Dakotas Top Uncommitted DL (2023)

Today we finally get to the Defensive side of the football. I always endorse defense any day of the week. While offense is fun to watch, I'd say a well-disciplined defense is just as exciting to watch. Great Defensive Line play is very exciting to watch especially on the big tackles for loss. This group of D-Linemen had their own ways of changing the game for their teams on defense, but each one of them did it very well. Check them out here below!   [player_tooltip player_id='418250' first='Vegas' last='George']- Bismarck Legacy,<a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12595814/6365237d9a9aff0b5cd92576"> Highlights</a>   I've written about George a few times now and his highlights still standout to me. I like his explosion off the snap which adds to his speed off the edge on his pass rush. He has a big frame, but knows how to use it when sizing up the ballcarrier and squaring up to make perfect tackles on each play. His quickness with his technique made it easy for him to shed blocks and get into the backfield quickly. He also stood out at our Stock up Showcase in testing, drills, and competitions, which earned him our camp MVP for Defensive Linemen.   [player_tooltip player_id='418251' first='Kaydn' last='Turnbow']- Minot, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14867155/63249c90da514d08c01c6299">Highlights</a>   Turnbow put together an entertaining highlight tape. I always enjoy watching a good pass rusher go to work and that's exactly what he did. He did an excellent job setting the edge and keep contain to his side to make plays. His frame made it very easy to engage and shed blocks along with his speed. When he decided to knife inside, the speed and agility helped there to and adding his motor, he was hard to keep out of making the play. His last important factor in his game was his awareness to go after the football when sacking the QB and causing some turnovers.   [player_tooltip player_id='423297' first='Ronnie' last='Begalka']- Deuel, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12593524/63696f65b023a304c804c9ba">Highlights</a>   I've seen Begalka in action at a team camp as well as in game atmosphere. In fact, one of the Deuel community members told me he was one to watch at the game I was at. Balled out is exactly what he did in that game as well. I could see he was a well-rounded athlete with his play from the Defensive End. He got off the ball quick, used his hands well and capped it off by using his speed to hold contain. Another key factor in his game was his strength on his bullrush to keep the Offensive Line guessing. His physicality was his 'it' factor when it comes to bringing many different attributes to the game.   Austin Hoiten- McCook Central/Montrose, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12220728/6366dcf89a9b6e04ec0a4259">Highlights</a>   Hoiten was a bulldog in the interior Defensive Line. He made the Center's life extremely difficult each and every play after he snapped the ball. His quickness off the ball was on thing that was difficult to stop. Now add his technique, getting extension and shedding the block while still maintaining his gap and blowing up the play in the backfield. In short yardage, his strength really showed, jamming up blockers and plugging gaps so the ballcarriers had to battle to gain a yard. He also had the motor that kept him making plays to or away from him.   [player_tooltip player_id='418220' first='Antuan' last='Duran']- Sioux Falls Jefferson, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12927206/63572836bd74ac0c5c60f79a">Highlights</a>   Duran was another run stopper up the middle for the defense. His size and strength were big factors in plugging gaps, he never lost a one-on-one battle. Add speed and agility and he could string out runs to the perimeter and take away the cutback lanes. He shed blocks quickly on passing downs and did a great job putting pressure on the QB to make the ball come out quicker. He also wrapped up on tackles well and finished plays.   [player_tooltip player_id='273694' first='Caleb' last='Loehr']- Brookings, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/9939381/63644ef3dfd7e904f46a2f22">Highlights</a>   Loehr was the guy the haunted QB's every game. His key factor was definitely his speed and explosion off the snap. He moved so quick the Offensive Line had a hard time getting a hand on him, let alone slow him down. The speed helped him keep contain and make tackles on plays away from him. If the QB's first read wasn't there, Loehr was sacking him. Even the quickest of QB's had a hard time escaping him. The biggest 'it' factor for Loehr was the way he finished tackles in the backfield, always fundamentally strong.   [player_tooltip player_id='277665' first='Armani' last='Smith']- Beulah, <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13156686/631d066319b00e09f04ab049">Highlights</a>   Smith just knows how to play ball. He did a great job blitzing off the edge, but staying in position to defend the read option. His speed and agility made it very hard for the QB to make a good decision on whether to give or keep, because Smith was usually making a tackle for loss. The big factor that stood out was his motor. All the plays he has on tape of him running down plays from the opposite side of the field. His ferocity when getting to the ballcarrier and making a very strong tackle. The speed in his pass rush made it very difficult to get passes off.

Today we finally get to the Defensive side of the football. I always endorse defense any day of the week. While offense is fun to watch, I'd say a well-disciplined defense is just as exciting to watch. Great Defensive Line play is very exciting to watch especially on the big tackles for loss. This group of D-Linemen had their own ways of changing the game for their teams on defense, but each one of them did it very well. Check them out here below!