Prep Redzone NC Showcase – Defensive Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We recently had the Prep Redzone NC Showcase at Rocky River High School. There were a number of defensive standouts throughout the showcase – let's take a look at them right here:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 DL [player_tooltip player_id='595738' first='Nathaniel' last='Mitchell'] - Hough HS - This young man immediately stood out to me as the defensive line were going through stance and start drills. I was amazed to see that he was a 2026 prospect. He moved very well with good technique throughout the majority of the drills that I watched. He is already listed at 6'1 and 205 pounds, and he should easily add to his frame with three years left in high school. He will definitely be a player to continue to watch because I think he really has some special potential. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 DL [player_tooltip player_id='308521' first='KJ' last='Liles'] - Hillside HS - Listed at 6'3 and 270 pounds, this was another physical specimen that made an impression by how well he was moving throughout drills. Watching his film, you can see a lot of potential there that will turn into even more production once he gains more playing experience and time on the field. He played both defensive end and defensive tackle this past season - I think he has a future as a strongside defensive end as long as he refines his pass rush game and develops that explosive twitch the best pass rushers have. Good player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 LB [player_tooltip player_id='595831' first='Rasean' last='Marajah'] - Catawba Ridge HS - At 6'0 and 225 pounds, he was named a top performer for this showcase. I was very intrigued to watch him compete at linebacker here, mainly because he was named an All-Region player this past season for playing defensive line! But, he showed he can definitely make a transition, and it's probably a smart thing given his size. He showed excellent quickness throughout all linebacker drills and no hesitation, similar to his film this past season on the defensive line. He plays for a very good program, and I will be excited to see if this transition happens next season as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 LB [player_tooltip player_id='595706' first='Darrell' last='Harrison'] - York HS - An exciting freshman prospect right here at 6'2 and 180 pounds, the linebacker position coaches raved about his performance despite being a freshman. He has a very rangy type of frame - I would project him as an EDGE player that can really run in his future. You could see he was a little green, but he's not far off from being a contributor and a starter next season with a strong offseason. He will definitely be a player to watch going forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2023 DB [player_tooltip player_id='598818' first='Lamarion' last='Witherspoon'] - Garinger HS - A pleasant surprise to see Lamarion here, but this is reflective of his work ethic and desire to take every opportunity to get better. He was easily the best defensive back in attendance. Lamarion was a Queen City Senior Bowl selection and flashed great athleticism during 1 on 1's versus Wide Receivers. At 6'0 and 155 pounds, he may need to explore the JUCO or post-grad route to add some weight to be an immediate player at a program on the next level, but the talent is there for him to definitely play college football. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->