2022 Stock Risers: Defensive Line

We released our postseason rankings update for the class of 2022 Monday, adding over 50 new players and updating the rankings of the 90 players we had ranked before the season. In this series, we’ll take a look at a few guys at each position that have moved up our rankings. We have more defensive linemen ranked (27) than any other position and several players rose substantially in our rankings. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="28632" first="Curtis" last="Neal"], 6’2 310- Hough (No. 2 DL, No. 2 overall)</strong> It seems weird to include a guy previously ranked in our top 5 overall among our stock risers, but Neal took his already high stock and raised it even more this season. He was simply unblockable at the 4A level, playing as well as any player in the state regardless of position. We went back and forth on making him our top overall prospect and there’s still a chance he challenges for that spot in our next rankings update. He’s quick, powerful and understands how to rush the passer and stop the run. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="28661" first="Donovan" last="Spellman"], 6’4 215, Clayton (No. 6 DL, No. 13 overall)</strong> We’ve had Spellman higher on our board than many other sites have for a while and we moved him up again after a dominant junior campaign. Spellman has prototypical size, speed and strength for the defensive end position and we believe he’s a Power Five starter early in his career, even if his recruitment still has not quite picked up at that level. He’s a mature pass rusher that wins in a variety of ways. When he hits the camp circuit this summer he should see a flurry of big time offers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97532" first="Xavier" last="Lloyd"], 6’3 300, Southern Durham (No. 11 DL, No. 43 overall)</strong> Lloyd does a lot of different things for Southern Durham but he’s best as a big body on the interior of the defensive line. He has the frame to add more weight, if needed, but already displays great play strength and an ability to bully opposing offensive linemen. He plays well against the run, but I’m most impressed with his ability to generate inside push and collapse the pocket in the passing game, making life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="37471" first="Devin" last="Reed"], 6’2 305, Marvin Ridge (No. 16 DL, No. 73 overall)</strong> One of the more underrated defensive tackles in the state, Reed has legitimate Division 1 size. He has great quickness and uses his hands well to control opposing offensive linemen. He’s a space eater with the strength to take on double teams but he’s also flashed pass rushing ability and actually makes an impact on the stat sheet, averaging over five tackles a game as a nose tackle and 3-technique this spring. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="141372" first="Christian" last="Nicholson"], 6’1 250, Hunt (No. 18 DL, No. 93 overall)</strong> Nicholson is a bit of a tweener on the defensive line and he may become a standup pass rusher at the next level, but man can he rush the passer. He finished the season with 10 sacks, including a 4.5-sack, 11-hurry game to open the the year. A sure tackler, he’s everywhere defensively for Hunt. Schematically, Hunt did an excellent job of moving Nicholson around game to game to get him in the best possible matchup. In a seven game season, he played at least one game primarily at each defensive end, defensive tackle, middle linebacker and outside linebacker.