Next Man Up DL Breakout Contenders For Fall
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Next Man Up is a positional series highlighting underclassmen with breakout potential. These five DL all expect to take significant steps forward in the 2023 season. Manaia Aumoeualogo HEIGHT 6'3" POS DL CLASS 2024 Manaia Aumoeualogo School: Franklin Aumoeualogo is built…
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Continue ReadingNext Man Up is a positional series highlighting underclassmen with breakout potential. These five DL all expect to take significant steps forward in the 2023 season.
Manaia Aumoeualogo
Manaia Aumoeualogo
Aumoeualogo is built for the interior DL positions and has excelled in all of them at Franklin. He generates immediate power in his arms and legs once he gets off and has several pass rush techniques that keep OL on their toes. His grab-and-rip technique pries hand and arm blocking away and his bull and speed rush are both surprisingly low. He’s powerful enough to use a push-pull swim move that overwhelms OL of all sizes. He’s fast on the ground and closes quick on QBs. He moves scarily well at 309 lb. and still has tons of untapped potential as he continues to grind in the weight room. He should be on everyone’s radar as one of the top DL in the state this year.
Whatley is a quick and agile lineman who got the most power out of his athleticism he could for Roosevelt in 2022. He looks to change roles this season and utilize his fast twitch skillset to provide the playmaking ability the team needs on offense as an ATH while continuing to hone his skills at D-Line. He’s able to create pressure at just 200 lbs by taking on half a man with fast feet and explosive hands, and gets his base wide as he did at OL before driving his lanky feet and hands through. Whatley’s lengthy and flexible frame is versatile enough to take on any new role he’s given this year. He could still be growing and further his dominance his senior season, which is filled with potential but could go many different directions.
Reyes is a tall and lengthy DE with an active lower half. He takes advantage of his arm length in several ways. He has good overall hand technique and aggression, and follows through on his speed rips to get into the backfield quickly. He’s got good hand-eye instincts and coordination and can bat passes down. He’s twitchy off the line and can latch onto QBs and RBs from far away in the backfield. He’s lined up and wrecked from both the inside and outside and could do both in college as well, with great size and quickness giving him versatility. College coaches get two more years to see Reyes play at Enumclaw, but he could commit to play college football well before that.
Highlights
Evans is an incredibly athletic DL that can be a mismatch on both the inside and out with a rare combination of strength and speed. He bull rushes most of the time from the inside, and gets through rather easily when taking on half a man. He explodes from his extremely strong and bendable hips, and some of the biggest and strongest legs you’ll see. His burst is matched by great hands and versatile pass-rush technique, from spin moves to jab and goes. He just picked up his first offer from Idaho this week and could get as many as he wants with a monstrous senior year.
Thumlert is a quick DE with great football instincts. He’s great at speed rushing and bats the OT’s hands away from him as he curves into the pocket. He’s extremely flexible as an RB on offense and has elite closing speed for a pass rusher. He takes good angles and can set and hold an edge, but makes quick decisions and moves efficiently to keep himself in the play. He already displays promising athleticism and technique at DE and gets two more years to pique collegiate interest while being coached at one of the state’s top programs. Thumlert is ready to grow into the spotlight in his final two high school seasons.