All-Northeast Defensive Line Recap

On May 7th in Albany, Prospect NYS hosted their All-Northeast showcase featuring some of the top prospects from all over the Northeast. The event was a 12-hour marathon that allowed players to get maximum reps in different pods with detailed coaching. The event was truly unique as it allowed the best camera angles I have seen in a camp setting. In addition, athletics Westchester conducted verified diagnostic testing, where players received personalized instruction before and after running.  Also in attendance were dozens of college coaches who took advantage of the opportunity. Thank you to Brian Hawkins and all the Prospect NYS staff and coaches who allowed me to cover the event. There is a lot of ground to cover from the all-day event, so in this first piece, we will look at the defensive line from the first portion of the showcase that featured a good number of New York players. <strong>Defensive Line</strong> The defensive line unit was stacked, featuring four players from Erasmus Hall with D1 talent.  Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="241147" first="Caden" last="Brown"] was dynamic when I watched him and was too quick for most of the OL in the 1 on 1’s, displaying two-way go moves with wins going inside and bending the edge. I was interested to see how he moved in drill work because with his frame, he is a natural candidate for an odd front OLB and he could redirect with ease showing his athleticism. Brown has offers from Nebraska and Washington, to name a few. [player_tooltip player_id="241143" first="Aaris" last="Bethea"] also made the trip and the standout showed his versatility at both DT and DE. He is almost impossible to block when lined up at DT because most Guards cannot match his quickness and length. Bethea even brings more value with his ability to work as an edge or 4i player if needed. Bethea recently received an Ole Miss offer. [player_tooltip player_id="337897" first="Abdoul" last="Idriss"] is another DE/OLB edge rusher who already looks the part. He showed multiple pass rush moves against the top OL in attendance. I think Idriss is right on the verge of becoming a name everyone in the state knows. Now the biggest surprise for me was seeing sophomore DT/Nose [player_tooltip player_id="338358" first="Malik" last="Person"] in person. Person put on a show as most young Defensive Linemen stick to a comfort zone of a couple of moves in competition, but Malik showed a complete variety winning reps all day long. His aggressive hands and get-off allow him to deploy any move he wants. [player_tooltip player_id="338358" first="Malik" last="Person"] is a complementary mix of natural ability and technique. He doesn’t have the traditional length as the other D Linemen who competed, but he dominated! Junior [player_tooltip player_id="233631" first="Shaun" last="Ayers"] had solid reps competing on the edge and is a player who I think fits on the inside at the next level as either a 3 tech or a 4i in a Tite/Mint style front allowing him to leverage length and power on the interior. He is another player who I think is right on the edge of taking it to the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="338409" first="Cody" last="Smith"] looks physically impressive and he appeared bigger than I expected. He is an all-effort player with the athletism to match. His get-offs were fast, and he did a good job reacting to the tackle’s body, leveraging what move to use. His lateral quickness flashed when he could redirect after using an initial move during a pass rush. I was excited to see [player_tooltip player_id="233586" first="Christopher" last="Bacon"] compete as he is someone I have watched in person at Holy Trinity. The former QB recently received his first D1 offer from Lafayette College, and I think he is only touching the surface as an edge player. He is athletic enough to play anywhere and has sneaky power. Bacon also showed good hand placement when working his moves. Erasmus Hall Defensive Line Coach Chad Ellis coached the Defensive Line players.