23' Rankings: DL Breakdowns

Over the next few months we're going to be diving into our rankings positional breakdowns to highlight every single student athlete received the honor of being ranked. We've added over 300+ prospects to our class of 23' rankings with another 100+ added to the watchlist. If you feel like you should be ranked fill out our FREE <a href="https://prepredzone.com/prospect-index/">Prospect Player Index</a> which not only gets you on our radar but also college coaches' radar's as they can contact you straight off your account which is NCAA Approved. Enough said, we're diving into part one of our positional rankings breakdowns with the defensive lineman. Let's dive into it. <hr /> [player_tooltip player_id="20837" first="T.J." last="McMillen"] <a href="https://twitter.com/tjmcmillen44">Twitter</a> <img class=" wp-image-221940 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_5948-rotated-crop-2840x1865-1634999438-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="358" height="235" /> Mr. McMillen is one of the top players in the state for the class of 23' and one that I've had on my radar for some time now. He's a dominant lineman that can get it done on both sides of the ball. Personally, I like him a little bit more as a defensive lineman which is why he's projected as a balanced interior lineman that can work out of a 1 tech as well as a 3 tech. This young man has the playing speed to take pursuit angles along the line of scrimmage to make the tackle and at times can make the tackle downfield. He's quick out of his stance and is seen with his initial quickness to shoot gaps by having active hands - he can also take on double teams to keep the linebackers free. When he's working against centers/guards he's very disruptive as his quickness off the ball helps him get hands on the offensive lineman first. This is why he's able to consistently able to play strong versus blockers, once he gets hands on he keeps his knees bent and plays with leverage. When he shoots gaps he plays through the gap to get backfield penetration consistently resulting in plays being blown up. During his pass rush, he showcases a mix of using his power as well as swim/club moves. When he showcases his power, he uses a bull rush to jolt pass blockers backwards with his explosive punch resulting in him driving the offensive lineman back into the quarterback pocket forcing throwaways. When he uses his swim move, he wins at the snap with his initial quickness of the ball and ability to use his active hands quickly where he can come away with quarterback pressures as well as quarterback sacks. All in all, this young man can make plays in all situations. He's physical on contact with blockers and when he's making the tackle, a good combo of quickness and power on contact. Currently holds a handful of FBS Offers. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13230004/61777e16d45ee404bc20f02c">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="145342" first="Brooks" last="Bahr"] <a href="https://twitter.com/BrooksBahr99">Twitter</a> <img class=" wp-image-144014 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/Brooks-Bahr-DSC_6016-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="208" height="312" /> Mr. Bahr is a name that I had on my radar heading into the previous spring season and after this fall season he's seen his stock soar. There's no doubt as to why this happened, he has amazing size and is projected as a balanced 7 tech/edge rusher at the next level where he can use his long arms to get to the ball carrier consistency as he works out of his frame. This young man has a good first step where he uses his initial quickness to get on top of the offensive lineman before they're set to block. Upon doing so, he can explode into the offensive lineman which helps him jolt and drive the lineman backwards easily. Once he jolts the offensive run blocker, he has the ability to toss the lineman aside to make the tackle behind the line of scrimmage. He's quick to get hands on the run blocker where he locks out and presses the offensive lineman backwards until the ball carrier goes to make a move. Once this happens he can free up to make the tackle. His quickness off the ball at the snap is combined with his strength and active hand use at the point of attack. Here, he can consistently jolt the offensive lineman with his powerful punch before the lineman can get set to block putting him in a position to make a play on the ball carrier. This is shown both with the run coming at him as well as the run going away from him where he can consistently get the ball carrier down by using a combination of strength and his long arms. On passing downs, he explodes off the ball and jolts the offensive lineman back where he can drive the lineman back into the quarterback pocket. Upon doing so, he can disengage and close fast on the quarterback to come away with the sack or force the throwaway. This all happens as he beats the offensive lineman with his quick hands. Currently holds a handful of FBS Offers. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12824801/615a6035c1250905507246c4">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="135534" first="Roderick" last="Pierce III"] <a href="https://twitter.com/trey2023_">Twitter</a> <img class="size-medium wp-image-57629 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/10/Roderick-Pierce-III-300x290.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="290" /> Mr. Pierce is a name that has been on my radar heading into this fall season and one that continues to build upon his foundational skill set. He's projected as a balanced interior lineman working out of a 1 tech as well as a 3 tech, I do believe he would be able to work as a 2 tech or 4i tech as well. His explosiveness is showcased by him exploding into the offensive lineman which helps him jolt and drive the offensive lineman backwards. Upon jolting the run blocker, he has the ability to toss them aside to make the tackle behind the line of scrimmage. If he isn't able to make the play behind the line of scrimmage he can hold his gap control. Here, he remains gap sound by fighting against the down block. When he's working against the center/guard he's disruptive as he uses his quickness off the ball to get hands on the offensive lineman first. This is why he's able to consistently play strong versus blockers. Upon doing so, he also can keep his knees bent and play with leverage which results in him meeting the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage. When he's able to shoot the gap and get through he's able to generate backfield penetration further disrupting plays. On passing downs, his power is showcased when he uses his bull rush where he jolts pass blockers backwards with his explosive punch and drives back the offensive lineman into the quarterback pocket. This generates pressure on the quarterback and can force throwaways. He's physical on contact with blockers and takes backside pursuit to come away with the chasedown tackle at times. Currently holds a handful of FBS Offers. