2025 Watch List: 5 Up and Coming DL

What is most impressive about the 2025 class in the state of Georgia is the well rounded talent at various positions. As one may have already seen within our series, the state is deep with talent, even within the freshman class, making it very exciting to see how the class pans out over the years. As for right now though, we wanted to shine some light on some of the top up and coming DL in the state, as we believe whole heartedly that they will only continue to grow, develop, and improve in the next few years. If you have some time, we highly encourage you to catch on to this talent early when you have the chance. Makhi Williams-Lee - Lakeside Makhi has already had a great impact on his team, as he has made plays for his team as a freshman on both the offensive, and defensive side of the ball. While he plays OL as well, we primarily view him as a DL due to the potential he has displayed with his raw ability to make tackles, and plays on the ball. Makhi does a great job of powering through the line with his strong lower body strength, and complimentary to this, his great use of hands and arms also helps him to create separation from linemen, positioning him better to make tackles, or plays on the passer. Makhi also plugs gaps well, and rolls his hips cleanly off of the ball, making it easier to keep players off balance. In addition to this, he also plays with great feet, which helps him to adjust well to the speed of the game, even despite his youth at his position. As the years go by, watch him to become more fluid in his movement. Dan'Quavious Cummings- Thomson Cummings has already shown to have success in pursuit as a young player, and while his feet may be a tad slow at times, his overall burst, and explosive ability off of the ball allows him to continuously be in good position to make plays. Nevertheless, Cummings also does a great job of getting to the ball carrier, and his explosive upper body allows him to handle opposing linemen with ease. Next year, we expect him to take a leap in his ability to pressure the passer, as he has already had success doing so, but we think he will certainly make a name for himself as he further develops. Walter Mathis- Calvary Day One of the things we love most about Mathis is the wide, long frame that he plays with, as well as his explosive lower body. This in itself allows him to always be in good position to plug gaps, or use his hands and strength to collapse the pocket, or pressure the passer. Off the ball, Mathis is great at keeping his legs moving, as well as overpower opposing linemen with his raw strength. In addition to this, Mathis also rolls his hips well, exploding through contact and making it hard to slow him down at the point of contact, thus putting him in position to effortlessly make plays in the backfield, or in pursuit. Elijah Griffin- Savannah Christian Prep Out of this entire list, Griffin is perhaps the most naturally gifted prospect, with the highest ceiling. At this stage of his high school career, he has already seen multiple D1 offers, and this is completely reflective of the way he plays football at a high level. As a freshman last year, he already showed to have an incredible burst off of the ball, with fluid movement skills, and great speed. This, paired with his pass rush skills, and strong upper body transition when powering out of his stance, is what sets him apart and makes us believe that he will become one of the better players out of his class. Sekou Peters- Westlake As a young prospect, one thing that stands out about Peters is his ability to play with quick hands, and wrap up well on ball carriers, reducing the amount of yards that are gained on his defense. One can see that off the line, he works with precision, and this reflects his natural ability to play the position, and apply coaching methods in which he has witnessed. With this, Peters also moves with fluidity and is good in pursuit, which is proven by some of the plays, and tackles he has made, that have been very impressive for his age. While Peters is very raw at times, he shows flashes of greatness, making him worth tracking as the years go by.