NFF Showcase: Class of 2024 defensive standouts

We have been highlighting the top performers from the National Football Foundation Showcase last weekend in St. Louis for the past week, breaking down prospects by class and side of the ball. All of the links to previous stories from the NFF Showcase can be found at the bottom of this page. This time we are shining a spotlight on the defensive standouts from the Class of 2024. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="130188" first="Brian" last="Fitzmaurice"], S-LB-RB, Marquette, 5-9, 170</strong> Fitzmaurice comes from a family of talented athletes and has been working hard in the gym since the conclusion of his freshman football season. The results are paying off. Participating in his first combine-style event, Fitzmaurice shined as he put up numbers that placed him among the best athletes at the Showcase. He ran the 40 in 4.59 seconds (hand-timed) and 4.84 seconds (laser), recorded a 4.28 shuttle, a 33-inch vertical leap and a broad jump of 9 feet 8 inches. Fitzmaurice has plenty of room to grow and could end up as an impact player at safety, linebacker and/or running back. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="126224" first="Michael" last="Phillips"], DL, De Smet, 5-9, 263</strong> Phillips was a starter on De Smet’s offensive line last fall and helped the Spartans advance to their second straight state championship game. He looks even better as an undersized defensive tackle and could wreak some havoc in the Metro Catholic Conference the next three years. Phillips recorded a shuttle time of 4.75 seconds, a vertical leap of 26 inches and a broad jump of 7 feet 8 inches. Phillips was credited with six tackles during his freshman season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="126243" first="Mason" last="Wunderlich"], DL, Liberty, 6-1, 217</strong> Wunderlich, rated as the 12th-best prospect in the 2024 class in Missouri, recorded a broad jump of 7 feet 1 inches and a vertical leap of 25 inches. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="172578" first="Anthony" last="Thompson"], DL, Parkway North, 5-11, 260</strong> The younger brother of former top recruit and Oklahoma signee Michael Thompson, Anthony looks like he’s going to be a good high school football player in his own right. Built similarly to De Smet’s Phillips, Thompson recorded a 4.79 shuttle, vertical leap of 22 1/5 inches and broad jump of 6 feet 7 inches. Thompson recorded seven tackles and a sack on the varsity level during his freshman season last fall. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>NFF Showcase coverage</strong></span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/oNNmj8g3gXZvq8zR6">Photo Gallery</a></span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/05/nff-showcase-class-of-2022-offensive-standouts/">Class of 2022 offensive standouts</a></span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/05/nff-showcase-class-of-2022-defensive-standouts/">Class of 2022 defensive standouts</a></span> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/05/nff-showcase-class-of-2023-offensive-standouts/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Class of 2023 offensive standouts</span></a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/05/nff-showcase-class-of-2023-defensive-standouts/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Class of 2023 defensive standouts</span></a> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/05/nff-showcase-class-of-2024-offensive-standouts/">Class of 2024 offensive standouts</a></span> &nbsp;