PrepRedzoneMN Showcase: Nate’s DL Standouts, Part II
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MAPLE GROVE— We dive into Part II from one of the deepest position groups at the Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase, the defensive line group as it took two parts to evaluate the prospects I got my biggest eyes on from…
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Continue ReadingMAPLE GROVE— We dive into Part II from one of the deepest position groups at the Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase, the defensive line group as it took two parts to evaluate the prospects I got my biggest eyes on from last Sunday. Let’s meet the next six-pack of defensive line prospects.
Jace Ihrke Jace Ihrke 5'11" | 205 lbs | DL NRHEG | 2024 MN , DL, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (2025) Twitter
I liked the instincts Jace showed off at Sunday’s Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase, especially with the fluidity of his footwork he showed off. What stuck out in the early testing was his 4.72 short shuttle which shows that this young man has some solid agility with his change of direction in his 205 pound frame. He also has some position flexibility when I evaluate him as a next level prospect at the linebacker position as he showed off in-person and on tape some great sized range with his mobility and shows off some elusive hands as well. Jace also has a blue-collar work ethic I saw last Sunday and one that should be a solid option as a small school prospect.
Lawson Greene Lawson Greene 6'3" | 220 lbs | DL Detroit Lakes | 2024 MN , DL, Detroit Lakes (2024) Twitter
Lawson certainly was a dominate DL prospect at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase, especially in the testing department as one of our top testers at the position. He logged back to back 4.69 short shuttles and showed off an explosive range off the snap with a 9’4 broad jump. I liked how physical Lawson was on Sunday from the light reps I got to watch as he displayed a consistent pad-level with his contact level. This is another defensive prospect with some position flexibility, as the tape shows rotational reps at linebacker too which might be a great fit for this young man at the next level due the vision he puts on display within the A-B gaps stopping the run game. In my eyes Lawson looks like another scholarship-level prospect out of the Lakers program.
Sawyer Josewski Sawyer Josewski 6'5" | 235 lbs | TE Rogers | 2026 MN , DL, Rogers (2026) Twitter
Sawyer was a younger DL prospect I was intrigued to watch at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. At nearly 6’4 (verified) Sawyer was extremely twitchy with his change of direction with two consistent high numbers for the defensive line group at 4.56 and 4.57 as a prospect that will fill out his frame nicely over the next several years. Sawyer was another prospect on this list with an excellent work ethic from the small reps I caught and what I heard from colleagues at the Showcase, as once Sawyer gets some tape in the 2023 season, he will be another 2026 to watch as a two-way prospect that also plays quarterback for the Royals.
Graysen Schneider Graysen Schneider 6'2" | 240 lbs | DL Stewartville | 2025 State MN , DL, Stewartville (2025) Twitter
Graysen was one of my picks for defensive line MVP last Sunday in Maple Grove, as the technical skillsets this young man has put together have grown significantly since I watched him last summer at prospect camps. Where Graysen has developed in my eyes is with his football IQ, as he has an instinctive knowledge of where to connect with his hands and has the physical drive in his footwork that show off plenty of stamina in his 6’3 230 pound frame. Graysen also has top of the line character that will benefit any locker room he gets into at the next-level. I expect the floodgates to open up for Graysen at the Division I level by the end of the summer as the versatility and range Graysen brings on every rep is excellent to watch.
Leevy Barron Leevy Barron 6'3" | 220 lbs | DL MPLS Patrick Henry | 2024 State MN , DL, Minneapolis Patrick Henry (2024) Twitter
I absolutely loved watching how swift Leevy’s quick trigger mobility which is a big reason why he came away as our DL MVP last Sunday at our Prep Redzone Minnesota Showcase. He brought tons of physicality with his hands last Sunday and it was the aggression level and powerful speed of his hands that really painted the high ceiling this young man has at the next-level. I also love watching his quickly find the ball with vision off those shed blocks where you can engage quickly how strong Leevy’s vision really is around the inside box in the run game. I believe Leevy shows off a bigger game-time speed than what you would see via his measurables from Sunday. The All-District MVP, should get much more notice from college programs this summer with camps in session starting in the coming months.
Sam Hanson Sam Hanson 6'2" | 225 lbs | DL Maple Grove | 2025 State MN , DL, Maple Grove (2025) Twitter
Sam was another defensive linemen on my All-Camp Team that certainly passed my SES test (speed, explosion, size) at 6’2 220 pounds and put up consistent 9’3 (twice) broad jumps and a 4.5 in the short shuttle. Sam is a DL prospect that brought some fluidity last Sunday from what my eyes engaged with with his motor especially in the Indy drills as you can tell this young man has a high range of power in his lower body with his rangy twitch. Sam also does well thru his progressions from an angle as he has a quick tap and go electricity in his hands to maneuver quickly to the ball. Watching his tape, Sam certainly plays the game MUCH bigger than 6’2 220 but his mobility is top notch for his age. As if this Maple Grove 2025 class, couldn’t get more loaded than it already is, Sam is next in line as another prospect to watch for the Crimson on their defensive line in the coming year and beyond.