The Elite Front 7 in Virginia’s Class of 2024

Orey Ferrell

March 14, 2022 @ 10:24 AM

This article will feature the elite "Front 7" from across the state. We will take a look at a combination of the top Defensive Linemen and Linebackers in the Class of 2024. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-30785" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2020/07/ReasonsfortheRankings1-e1614728587309-300x227.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="227" />   [player_tooltip player_id="293566" first="Kristopher" last="Jones"] | 6’2’’ 225 lbs | Mountain View High School | Linebacker Jones is the top ranked Linebacker on our list and the 4th overall ranked prospect in the state. He earned 1st Team All Region and 1st Team All District honors this past season. The recruiting stock for Jones is starting to sky rocket as has 13 Division 1 offers from the likes of Maryland, Old Dominion, West Virginia, Marshall, Louisville, Syracuse, Wake Forest, Coastal Carolina, UNC-Charlotte, Virginia, Arizona State, Virginia Tech, and Penn State.   [player_tooltip player_id="293571" first="Makai" last="Byerson"] | 6’5’’ 220 lbs | Manchester High School | Defensive Line Byerson is the 15 overall prospect within the state and listed as the top ranked Defensive Lineman as an edge rusher. He was named 1st Team All Region and 2nd Team All Metro, but also showed that he can be a huge mismatch for defenses on the opposite side of the ball. He has amazing athleticism and great footwork. It’s not a surprise that he was also named 2nd Team All Region 6A for basketball. He currently holds offers from Virginia Tech, Old Dominion, East Carolina, and Marshall.   [player_tooltip player_id="159395" first="Micah" last="Pennix"] | 6’1’’ 270 lbs | Brookville High School | Defensive Line Pennix is the 19th ranked overall prospect in the state of Virginia and the 2nd ranked Defensive Lineman. He was named 1st Team All State and First All Region 3C as a Defensive Linemen, and also was named 2nd Team All Region as an Offensive Lineman. He already has an offer from Liberty.   [player_tooltip player_id="157099" first="Collin" last="Hughes"] | 6’2’’ 265 lbs | Hylton High School | Defensive Line Hughes is the 3rd ranked Defensive Lineman on our list and the 38th overall prospect in the state. Recently he announced that he will be transferring from Hylton next season to play in the highly coveted WCAC conference for Bishop Ireton. I’m excited to see this young man compete in one of the country’s best high school football conferences. He earned 2nd Team All District 6 this past fall, and is also a superior track athlete who is ranked high in the state in the shot put.   Aidan Jones | 6’2’’ 280 lbs | Thomas Dale High School | Defensive Line Jones is our 4th ranked Defensive Lineman and 47th overall prospect. He is a 2 year varsity starter and one of the more dominant run stoppers in the state. He demands a constant double team from Offensive Lineman, and has the ability to cause constant disruption in the backfield. He finished the season with 20 total tackles for Thomas Dale High School.   [player_tooltip player_id="185358" first="Andre" last="Williams"] | 6’4’’ 215 lbs | Clover Hill High School | Defensive Line Williams is the ranked as the 5th Defensive Lineman , but he has the versatility to attack from the edge or as a Linebacker. He is the 48th overall prospect in the state, but has the intangibles to make a large jump in the rankings. He is a pure athlete who can run a 4.64 in the 40 yard dash and jump 8’7’’ in the Broad Jump. He tallied 64 tackles, 1 interception, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass break up, and 1 field goal block for Clover Hill last season.