Clayton HS v. Greensboro Grimsley HS – Defensive Standouts
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I was on the sideline for a Week 1 game that was filled with a lot of high expectations before kick-off. Grimsley’s defensive unit quickly displayed its dominance throughout the game. The players listed had standout performances that caught my…
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Continue ReadingI was on the sideline for a Week 1 game that was filled with a lot of high expectations before kick-off. Grimsley’s defensive unit quickly displayed its dominance throughout the game. The players listed had standout performances that caught my attention during the game.
Clayton
Justin Somol Justin Somol 6'2" | 315 lbs | DL Clayton | 2024 NC , DT, 6’2″ 315 (No. 22 DL, No. 165 Overall). Justin displayed good technique and good use of hands to control blockers while making stops. He used his quickness and upper body strength to stop inside running plays.
Camren Wilson Camren Wilson 6'3" | 300 lbs | DL Clayton | 2024 NC , DT, 6’3″ 300 (No. 23 DL, No. 166 Overall). Camren displayed good technique and good use of hands to control blockers while making stops. He moves well in tight spaces while closing in on the inside runs for stops.
Chris Kinsey Chris Kinsey 6'2" | 285 lbs | DL Clayton | 2024 State NC , DT, 6’2″ 285 (No. 16 DL, No. 136 Overall). Chris displayed good technique and good use of hands to control blockers while making stops. He was quick out of his stance and was able to move past blockers into the backfield to pressure the quarterback.
Aaron Foster Aaron Foster 5'10" | 210 lbs | LB Clayton | 2023 State NC , LB, 5’10” 215 (No. 23 LB, No. 240 Overall). Aaron displayed good lateral movement and quickness to close in on the ball carrier for stops. He displayed good speed in the open field to cover a lot of ground quickly for stops.
Cameron Royal Cameron Royal 5'10" | 205 lbs | LB Clayton | 2024 State NC , LB, 5’10” 205 (No. 14 LB, No. 109 Overall). Cameron displayed good lateral movement and the ability to change direction quickly to make stops. He displayed patience while letting the play develop and closing quickly for the stop.
Nadir Simmons, LB, 5’11” 200 (No. 45 LB, No. 317 Overall). Nadir displayed good lateral movement and technique while closing in on the ball carrier for stops. He displayed good lateral movement and speed to cover a lot of ground quickly to make stops.
Ian Martin Ian Martin 6'2" | 190 lbs | DB Clayton | 2023 State NC , CB, 6’2″ 190 (No. 46 DB, No. 357 Overall). Ian displayed the ability to change direction quickly and technique while covering receivers. He played with aggression and was able to deflect a few passes to prevent catches.
CJ Martin CJ Martin 5'11" | 185 lbs | DB Clayton | 2024 State NC , S, 5’11” 185 (No. 16 DB, No. 144 Overall). CJ displayed the ability to change direction quickly and technique while covering receivers. He played tough against receivers in man-coverage and was able to deflect a few passes to prevent catches.
Grimsley
Jamaal Jarrett Jamaal Jarrett 6'6" | 355 lbs | DL Grimsley | 2023 State NC , DT, 6’6″ 355 (No. 3 DL, No. 9 Overall). Jamaal displayed good technique and violent use of hands to quickly make contact with blockers while moving past for stops. He used his quickness and massive size to overpower blockers while moving into the backfield to pressure the quarterback and stops for losses. His presence on the defensive line caused the center to make several bad snaps for losses. He used his length and good use of hands to knock down several pass attempts. Jamaal was difficult to block and disrupted the offense throughout the game. The Georgia commit was clearly the most dominant player on the defensive unit.
Jamarius Matier, DT, 6’0″ 280 (No. 24 DL, No. 169 Overall). Jamarius displayed good technique and good use of hands to control blockers while moving past them for stops. He used quickness and upper body strength to quickly move past blockers into the backfield for stops.
Andre Hill Jr. Andre Hill Jr. 6'3" | 305 lbs | DL Grimsley | 2025 State NC , DT, 6’3″ 315 (No. 22 DL, No. 166 Overall). Andre displayed good technique and good use of hands to control blockers while moving past them for stops. He moves well in tight spaces and used upper body strength to shut down inside running plays.
Amari Griffin Amari Griffin 6'3" | 210 lbs | DL Grimsley | 2024 State NC , DE, 6’3″ 210 (No. 26 DL, No. 171 Overall). Amari displayed good technique and good use of hands to control blockers while moving past them for stops. He was quick out of his stance to make contact with blockers while moving past them for stops in the backfield.
Dreshon Robinson Dreshon Robinson 6'0" | 190 lbs | LB Grimsley | 2024 NC , LB, 6’0″ 190 (No. 25 LB, No. 163 Overall). Dreshon displayed good lateral movement and change of direction to close in on the ball carrier for stops. He displayed speed in the open field and covered a lot of ground quickly to make stops.
Nick Caldwell Nick Caldwell 5'10" | 165 lbs | DB Grimsley | 2023 State NC , CB, 5’10” 165 (No. 47 DB, No. 359 Overall). Nick displayed good technique and speed to cover receivers, making it difficult to complete passes against him. He played with aggression and high-energy throughout the game.
The Grimsley defensive unit dominance made it difficult for the offense to generate positive passing and running plays throughout the game.