and still cause disruption in the pocket. He reminds me of an Aaron Donald type of DT with his quickness of the ball and the ability to use his quickness and strength to fight through gaps. Look for Nemo to dominate next year and be considered the best overall defender in the state.   Drew Clendenin Buffalo High School 2022 DL Drew also had a great junior campaign and should be considered a top 3 defensive lineman in the state for next year. He shows great ability at bending the edge and using his speed and athleticism to break down the pocket and force the quarterback to make a hurried throw and error. He’s great in the run game and shows great technique with being able to fight off defenders and make a play whether in the pass game or run game. Look for Drew to continue to be a top defensive lineman and pull in more offers.   [player_tooltip player_id="58755" first="Max" last="Wentz"] Huntington High School 2022 DL Max had a great year and showed that he is a top 5 defensive lineman in the state. Most people wouldn’t notice because he doesn’t make the flashy plays but holds down the middle of the defense as a huge anchor. He consistently set the line of scrimmage and would often take on a double team because of how dominant he was in between the tackles. Look for Max to have a great senior year and have offers start rolling in for both sides of the ball.