Santa Margarita Defensive Linemen Shine at Giant Skillz Showcase

Michael Huntley February 23, 2022 @ 07:54 AM

The Giant Skillz National Showcase camp was held in San Juan Capistrano over the weekend and some of the top linemen in the nation were on hand. Santa Margarita had several linemen at the event on both sides of the ball. The Eagles are losing Ohio State signee [player_tooltip player_id="141878" first="Hero" last="Kanu"] and USC PWO signee [player_tooltip player_id="143134" first="Kilian" last="O’Connor"], but the Eagles have a crop of young players ready to go. Here are some of the Eagles who impressed me on defense. [player_tooltip player_id="115437" first="Gage" last="Burnett"], 2024 Burnett transferred to Santa Margarita from Servite where he was the best edge rusher on the team. He was one of the fastest edge rushers at the event and was beating some of the top tackles at the event. He was a late addition to the Prep Redzone Stock Up Showcase in January and performed well there. He will be a crucial part of the Santa Margarita defense this year. https://twitter.com/GageCBurnett/status/1495597577810907136?s=20&t=ASu41OwRUn6qC3Jm55yn_A [player_tooltip player_id="270929" first="Nicholas" last="Johnson"], 2023 Johnson was the defensive lineman MVP at the Prep Redzone Stock Up Showcase and has been putting in work this offseason. He is lengthy but under 200 pounds and he knows how valuable this offseason in the weight room is for him. He is very fast and does a good job using his inside arm to hit the tackle’s shoulder and knock him off balanced. Kanu raved about him at the Stock Up Showcase and he has the tools to get some late offers if he continues to put on size. https://twitter.com/NicholasJ05/status/1495608130494812162?s=20&t=ASu41OwRUn6qC3Jm55yn_A [player_tooltip player_id="282745" first="Tyler" last="Parker"], 2025 Parker is one of the most confident young defensive linemen I’ve come across and for good reason. He compared himself to Aaron Donald on Twitter recently. He does have very strong hands and can beat you with multiple swim and rip moves. He is a wrestler which I like because it teaches you to make quick decisions and improvise quickly with your body and mind. A lot of the interior defensive linemen want to be ends who speed rush, but Parker knows he is a nose tackle and embraces it. He competed with some great upperclassmen linemen with his strength. He could be a national recruit in the next year or two. https://twitter.com/iam_tylerparker/status/1495584606602465282?s=20&t=ASu41OwRUn6qC3Jm55yn_A [player_tooltip player_id="253294" first="Jaden" last="Williams"], 2025 Williams is the younger brother of former Tesoro All-County tackle Justin Williams. What impressed be about Williams is that he had to play out of position at defensive tackle when he is typically an edge rusher. He didn’t complain and adapted well with less space to work with. He is aggressive with his hands and has solid footwork. His club move is already very good and will only get better when he adds strength in the weight room. https://twitter.com/JadenWilliams_5/status/1495621520785567747?s=20&t=ASu41OwRUn6qC3Jm55yn_A