The Line Showcase IL: Standout Defensive Linemen

The defensive trench monsters came to play yesterday in St. Charles, IL at The Line Showcase! Defensive linemen from several states came out to show off what they got in front of college coaches live and via live stream while also going through combine testing, drill work, and one on one battles. In today’s article I want to dive into the DL prospects that caught my eye throughout the day. Let’s get it started! <strong>Terrell Thomas, ’23- Arrowhead</strong> One of the most impressive looking athletes in attendance was the 6’3" 270 lbs junior from Arrowhead HS in WI. The long and lean athlete with a powerful base had an exceptional day from start to finish. You could see his natural athleticism and flexibility through the drills as he made each rep look simple. His violent, aggressive hands provided some of the loudest pops when he punched the bags, and his loose hips allowed him to quickly change directions or bend around the edge without losing speed. In one on ones, Terrell dominated. He flashed a special first step get off and then won in a variety of ways. He won with pure power as he drove the OL back into the bag. He won with those heavy hands as he swatted the OL arms to the side and quickly slipped past. Lastly, he won with speed and lateral agility. Thomas killed the day and was also one of the top combine performers in several areas. Big time name to know up in WI. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="164509" first="Reginald" last="Anderson"], ’23-George Westinghouse</strong> The 5’10" 190 lbs edge rusher doesn’t have the prototypical size, but that didn’t stop Anderson from catching my eyes rep after rep. His burst off the line gave him a big advantage over the OL as he quickly was able to get to a spot where he could either try and gain leverage, or he could quickly get around the edge before the linemen could slide to cut him off. That burst and top end speed were verified in the combine portion of the day where Reginald posted the second fastest pro agility at 4.63 seconds, the fastest 10 yard split at 1.50 seconds, and the second fastest 20 yard split at 2.81 seconds. Anderson is going to be a name to keep an eye on next season in IL. He has the athleticism to play at the next level. <strong>Maverick Ohle, ’24- Naperville Central</strong> A very exciting prospect was the 6’2" 220 lbs sophomore out of Naperville Central. The thick, long athlete paired heavy hands and overall strength with a very good blend of flexibility and light feet making him a big time name to know going forward. That flexibility and light feet are verified by the second fastest L-Drill of the day with 7.47 seconds. In drills, Maverick was a natural athlete who moved through the bags and accelerated with ease. In the one on ones Ohle flashed his elite level strength that when paired with the athleticism made him nearly impossible to slow down. Great day by the underclassmen. <strong>Jackson Kitzmiller, ’25- Madison Edgewood</strong> Jackson has had himself a great first fall and winter of high school football. He broke onto the scene becoming a consistent contributor on the DL of one of the best team’s in the state of WI, and has carried that over to the offseason. The 5’10" 230 lbs DT is a thick, compact athlete that wins with a strong mix of short area agility, quickness, and power. His loose hips and overall flexibility allow him to play even lower than his 5’10" height. In tight spaces, Kitzmiller does a great job of using that flexibility and getting his hands inside on the OL quickly so he can gain leverage and control, turn him, and then make his move to defeat the block. He did that repeatedly in one on ones. Jackson is just scratching the surface and as he continues to grow and get even quicker and stronger he could be poised to be a top talent at his position by his senior year. I’m pumped to watch the freshman’s development going forward. Big things ahead for him! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="170601" first="Neil" last="Rockey"], ’22- Whitney Young</strong> The 6’2" 225 lbs senior DE had himself a consistently strong day. He first caught my eyes with aggressive hands that stood out from the crowd as he went through the drill work. Every rep he performed you could hear the bags popping. That carried over to the one on one battles where Neil won several reps while I watched his group. That hand usage again came in clutch as he was able to swipe linemen’s arms away. Off the field the senior is just as impressive, and that deserves to be shouted out. Rockey has a 4.4 GPA, 34 ACT, and a 1480 SAT. Any colleges looking for a strong athlete on and off the field need to give him a look. <strong>Ogbonna Uwgu- Uche, ’23- St. Ignatius</strong> The 5’11" 185 lbs junior won’t fit many height/weight requirements, but you can’t argue with what he did on the field at The Line Showcase. Ogbonna was lightning quick off the snap on every rep, whether it was in the drill work or the one on ones. That first step gave the OL fits as Ogbonna accelerated to top speed by step two or three and would quickly bend the corner to get the win. Ogbonna was a strong performer in the combine also where he posted the third fastest L- Drill with 7.5 seconds, and the 5th fastest 20 yard split with 2.86 seconds. Name to watch next season! <strong>Tristan Mick, ’23- Muskego</strong> Mick has me excited for his offseason of development. The 6’2" 240 lbs DT was already a force along the DL for a powerful Muskego team, and with a strong offseason could have himself a dominant senior campaign. He is starting that offseason off with a great performance at The Line Showcase. His thick, powerful frame didn’t restrain him from playing with very light feet as he burst off the line and also quickly chopped through bags in drill work. I was really impressed with his hand usage improvement through the day. He received some coaching tips on it before leading his group in the drills and with each rep made consistent jumps. It culminated with a dominant performance in the one on ones where those hands were active from snap to whistle making it hard for the OL to ever gain control or leverage. Great day for the junior! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="31391" first="Brandon" last="Wraalstad"], ’23- Oconomowoc</strong> The 6’4" nearly 240 lbs DE from WI had himself a dominant performance. Every drill, every one on one battle, and every combine drill. In the combine, Brandon finished Top 5 in the powerball toss, L- Drill, pro agility, and the 20 yard split showing a well balanced athletic profile between power and agiilty/athleticism. That carried over to the drills where the big athlete made drills look simple with his quick feet and heavy hands. The one on ones were unfair as he won with speed equally as much as he won with power. Definitely a name to watch going forward! <strong>Nathan Gibbons, ’22- Sandburg</strong> One of the best overall athletes in attendance was the senor out of Sandburg in IL. Gibbons placed Top 5 in the pro agility, 10 yard split, and 20 yard split. That burst, acceleration, and overall athleticism paired with a 6’2" 230 lbs frame made Nathan an eye catching performer. He first caught my eyes in the drill work where he attacked every rep with aggression. Aggression that showed up with massive bag pops. Where Nathan shined the most was in the one on one battles. Gibbons was able to win in every fashion. I saw him bull rush linemen right back into the QB bag after getting his big, heavy hands inside and getting leverage. I also saw those hands swipe away linemen’s hands, and then finish with the lateral agility to get around the edge for the win. I didn’t see the senior lose a rep. College coaches don’t miss out!