PRZ Prospect Tour Illinois Defensive Linemen Standouts

<strong>[player_tooltip player_id="157647" first="Jack" last="Anderson"], Glenbard West (IL), 2024</strong> It takes a lot to pull out an MVP award at a camp full of young competitive athletes looking to stand out, but Jack did just that in the defensive linemen class by showcasing his innate ability to win his one-on-one battles through his drive and physicality. Jack displayed a motor unwilling to falter with feet that did not stop through contact in the trenches. Jack was able to play low through the hole with his head up, looking to make a play on the ball. Overall, Jack has demonstrated that he is a force to be reckoned with in the trenches and one who is poised to make opposing coaches circle him in film sessions this coming season. &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="277121" first="Darion" last="Williams"], Homewood-Flossmoor (IL), 2024</strong> Darion showed pure dominance every time he lined up on the ball, with a will to win visible to all who were watching. Darion showed that every rep was vital to him as he finished through the line when running the L cone drill, and that drive then carried over to his one-on-one drills when he showed he was not going to be stopped. Darion exerted great lower body power into the offensive linemen, followed by a tremendous extension to use his hands for a move that would shake the offensive linemen off him. Darion never let his feet get stagnant; instead, he kept his wheels moving en route to the ball. Darion is sure to cause headaches for offensive coordinators this fall. [caption id="attachment_335936" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-335936" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/050722-PrepRedZone-Prospect-Tour-Headshots-318.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /> Photo: Prep Redzone[/caption] &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="300366" first="Jemir" last="Hall"], Champaign Centennial (IL), 2023</strong> The rising senior at Centennial has the stature to make opponents take notice; at 6’5" and 255 lbs, Jemir is sure to make an impact at his Defensive End position. Jemir exhibited his ability to explode off the ball while staying low through initial contact with his opposing contender. Jemir shows a significant first step out of his stance with the wherewithal to get flat down the line in pursuit of the ball and not trailing too deep into the backfield. Jemir displays the ability to shed blockers and leave them looking for their way home, an excellent skill for a defender who will make a significant impact this coming season. &nbsp; &nbsp; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="299993" first="Boston" last="Bower"], Huntley (IL), 2023</strong> A semi-truck makes its presence known on a highway, and [player_tooltip player_id="299993" first="Boston" last="Bower"] makes his presence known on the gridiron. Boston made his opponents second-guess themselves as to whether or not they wanted to take a rep against him time and time again, which they always regretted if they decided to take that rep. Boston’s ability to bully offensive linemen with his pure strength and body awareness to keep his legs beneath him and his eyes up is a talent that will see him filling up stat sheets rapidly. Boston showed a trait that is one of the most desirable in a young recruit: the ability to be coached. While in a drill, Boston drove an offensive lineman straight back into the depths via a bull rush with great arm extension, to which a coach that was present advised him to use that extension to get a swim move or a rip move in next time. In the next drill, Boston was in the same position with an offensive lineman and implemented that piece of coaching when he pushed his opponent back, got great extension in his arms, and ripped under to shed the offensive linemen. Overall, Boston has shown that he is a supreme asset on the defensive line, which pays dividends in the form of negative offensive yards. [caption id="attachment_96862" align="alignnone" width="225"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-96862" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/01/2-7-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="299993" first="Boston" last="Bower"] - Huntley 2023[/caption]<strong>Shamaree Siller Jr, St. Rita of Cascia (IL), 2025</strong> This young man caught me by surprise, and pleasantly so. As I stood and watched one-on-one drills, I couldn’t help but notice that Shamaree was winning his battles in the middle, and he was winning them with finesse. Shamaree showed great skill with using his hands rather than falling into a bull rush, even though Shamaree demonstrated that the bull rush was well within his wheelhouse of tools he is capable of using. Shamaree’s quickness off the ball made it challenging for most offensive linemen to react before Shamaree was at the QB. While only being a rising Sophomore, Shamaree has a good base of skills with a lot of time for further development ahead of him. I look for Shamaree to be a household name in Illinois High School football in the coming years. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-335925" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/unnamed-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" /> &nbsp; &nbsp;