2023 Kansas City Players to Watch: DL
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As we head into the end of June, the 2023 high school football season is quickly approaching. To prepare for the upcoming season, I have taken the past couple months to preview some of the top talent in certain areas…
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Continue ReadingAs we head into the end of June, the 2023 high school football season is quickly approaching. To prepare for the upcoming season, I have taken the past couple months to preview some of the top talent in certain areas of Missouri. Continuing this trend, I have started a “Kansas City Players to Watch” series focusing on the top returning players at each position in Kansas City. After covering the offensive side of the ball, I will now turn my attention to the defensive side of the ball by focusing on the top returning defensive linemen in Kansas City for the 2023 season.
DaJuan Barrett
DaJuan Barrett
DaJuan Barrett is an incoming senior defensive lineman that has jumped onto my radar recently. Barrett had an impressive junior year, finishing with 63 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He is a versatile defensive lineman, showing the ability to play inside at defensive tackle or outside at defensive end. Barrett is very disruptive against the run, using his speed to burst into the backfield before the opposing offensive line can react. He has also shown the ability to run all over the field to make tackles in the open field. DaJuan is also a dangerous pass rusher, showing the speed to blow by opposing offensive linemen and the strength to fight through blocks on his way to the quarterback. Barrett currently holds one offer from Central Methodist and I expect more to come his way as he definitely has the talent to play at the next level.
Daivion Hartley
Daivion Hartley
Daivion Hartley is another incoming senior defensive lineman that has caught my attention. Hartley had a solid junior season, finishing with 30 tackles and two tackles for loss. Daivion lines up at defensive tackle and is very impressive against the run. He has the strength to hold his ground to clog his gap and he does a great job of fighting through blocks to get to the ball carrier. Once he gets to the ball carrier, Hartley is a very reliable tackler in the open field. Daivion currently holds offers from Central Methodist and William Penn, and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to play at the next level.
Trenton Bindel Trenton Bindel 6’1″ | 260 lbs | DL Liberty (KC) | 2025 State MO is another defensive tackle from Kansas City that has stood out to me. He had an impressive sophomore year, finishing with 51 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and seven sacks. Bindel is very impressive as an inside pass rusher. He is able to use his speed to his advantage to blow by opposing offensive linemen. Bindel also has an impressive rip move that he uses to defeat blocks while rushing the passer. Against the run, Bindel does a great job of reading the play and getting to the ball in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. Trenton doesn’t currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep a close eye on over the next two seasons.
Highlights
Adeyeye Adebawore Adeyeye Adebawore 6'0" | 275 lbs | DL North Kansas City | 2025 State MO
Adeyeye Adebawore Adeyeye Adebawore 6'0" | 275 lbs | DL North Kansas City | 2025 State MO
Adeyeye Adebawore Adeyeye Adebawore 6’0″ | 275 lbs | DL North Kansas City | 2025 State MO is another incoming junior defensive lineman that has caught my attention. He is an explosive defensive tackle that is very disruptive against the run. Adebawore explodes out of his stance, bursting into the backfield before opposing offensive linemen can react. When the play is away from him, he shows the ability to fight through blocks and get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make tackles in the open field. He is also impressive as a pass rusher, showing a great combination of speed and strength to beat the opposing offensive lineman on his way to the quarterback. Adeyeye doesn’t currently hold any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on over the next two seasons.
Randy Gautt III Randy Gautt III 6'3" | 270 lbs | DL St. Pius X | 2025 MO
Randy Gautt III Randy Gautt III 6'3" | 270 lbs | DL St. Pius X | 2025 MO
To wrap up this list of talented defensive linemen, I have incoming junior Randy Gautt III Randy Gautt III 6’3″ | 270 lbs | DL St. Pius X | 2025 MO from St. Pius X. Gautt lines up at defensive end and is a very dangerous pass rusher. He is able to use his speed to his advantage to blow by opposing offensive tackles off the edge. Gautt has also shown that he has the strength to fight through blocks on his way to the quarterback. Against the run, Gautt has shown the ability to read the play quickly and get to the ball carrier with a sense of urgency to make tackles in the open field. Randy doesn’t currently hold any offers but he will be a player to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.