Positional Breakdown: 2024 Interior Defensive Lineman

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As noted in the Defensive End/Edge article, this group could be the deepest in the entire state. Multiple top 10 players with the rest of this list essentially falling in the top 100. The defensive line class has some intriguing prospects, many of which already hold very significant college offers. While this group lacks a true Nose Tackle type player or anyone remotely of that size, this is a very versatile group of defenders who are out to showcase that New York has really solid talent in the trenches. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>The Top Guy</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["241143"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='241143' first='Aaris' last='Bethea'] not only is one of the most physically imposing defensive lineman in the entire state but has easily the most refined and developed skillset of any defensive tackle or potentially any player in this class. While size is certainly a factor in Bethea's success, and without it there would be less national recruiting attention Bethea is not one of those players who wins because of his size. His size is just a small piece to the puzzle in the way he dominates. Bethea has elite use of hands and his ability to dictate engagements with offensive lineman just because he wins with hand positioning and pure upper body strength is impressive. What makes Bethea so elite there is how quick and decisive he is using his hands as weapons. Bethea is one of the most dominant interior pass rushers where his ability to win with quickness but also use power to dictate his own path to the QB is something not many other lineman in the country can do. Bethea is an elite finisher as well, he does not just get pressure he turns them into sacks and negative plays in the run game. Not only is Bethea one of the best players in the State but easily is one of the most exciting players to think about 2-3 years down the road as he continues to develop at a high-level D1 program.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-640f43a87688c"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Five Prospects To Watch</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["450487"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='450487' first='Jaylin' last='Hicks'] is such a unique player because he has the size and power to dominate on the interior but he played a lot of his reps at 4-tech and 5-tech. However, Hicks is super lean and with the power he already has is not far away from being able to dominate at the next level using his strength. Hicks is a really good run defender where his gap integrity is very consistent and his ability to shed blocks and maintain control of his gaps is a quality trait. Hicks also is a really solid tackler, he can make plays in the backfield but also does a really good job of getting his hands on defenders through the hole and making plays within three yards after the LOS. While every quality rep may not end in a highlight worthy play, Hicks is consistent and makes running against Iona Prep very difficult. As a pass rusher, Hicks is really solid using his speed and strength but in terms off his pass rush moves could work to develop more consistent threatening moves as a pass rusher. However, when Hicks does win, he is good at finishing and can get very physical with QBs and RBs in the backfield.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["314029"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='314029' first='Sebastian' last='Regis'] is one of the players that I get to look back on at the end of the 2023 season and tell the world u0022I told you sou0022. One of my favorite players in this class, Regis has elite upfield burst and is easily one of the most difficult players to block in New York. Regis not only wins with elite quickness but he shows the power and strength to bulldoze offensive lineman backwards. Regis shows a high level of dominance and his football awareness if off the charts. The ability diagnose plays and react without missing a step is elite. Regis also is an elite athlete for the position where he shows quality closing speed that can track down quality athletes who have the ball. Regis has some of the most consistent tape in New York and his ability consistently dominate through every attempt offenses have to slow him down makes him a top player in New York, let alone at his position.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["521425"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='521425' first='Darrell' last='Hamilton']'s college position could be a few different things but the 5-11, 265lb DT/DE/FB/LB has dominant reps at defensive tackle for AA State Champions Bennett. Hamilton has great power but his ability as a speed rusher is surprisingly his best pass rushing trait. Hamilton has great balance and bend getting by offensive lineman and does a great job of winning with just quickness and power or developed pass rush moves. Hamilton also has great closing speed and can be an impactful player when he meets QBs and RBs in space. Hamilton may have limited length but his play on the field makes you wonder if there is a more diverse player in New York than Hamilton and the way he dominates so many positions.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["338358"],"_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":"While [player_tooltip player_id='241147' first='Caden' last='Brown'] and [player_tooltip player_id='241143' first='Aaris' last='Bethea'] are some top national recruits it needs to be known how talented [player_tooltip player_id='338358' first='Malik' last='Person'] is but also how important he is to the success of the Erasmus Hall defense. Person has elite upper body quickness and one of the most dangerous swim moves in all of New York. Person is very physical and not only can eat double teams but actually can move them backwards when he gets solid leverage. Person also does a good job of fighting through multiple blockers to create pressure on the quarterback. One of the most underrated traits for any lineman in this class Person is really solid on stunts and twists where is lateral agility and footwork help him win on unique defensive play calls. Person is a really impactful player and although his size may limit his ceiling he easily will be able to find a good place to develop at the next level. What can really take Person to the next level is improving his ability to finish plays both in the run game and his finishing on the QB.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["450632"],"_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":"[player_tooltip player_id='450632' first='Zakar' last='Morris'] is a very strong physical defender who is one of the better run defenders amongst all defensive lineman in New York. Morris is great at maintaining his gap responsibilities and does a good job of shedding blocks to get hands on ball carriers through the hole. Morris has really solid hands and his motor to fight through blocks makes him a threat to make plays both as a pass rusher and run defender. As a pass rusher Morris could develop a little more in terms of his consistency and pass rush moves but overall, Morris is one of the most physical defensive lineman in the state and is one of the most impactful run defenders in New York.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-640f43a8769e2"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Three Sleeper Prospects To Watch Out For</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["528712"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='528712' first='Slade' last='Gonzales'] has elite power and does a great job of using his strength to win at the point of attack. Gonzales does a very good job at using his motor and physicality to not just win but win with ease and do so consistently. Gonzales has good quickness of the ball and his ability to use quickness and power make him a very hard for linemen to contain what Gonzales can do. Gonzales can take the next step by continuing to develop as a pass rusher where more refined pass rush moves and finishing on the quarterback would round out Gonzales game really well.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["521486"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='521486' first='Arinze' last='Maijeh'] has a ton of potential and this past season for Christ the King Maijeh was one of the most impactful players for the CTK defense. Maijeh has a strong upper body and his physicality at the point of attack is one of his best traits. Maijeh physically is stronger and faster than most of the offensive lineman he faces and his ability to win off the snap with either gives him multiple ways to win. Maijeh can get a little wild with his physicality and athleticism so taking the next step this season will be honing in on what his responsibilities are and not being overaggressive in attempt to make plays. Maijeh shows flashes of dominance but he shows a lot of making big plays or the opposite so more consistency would go a long way in his development. Maijeh could skyrocket up these rankings if he can really start to develop more consistency this fall.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["527840"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='527840' first='Peter' last='Northrup'] is a very quick interior defensive lineman and he has the power to win tough battles in the trenches but is a dominant force when he gets into the backfield and can finish plays on running backs and quarterbacks in the backfield. Northrup is a really solid finisher both in the backfield and around the LOS. Northrup has solid length and does a good job at using his arms to keep offensive lineman off of his body. Northrup has really quality tape and has shown he can win as both a pass rusher and run defender. For Northrup, this season should be another really solid year where expectations are high but what I would like to see is some more development in his burst off the snap. Northrup moves quick and can with with his quickness but he would be even more dangerous with quicker burst past the LOS.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["403033"],"_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":"[player_tooltip player_id='403033' first='Rodney' last='Tull'] has great size and strength and has some of the best physical traits in Western New York. Tull has a great upper body in terms of length and strength and can control initial engagements at the LOS using that length and power. Tull does a good job of shedding off blocks and getting his hands on runners through the hole. Tull has really good gap integrity as a defender and does a great job of being patient and making the right plays to help limit opponents run game. Tull could take a strong step forward as a pass rusher but the tools to be successful are there, it is the consistency and opportunity to rep pass rush in game consistently which will showcase his overall skillset this fall.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-640f43a876b31"} /-->