2022 Austin Area Rankings: Defensive Linemen

Central Texas defensive linemen seem to be built differently. These five defensive linemen especially have all of the traits to be considered elite, and then some. Each is unique in their own ways, and their tape only showcases their potential for the next step in football. Check out these five excellent defensive linemen from the Austin area! 1. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="257016" first="Tucker" last="Harrison"] - Vandegrift High School (Austin, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 93 total tackles, 80 solo tackles, 21 tackles for a loss, 14 sacks, 2 forced fumbles When it comes to disruption, Harrison defines the word. He is able to consistently be in the backfield and tear through the offensive line. This is not the first year Harrison has displayed these skills, he has done so throughout his high school career. Against any team or offensive line, Harrison is able to create chaos for the offense on several plays. He is strong and extremely fast off the snap. Particularly, in his tape against Steele, he was able to easily slip through the offensive line and stop a run before it even started. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/8230101/6198a2c44205e10584b9291a" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> 2. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="256499" first="Ethan" last="Burke"] - Westlake High School (Austin, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 58 total tackles, 40 solo tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, 12 sacks, 19 hurries, 1 interception, 3 forced fumbles, 1 blocked punt Burke signed with Texas back in December but also received multiple offers including from Kansas State, Michigan, Air Force, and Army. Westlake has been a constant dominant force in Texas high school football, and the defense is a large part of that. Burke was a master at creating disruption, but what makes him truly stand out is his play recognition. In one instance on his tape, he was able to stay back and let a play work out before rushing in and making a big play. He has the patience and the awareness to tell when a play-action is happening versus a straight run play. Burke is a monster on the field and the Longhorns now have a great asset. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11372778/61d1f41a345274053c55a748" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> 3. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="257017" first="Max" last="Linhoff"] - Lake Travis High School (Austin, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 82 total tackles, 33 solo tackles, 26 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, 14 hurries, 1 interception returned for a touchdown, 3 forced fumbles Much like the others, Linhoff is also able to cause disruption for the offense, but his play recognition is also worth noting. For one instance, his interception for a touchdown was purely based on how he could quickly diagnose the play and make the play happen. Players with such awareness on the field are incredibly dangerous, and he has the speed and athleticism to back up the necessities of an elite defensive lineman. Linhoff is exceptionally fast off the snap, and can even create chaos when being double-blocked. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/14956775/61c2495396767906a4097a11" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> 4. <strong>Travien Brown - Round Rock High School (Round Rock, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 40 total tackles, 34 solo tackles, 6 tackles for a loss, 9 sacks, 19 hurries, 1 fumble recovery Brown has been on of the highlights for the Round Rock defense for a while now. He is quick has excellent handwork against offensive linemen, and is consistently in the backfield. Brown has that same athleticism and speed as the other elite defensive linemen in this list. He is able to stop a run before it even starts, and is not afraid to get in the trenches with the offensive linemen. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12833152/61e0c50823481a066491b2b5" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> 5. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="257018" first="Kyle" last="Knudson"] - Bowie High School (Austin, TX)</strong> 2021 Season: 97 total tackles, 12 solo tackles, 7 tackles for a loss, 9 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 2 forced fumbles Knudson has incredible strength just basing off of his tape. He is able to consistently get after the quarterback, which is backed up by his stats. More so, he is also able to create turnovers consistently as well and is able to force the ball out often. He always seems to be getting into the backfield, and when he is not able to, is able to still make plays such as stuffing the run in incoordination with his teammates. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11373376/618dcbca90ef0e04f8dc491d" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>