Studs of the MN Showcase: Defense Session 1

Yesterday we highlighted the star performances on the offensive side of the ball at the Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. Today we dive into the defensive side of the ball. It is going to be a loaded group of Wisconsin and Minnesota student athletes. Session 1’s defense was made up of defensive linemen and linebackers, and between the players and some very talented coaches it was an electric atmosphere! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="31384" first="David" last="Gauderman"], 2023 DL- Wittenberg- Birnamwood</strong> This was my third time getting to see David live and he has gotten better every time. He has been growing and filling out really well as he stands at about 6’2" 235 lbs. The blend of athleticism and power is becoming more and more disruptive along the defensive line too. I wasn’t the only person drawn to David’s performance. I know the DL coaches we had working the Showcase were big fans of his play. Gauderman was also taking to their coaching so well that not only did he look better than the last time I saw him, but he actually was looking better from rep to rep in the 1 on 1 battles. The #1 player in 2023 for Wisconsin was a beast and showed why he holds that ranking. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1389255310917836805[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="49958" first="Gannon" last="Rosenfeld"], 2022 DL- Mankato West</strong> The first Minnesota resident to catch my eye was the 2022 Mankato West DL. The 6’2" 220 lbs junior had one of the best initial bursts out of his stances. It wasn’t just his foot quickness either. He had the quick hands to utilize effective rip and club moves. His bend and flexibility allowed him to get underneath linemen on his rush too. Like I mentioned with David above, Rosenfeld seemed to have the DL coaches attention during the 1 on 1 battles as they would work with him after his reps to help him improve before his next attempt. I loved seeing how coachable these dudes were. [embed]https://twitter.com/MJ_NFLDraft/status/1388940466146758663[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="112045" first="Jack" last="Liwienski"], 2023 DL- Minnetonka</strong> Jack was impressive during the individual drill work. While being a 6’3" 265 lbs sophomore, Jack demonstrated special hip mobility and quickness. They were doing a drill where they were simulating hand fighting moves and flipping their hips back and forth. Pound for pound, nobody moved as easily as Jack. In the 1 on 1 battles Jack showed that he can take that technique from the drills and implement it into live action. Quick and strong hands, powerful lower half to generate a push to collapse the pocket. It was on full display. I left Minnesota a big fan of the 2023 recruit. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1388941695375613953[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="18423" first="Chase" last="Carter"], 2022 DL- Blake School</strong> The best player in attendance at the Showcase was 6’6’’ 220 lbs DE [player_tooltip player_id="18423" first="Chase" last="Carter"]. His reps in the one on one battles proved why he is currently the 5th best player in the Class of 2022 and a legitimate P5 D1 athlete. I was expecting to see him using his length to win consistently, but most of the time it never came to having to use it. Instead he used his elite agility and quick twitch acceleration. Rep after rep offensive linemen weren’t able to even get a hand on him to slow him down. He would leave them grasping at air as he quickly slipped by them. When he did have to use his hands he could quickly get hands down and then rip past them. Stud. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1388939820668489731[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="112052" first="Martin" last="Owusu"], 2023 DL- Prior Lake</strong> One of the best built prospects at the Showcase was Owusu. The 6'5'' 245 lbs DL was a freak. He flashed his power and burst along with some of the heaviest hands of all the defensive linemen. Martin was also one of the most technically sound defensive linemen in attendance. He showed off a really nice swim move during some of his 1 on 1 battles. A lot of his reps were finished thanks to his body control and flexibility. He could create really good bend and lean and even if he got pushed off platform he could continue right on his path. Owusu is going to be a name at the top of a lot of recruiting boards over the next couple of years. His performance on Sunday gave us a look into why that should be the case. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1389256926790254593[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118498" first="Caleb" last="Rinard"], 2022 LB- De Pere</strong> Ever since I received his film while doing some Film Analysis articles early this year over at Prep Redzone Wisconsin I have become a big fan of Caleb's game. The kid loves to play too. He helped his team win on Friday then made the trip over to Minnesota to ball out in front of scouts and college coaches. The 6' 200 lbs LB got the job done too. He killed it in the 1 on 1 battles covering RBs out of the backfield and in the slot. His short area agility paired with good recovery speed made him a difficult LB to make a completion against. His technique in drills were sharp as well. There was even a moment in the drills where I watched the coach stop the drill after his rep to use it as an example of how the drill should be done. Rinard killed it at every phase of the Showcase. He also helped finish off an undefeated season for De Pere last night. Baller. [embed]https://twitter.com/OliverJamesWes1/status/1389261728014381064[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="118408" first="Matthew" last="Stephany"], 2022 LB- Sheboygan Lutheran</strong> My next top LB is another Wisconsin resident. The 6'1" 205 lbs LB has good length for the position and he uses it well. His read and reaction was quick and his athletic traits capitalized on what his eyes were telling him. Matthew did a great job trusting his eyes and it got him in proper position in coverage over and over. He was another prospect that first jumped out during the positional drill portion. That was where he was able to show off his lateral quickness as he stayed square to the line while mirroring simulated RB movement. Wisconsin was well represented at the LB position. Great showing by Matthew! [embed]https://twitter.com/MJ_NFLDraft/status/1388941839546425345[/embed]