Five 2023 Defensive Tackles to Watch

<span style="font-size: 10pt;">As we get closer to the 2022-23 high school football season and summer camp season is in full swing, the recruiting cycle for the senior class of 2023 is heating up. Over the past few weeks, I have been focusing on five players at each position that should be on college radars. This week I will be taking a look at some of the top defensive tackles in the class of 2023 in the state of Kentucky.</span> <strong>Jamarrion Harkless</strong>| 6’2", 305 lbs.| Frederick Douglass High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12909732/61b0d9bd4debbc08e8506a7b">Junior Year Film</a> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">Harkless is one of many Broncos that has had his name right in the middle of the mix when it comes to recruiting. He has already received a long list of Power Five offers, with a big wave of SEC offers coming his way in the past couple months. Harkless is a physical defensive lineman that has the strength to fight through double teams from the nose spot but also has the speed to work off the edge as a pass rusher. He plays with a super high motor with the ability to run down plays from the opposite side of the field and is a very good open field tackler. I fully expect Harkless to be able to play wherever he wants to at the next level once his senior season is over.</span> <strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jalen</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> <strong>Hand</strong>| 6’4", 280 lbs.| Frederick Douglass High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12952342/61ae529e02bb480578788411">Junior Year Film</a></span> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">While Harkless may be the more well known name across the recruiting circuit, Douglass has another Divison I caliber defensive lineman to pair with him on the interior. Jalen Hand has made a name for himself as well, already holding offers from Eastern Michigan, Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin, Southeast Missouri, Austin Peay, Eastern Illinois, Western Michigan, UNC Charlotte, and Marshall. He has a quick, powerful first step out of his stands which he uses to gain an early advantage on the offensive lineman. Once he gets to the quarterback, he is a very physical finisher. Like Harkless, Hand also has the versatility to play inside or off the edge and has the ability to take on double teams. Hand will only see his list of offers expand from here and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Power Five school come calling at some point. </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145013" first="William" last="Spencer"]</strong> <strong>Jr.</strong>| 6’5", 320 lbs.| Louisville Male High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12785321/61b6c0bed45ed6056c885567">Junior Year Film</a> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">Speaking of Division I talent, Male has a stud of their own on the defensive line. [player_tooltip player_id="145013" first="William" last="Spencer"] Jr. has already caught the attention of some major Division I programs, holding offers from Kentucky, Louisville, Eastern Kentucky, Michigan State, Bowling Green State, Georgia Tech, Memphis, and South Carolina. He is an explosive defensive tackle that has a very quick first step and a powerful bull rush to create a ton of movement into the pocket. He is a very physical tackler once he gets to the ball. Spencer also has some impressive pass rush moves including a very effective swim move. He uses his speed to his advantage and plays with a very high motor to get to the ball no matter where the play is going. I fully expect more Power 5 programs to extend offers to Spencer this summer.</span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145759" first="Kaden" last="Briggs"]|</strong> 6’3", 265 lbs.| Butler Traditional High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12468541/5f823bfa5cb37c07288239f2">Junior Year Film</a> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">While Briggs may not have the offers that some of these other players have, he definitely is a name to watch. He has great positional versatility as he has taken snaps both at defensive tackle and as a stand up defensive end. I like him best in the interior where he can uses his quickness and high motor to beat offensive guards and centers off the ball. He also does a great job of using his hands to fight and shed blocks as a pass rusher. Once he gets to the quarterback, he is a very sound, physical finisher who doesn’t miss many sack opportunities. Briggs is a player that can take advantage of camp opportunities this summer and start to see some of those offers come in as I believe he can play somewhere at the next level and be a very good player. </span> <strong>KJ Hardesty| </strong>6’1", 280 lbs.| South Warren High School| <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11433959/61b2d0c8d4688802c4d88b12">Junior Year Film</a> <span style="font-size: 10pt;">Hardesty played a key role on a State Champion defense at South Warren last season. He is a true defensive tackle/nose guard that has the quickness and strength to split double teams on a regular basis. Hardesty plays with a very high motor, fighting to get to the ball at all times. As a pass rusher, he does a great job of finishing at the quarterback and securing the sack. He is also a very good, reliable tackler in the open field, taking good angles to the ball and running his feet on contact. All eyes will be on South Warren this summer/season as they look to repeat and I believe Hardesty will take full advantage of the opportunity and start to see those offers pile up. </span>