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12955923/6163b6140dbfd6089054f6d5">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="168914" first="Tyson" last="Beck"] <a href="https://twitter.com/TysonBeck13">Twitter</a> <img class=" wp-image-142812 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/72DDDDAE-9670-4056-8101-86A53BBD4654-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="182" height="243" /> Mr. Beck is a name that was on my radar heading into this fall season and one that is poised to have a standout senior season campaign. He has a high ceiling and is projected as a 7 tech/edge rusher at the next level. He has a good first step where he uses his initial quickness to get on top of the offensive lineman before they are set to block. What's impressive is his ability to get hands on quickly on the run blocker where he locks out and presses the offensive lineman backwards until the ball carrier goes to make a move. Upon doing so, he can free himself up to make the tackle. His quickness off the ball helps him get hands on the offensive lineman first which is why he's able to play strong versus blockers. This is where he can keep his knees bent and plays with leverage. When he shoots gaps he plays through the gap to get backfield penetration to further disrupt the play. On passing downs, he can beat the offensive lineman with his quick hands as he uses a swim move and can win the snap with his initial quickness when doing so. Once he turns the corner on the offensive tackle he disengages and closes on the quarterback quickly to come away with the sack or the throwaway. Currently has interest from FBS & FCS Programs, no offers from what I see. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15265141/6188122f38639105ec6ffb6a">Highlights</a> Anthony Cunningham Jr. <a href="https://twitter.com/ACunninghamJr1">Twitter</a> Mr. Cunningham is a name that I've had on my radar on since last season and one that can line up across the defensive line showcasing his versatility. This helps him gain the matchup advantage as he can line up as a 1 tech, 2 tech, 3 tech, 6 tech, and 7 tech/edge rusher. He's projected more as a 7 tech/edge rusher at the next level. No matter where he's lined up he can explode into the offensive lineman which helps him jolt and drive the lineman backwards easily. In run support, once he jolts the run blockers he can toss them aside to make the tackle behind the line of scrimmage. He also has the initial quickness to shoot gaps and get through to generate backfield penetration to further disrupt plays using his quick hands. In his pass rush, he can beat the offensive lineman with his quick hands and showcases his power by utilizing his bull rush to jolt pass blocker backward with his explosive punch and drives the lineman back into the quarterback pocket. Upon doing so, he can disengage and close quickly on the quarterback to come away with the sack or force throwaways. All in all, his versatility to line up both inside and outside across the line is one to keep an eye on heading into his senior season campaign. Currently holds a few FBS Offers. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13087502/6188b4a523477f031c5bb987">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="133959" first="Andrew" last="Laurich"] <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewLaurich">Twitter</a> <img class="size-medium wp-image-145006 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/841E6344-9A30-4584-929B-9B03CDA9F5CC-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> Mr. Laurich is a name that was on my radar heading into this fall season and one that works on a deadly defensive line alongside [player_tooltip player_id="145473" first="Andrew" last="Zook"] & Co. He's projected as a balanced 7 tech/edge at the next level and one that continues to improve each time I see him. He has a good first step where he utilizes his initial quickness to get on top of the offensive lineman before they are set to block. When he's playing against the run he can crash down the line of scrimmage to make the tackle in the A gap as well as in the B gap. He's quick to get hands on the run blocker where he can lock out and press the offensive lineman backward until the ball carrier goes to make a move. Once this happens, he can free himself up to make the tackle. His initial quickness off the ball helps him get hands on the offensive lineman first which is why he's able to consistently play strong versus blockers when his knees are bent and he plays with leverage to meet the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage. He has active hands and uses this to shoot gaps where he can get through to get backfield penetration further disrupting plays. On passing downs, he can get his hands up to deflect passes at the line of scrimmage and even ended up coming away with an interception this fall season. He can beat the offensive tackle with his quick hands and closes space quickly before turning the corner. Once he does so, he can disengage and close quickly on the quarterback where he can either come away with the quarterback sack or force a throwaway. This young man has the ability to make plays in big situations and is physical on contact with blockers. Currently holds FBS & FCS Offers. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12930750/617707c9176c58047c1b32cd">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="148599" first="Karl" last="Schmalz"] <a href="https://twitter.com/schmalz_karl">Twitter</a> Mr. Schmalz is a name I had on my radar heading into this fall season and one that made a name for himself during the fall season. He's projected as a balanced 7 tech/edge rusher at the next level. He has a good first step where he uses his initial quickness to get on top of the offensive lineman before they are set to block and is quick out of his stance. This young man is quick to get hands on the run blocker where he can lock out and press the offensive lineman backward until the ball carries goes to make a move. Once this happens, he can free himself up to make the tackle. His quickness off the ball helps him get hands on the offensive lineman first which is why he's able to consistently play strong versus blockers by keeping his knees bent and playing with leverage. He uses his initial quickness to shoot gaps and gets through to get backfield penetration consistently where he can blow up plays. On passing downs, he can beat the offensive tackle with his quick hands and can win at the snap with his initial quickness when he uses his swim move. He closes space quickly between the offensive tackle and can turn the corner. Upon doing so, he can disengage and close quickly on the quarterback to come away with the quarterback sack as well as force throwaways. Currently holds no offers from what I see, recently went on a Junior Day Visit to Northern Illinois University. