Updated 2022 Rankings Newcomers: Defensive Line

We continue breaking down our updated rankings by looking at the newcomers in our rankings in the 2022 class on the defensive line. No. 43 / DL #13 [player_tooltip player_id="147894" first="Tyrone" last="Sturgis"] | 6’4 / 200 | Imhotep We recently looked at Sturgis in our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2021/06/22-rankings-stock-risers-ols-dls/">"’22 Rankings Stock-Risers: OL’s & DL’s"</a> piece. Sturgis is a highly productive player for Imhotep Charter and has tremendous upside that should land him at a very good Group of Five or FCS program. He will of course need to get bigger going forward but he’s quick of the ball and shows really good explosion. Mix that with tenacity and you have a defensive end who constantly is a threat to get to the quarterback or any ball carrier in the backfield. He’s going to be a playmaker at the next level. No. 77 / DL #16 [player_tooltip player_id="143198" first="Debrick" last="Johnson"] | 6’4 / 220 | Conwell-Egan Johnson reads and reacts to plays very well, often finding the football quickly and making the necessary play. Combine that with a good first step and explosion off the line and you have a player who is often causing havoc in the backfield. He uses his hands when needed to get past defenders physically and has some solid flexibility and bend when needed. Overall, Johnson is a big playmaking threat on defense for Conwell-Egan and could be the same at the next level. No. 86 / DL #18 [player_tooltip player_id="149976" first="Julien" last="Laventure"] | 6’2 / 280 | Upper Darby A two-sport athlete, Laventure is a mauler both on the football field but also on the wrestling mat. A player I believe can be a gem and a rising star in this class, Laventure shows great explosion for a player his size and is often in the backfield before the ball carrier can realize it. He creates tremendous leverage and will win most hand battles, a lot of that thanks to his wrestling background. On the mat, he’s a PIAA All-State wrestler with a career 45-17 record entering next school year. But on the football field, his future is bright and he should end up at a very good FCS program. No. 157 / DL #23 [player_tooltip player_id="140857" first="Steven" last="Oaddams"] | 6’6 / 250 | Olney Oaddams doesn't have the quickest of first steps at times but makes up for it with his long stride and high motor. He uses his 6-foot-6 frame to his advantage in both tackling and swatting down passes. He does a good job of getting off of blocks and getting nearby ball carriers as well. Overall, just a really good knack for finding and getting to the ball. He has solid athleticism overall and with work could become an even better one. There's a lot to like about Oaddams and what he brings to the table, and once he gets some polishing, he could become quite the game-changer. No. 212 / DL #30 [player_tooltip player_id="140896" first="Mike" last="Durrett"] | 6’2 / 280 | Sto-Rox A quality prospect, Durrett has a lot to like about him. He shows a lot of quality fundamentals and has a high motor which makes up for any shortcomings he may have. He's not the most explosive player but at defensive tackle does a good job of eating up space and forcing his way into the backfield when he can. When he does get his arms around a ball carrier, he is strong in bringing them down. It was a bit hard to see all parts of his game on his tape due to the distance of the camera but overall I think there is a lot to work with Durrett. No. 221 / DL #31 [player_tooltip player_id="143197" first="Jamar" last="Brison"] | Northeast Brison is a nice interior defensive line prospect out of Northeast High School. While he doesn't have the quickest of first steps, Brison's size and power allow him to make up for it as he engages with opposing offensive linemen. He's solid in creating leverage for himself and powering himself through smaller offensive lineman. When he does get moving, he shows some solid athleticism and closing speed on ball carriers. No. 229 / DL #32 [player_tooltip player_id="140834" first="Lamir" last="Molina"] | 6’3 / 230 | Benjamin Franklin Molina is a prospect who shows some promise but improvements within his athleticism will be made. A lot of his highlights come as a standup edge rusher with a quality first step. He’s not the most explosive defensive lineman on this list but there is enough explosion off the line for a college coach to work with going forward. He shows a good motor in getting to ball carriers and has quality closing speed as well. Overall, he seems like a smart player who plays within himself and makes the plays that he knows he can make, he won’t try to play “hero ball” by any means and end up hurting his team. He’s the type of player any team could use. No. 294 / DL #35 [player_tooltip player_id="156281" first="Malachi" last="Kea"]| 6’1 / 225 | Roman Catholic A two-time All-Catholic League defensive end, Kea is a high-intensity player who is terrific against the run. He constantly is winning hand battles and eventually beating defenders to get into the backfield or to get at any ball carrier. He explodes off the line with a good first step and shows his athleticism and explosion in other parts of his game as well including jumping to knock down pass attempts. He’s a player coaches should keep an eye on going into his senior year where I think he could be in for a monster season. He’s also terrific in the classroom sporting a 4.67 GPA. No. 316 / DL #36 [player_tooltip player_id="140909" first="Braden" last="Flint"] | 6’2 / 260 | Montour Flint is a prospect that has quite a bit of upside and a lot of that is due to his high-quality athleticism. Flint has one of the best motors I've seen out of this defensive line class and has great closing speed as well. He shows terrific football IQ as well as knowing which route to take to the ball carrier, being able to limit the ball carrier's potential paths forward. He's rarely out of a play and is constantly around the ball. He doesn't necessarily have one skill that puts him over the top but is a bit of a jack of all trades that is going to find himself being a productive player at the next level. No.334 / DL #38 [player_tooltip player_id="149997" first="Shannon" last="Core"] | 5’8 / 220 | West Scranton Core may be on the smaller side height-wise for a defensive lineman but he sure is a player that plays his heart out on the field to make up for that size. Despite the height differential at times, Core is solid in finding leverage against opposing offensive linemen and getting into the backfield. A good space-eater, he's not going to be the type of lineman to constantly be chasing people down but when a ball carrier is in his vicinity, he finds ways to make the plays that are needed to be made. Other defensive line newcomers No.354 / DL #41 [player_tooltip player_id="156295" first="Jaheim" last="Oates"] | 6’1 / 235 | Boys Latin No. 363 / DL #42 [player_tooltip player_id="156309" first="Ethan" last="Cottrell"] | Bonner & Prendie