Showing out at the Showcase: Top D-linemen
In this article:
After covering my first Prep Redzone Stock Up Showcase I was not only impressed with the turnout and talent I witnessed, but also the way the event was ran. There were plenty of spins for the talent on-hand, the coaches…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAfter covering my first Prep Redzone Stock Up Showcase I was not only impressed with the turnout and talent I witnessed, but also the way the event was ran. There were plenty of spins for the talent on-hand, the coaches were knowledgeable and passionate, and the competition was fierce.
I spent most of my time down with my fellow big-bodied brethren in the trenches and got a real keen look at them. We already looked at the offensive line standouts. Now we will look at the honorable mentions and MVP of the showcase for the defensive line.
Honorable Mentions
Tristan Hilman Tristan Hilman 6’3″ | 240 lbs | DL St. Francis Prep | 2024 State NY is a bit of a ‘tweener. His 6’3″ 230lb frame projects him at either DT or DE. Hilman did a nice job of routinely getting his hands on the man in front of him throughout drills. This is accompanied by his quick get off. He must continue to develop his block recognition skills and be set. Too often was the drill off-and-running before he was ready. Offenses do not wait for the defense.
Dorian Kelsey Dorian Kelsey 6’1″ | 210 lbs | DL The Pennington | 2026 NJ represented for the class of 2026. Measuring in at 6’1″ 210lbs, Kelsey has a plus get off. Relative to others in his defensive line unit, he demonstrated a strong sense of body control, particularly in cone drills. In perspective, this is even more impressive given how young he is. Use of hands, as well as his agility, will improve with reps and age. Remember, Kelsey is a really young high school prospect. I am looking forward to tracking his progress over the next few seasons.
Another impressive stud from the class of 2026 was Omar Mendez Jr Omar Mendez Jr 5’11” | 225 lbs | DL Moore Catholic | 2026 State NY . One of the lighter d-linemen on the showcase’s roster, this 5’11” 195lb plays line a demon off the edge. Aside from his quick get off, he is tight to corners when he rounds them. He has very quick reaction to movement and was coachable. When given feedback by coaches, he immediately applied that feedback to his next rep. Mendez also used his hands frequently and activated his hips to gain power and effectively flipped them to get around the edge.
As he gets older, I am curious to see whether he stays at d-line or if he moves to the second level of the defense. Either way, he will continue to be a twitchy player that we will certainly track moving forward.
Highlights
MVP
Jerome Foster
Jerome Foster
Don’t judge a book by its cover. Jerome Foster was our showcase’s living proof of that age-old adage. Coming in at 5’10” 285lbs, Foster is unassuming in stature; however, his attributes and abilities popped. Foster’s get off was twitchy and sudden, only to be outdone by his immediate reaction to movement. He was fluid and smooth when changing directions. Out of all the d-linemen present, he mastered his hip-flips and bent tight to corners the best out of the bunch. Additionally, he was the most advanced d-linemen in terms of block recognition and fighting pressure.
Given his size and athleticism, I can see Foster either being a disruptive force in the middle or effectively setting the edge.