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/15185556/6189f845b01870040c0bf61b">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="65911" first="Jeh'Chys" last="Brown"] <a href="https://twitter.com/ChysBrown">Twitter</a> Mr. Brown is a name I had on my radar heading into this fall season and one that continues to showcase his run stopping skill set. He's projected as a run stopping interior lineman at the next level that can work out of a 1 tech as well as a 3 tech. This young man can explode into the offensive lineman which helps him jolt and drive the lineman backward. He does a good job holding gap control as he remains gap sound by fighting against down blocks and has active hands. After jolting the offensive lineman, he can toss them aside to make the tackle at the line of scrimmage when the run is coming his way. He's disruptive when he's working against the center/guard where he can shoot the gap and get through generating backfield penetration to further disrupt plays. On passing downs, he showcases his power by utilizing his bull rush to jolt pass blockers backward with his explosive punch and drives the lineman back into the quarterback pocket. This forces quarterback pressure resulting in him throwing the ball away. He's also physical on contact with blockers, a trait to keep an eye on moving forward from this young man. Currently holds no offers, name to watch heading into his Senior Season Campaign. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13426252/617777147bd35009b8f69e42">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="136965" first="CJ" last="Campos"] <a href="https://twitter.com/CallanCampos">Twitter</a> Mr. Campos is a name I had on my radar heading into this fall season and one that is an interesting prospect. He works both as an outside linebacker as well as a 7 tech/edge rusher. He's projected to be a balanced 7 tech at the next level given his good size and skill set transitioning well into that spot. He has a good first step which he uses his initial quickness to get on top of the offensive lineman before they are set to block. He's quick to get hands on the run blocker where he locks out and presses the offensive lineman backward until the ball carrier goes to make a move. Once this happens he can free himself up to make the tackle and showcased his ability to have active hands. His quickness off the ball helps him get hands on the offensive lineman first at times where he can play strong versus blockers as he keeps his knees bent and plays with leverage to meet the ball carrier at the line of scrimmage. He also takes backside pursuit to come away with the chasedown tackle. On passing downs, he showcased the ability to beat the offensive tackle with his quick hands where he can close space quickly before turning the corner. This all happens with him utilizing his swim move as he can win at the snap with his initial quickness. Once he turns the corner, he can disengage and close quickly on the quarterback coming away with the sack or forcing the throwaway. All in all, this young man has a high upside heading into his senior season campaign. Currently holds no offers from what I see, did go on game day visits to Northern Illinois University and The University of Illinois. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12976028/619173abb3d3600a389e2afa">Highlights</a> [player_tooltip player_id="118997" first="Grzegorz" last="Krupa"] <a href="https://twitter.com/GrzegorzKrupa5">Twitter</a> <img class=" wp-image-218600 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/10/IMG_5789-225x300.jpeg" alt="" width="210" height="280" /> Mr. Krupa is a name that I had on my radar heading into this fall season and one that I got a chance to see in person as well. His film doesn't do him justice of how aggressive and attacking he is in his playstyle. He's projected as a balanced 7 tech/edge at the next level that is physical on contact with blockers. He can explode into the offensive lineman which helps him jolt and drive the lineman backward and has a good first step where he can use his initial quickness to get on top of the offensive lineman before they are set to block. This young man can hold gap control where he remains gap sound holding outside contain before triggering to the ball carrier and is quick to get hands on the run blocker. Here, he can lock out and press the offensive lineman backward until the ball carrier goes to make a move. Once this happens, he can free himself up to make the tackle. He has active hands which he uses when shooting gaps as he can get into the backfield generating penetration on the play. On passing downs, he showcased the ability to beat the offensive lineman with quick hands and closes space quickly between the offensive tackle before turning the corner. Upon doing so, he can disengage and close on the quarterback to come away with the quarterback sack or a throwaway. He showcases his power in his bull rush where he can jolt the pass blocker backward with his explosive punch and drives the lineman back into the quarterback pocket generating pressure on the play. This young man is also an aggressive lineman that can get it done on both sides of the ball, I personally like his skill set on the defensive side of the ball a tad bit more. Currently holds no offers, keep an eye on this young man during his Senior Season Campaign. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12288699/61994ae0664cf70e90ec0a47">Highlights</a> <hr /> Be sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/PRZJordan">@PRZJordan</a> regarding news & information for Illinois High School Football as well as <a href="https://twitter.com/prepredzoneIL">@PrepRedzoneIL</a>. Want to be ranked? Fill out our FREE <a href="https://prepredzone.com/prospect-index/">Prospect Player Index</a>, another tool to help you in your recruiting journey.