Don’t Sleep on these Defensive Front Liners

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Aside from very specific short-yardage or goal line situations, gone are the days of eight-man fronts on the defensive side spearheaded by hulking, immobile linemen selected primarily for their sheer physical stature and the ability to hold ground against tight offensive line splits and low, vertical double-team blocking combinations. Nope, when facing today's prevalent spread formations and the offense's desire to spread everyone out and create individual match ups in space, the most valued attributes sought and cultivated among defensive linemen have evolved a great deal. Sure, coaches generally still covet at least one larger interior lineman, but even he better be more than merely a "space-eater," and his number of defensive reps likely will prove directly proportional to his overall quickness (if not speed) and mobility--even if only between the tackles. With this new paradigm informing evaluations of what constitutes quality among some of Kentucky's defensive front liners, high school football fans will want to keep their eyes on these following returning competitors this fall:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Eric Barnes","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2406","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Madison Southern","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"While lining up primarily as an interior component of the Eagles' four-man defensive front, Barnes comprises a taller, longer and more athletic version of your typical A-and-B-gap player. He exhibits exceptional hip flexibility which gives him the ability to play behind his pads, generate an explosive vertical take-off from his heavy-handed stance and enlist the agility/quickness to make single-blocking him a real challenge. These attributes also project favorably on his ability to play anywhere along the defensive front. When his hand placement/blow delivery proves consistent, he can play u0022two-gapu0022 responsibilities, though versus interior runs, he currently proves more effective when slanting or angling from an even/head-up alignment. He seems at his best, however, versus spread formations and in passing situations, as evidenced by his 8 tackles for loss and 3 sacks last season. Over the course of 10 games last year, he also garnered 14 solo tackles, 28 assists and forced 1 fumble. With added strength and improvement versus double-team run blocking concepts, Barnes projects to develop into an even more consistently disruptive and versatile defensive force this fall.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"Jacob Green","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"2406","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"Powell County","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_1_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_1_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"A bulky, athletic returning junior and two-year starter, Green primarily aligns as a 4-technique in the Pirates' three-man defensive front, where he proves especially effective when responsible solely for B-gap, exhibiting the strength and pad level to succeed against even vertical double teams and inside zone blocking schemes. Versus spread formations, he also displays the hand placement and blow delivery/separation needed to play contain responsibilities off the edge, and with added defensive repetitions, his vertical takeoff and u0022escapabilityu0022 versus single pass blockers will only improve. Starting all  11 games last season as a sophomore, he collected 30 total solo tackles, 21 assists, 8 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback sacks and 1 fumble recovery. Also a major contributor as a fullback in the Pirates' double-wing offensive system, his 64 carries, 296 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns only serve to underscore his overall athleticism and durability. With two seasons remaining in Green's prep career, college programs should follow his upcoming fall campaigns with a good deal of interest.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Taveon Kirby","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'3u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"2406","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Madison Central","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"A tall, wide and imposing physical presence, Kirby embodies a prototypical 2-technique interior defender in the Indians' four-man surface, and he also checks all the boxes on the attribute list for a single A-gap player if/when the team opts to play  three-man front. Exceptionally quick and flexible for a u0022thickeru0022 athlete, he consistently displays an explosive vertical-takeoff, violent and accurate hand placement/blow delivery and the ability to play behind his pads, pressing out his primary target and simultaneously playing underneath peripheral blockers with excellent leverage. Over the course of 13 total games in 2022, his high motor, intelligent pursuit angles and overall athleticism enabled him to collect 11 solo tackles, 27 assists, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. And in fact, as impressive as he might be on the defensive side of the ball, Kirby also projects quite favorably as an offensive guard, where he started all 13 games for his Class AAAAA program. Any college programs seeking an athletic, durable and versatile competitor on either side of their fronts would be remiss not to check in on this young man's progress in 2023.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["417459"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"A long, rangy and high-energy edge player, Whitehead primarily aligns as a 5-technique defender, alternates play from both a two-point and three-point stance, and displays the consistent blow delivery, separation and vision to make plays in a wide variety of ways. From a looser, u0022ghostu0022 alignment off the frame of the offensive tackle, he proves accomplished at getting vertical, engaging the blocker and redirecting back underneath when his vision/key confirms an inside run, and even when the near lineman turns out toward him in an Iso or Zone blocking scheme, he displays the strength to hold his ground and even compress/constrict the intended running lane with pad level and leverage. In only 7 total games of the Eagles' 2022 campaign, he collected 30 solo tackles, 41 assists, 11 tackles for loss, 3 sacks 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries, proving himself a competitive and high-motor defensive presence very difficult to run away from. Likewise, he also displays the athleticism and versatility needed to contribute offensively with 64 rushing attempts, 394 yards on the ground and 4 touchdowns last season. Also a consistently impactful player on special teams, college programs seeking an addition with exceptional potential and the willingness to contribute in any/all phases of the game will want to reach out and follow his progression in 2023.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["311506"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Primarily aligning as a 5-technique defender and playing up in a balanced, athletic two-point stance, Williams enlists consistently good separation skills, accurate hand placement and disciplined footwork to essentially make himself a u0022two-gapu0022 defender even when forsaking B -gap by alignment. Even from the two-point stance, he generates a quick and explosive vertical push and establishes a thick fit on the offensive tackle that gives him the ability to press, separate and work underneath/inside his blocker because he rarely if ever runs to deep before reading and reacting to his primary visual key. Over the Eagles' 10-game season in 2022, he produced 36 solo tackles, 62 assists, 12 tackles for loss and 3 sacks, most importantly displaying increased disruptive play and productivity as the season progressed. Also athletic and versatile enough to contribute offensively at the high school level, he accumulated 10 total touches offensively (8 rushes; 2 receptions) for 46 total yards.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-640cc1c40f8f4"} /-->