AL Pops’ 2028 Defensive Prospect Potpourri – 11.3.23

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Use&nbsp;<strong>PROMO CODE: ALPOPS40&nbsp;</strong>for a&nbsp;<strong>40%&nbsp;DISCOUNT&nbsp;</strong>on your Prep Redzone Next subscription. I literally check out the film of dozens, if not over 100, different middle prospects every single day. From coast to coast, farm towns to big cities, mountains to the beaches and fertile recruiting grounds to needles in a haystack. Here are five defensive prospects that stood out to me today from across the United States on November 3rd, 2023. Please note the date, you'll want to remember it in the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1075808"],"_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":"Standing right around 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, Meyer is a defensive line prospect out of Indiana that has the potential to become one of the top players in the state with more development. This season he was named Tri-West Middle School's Best Defensive Lineman and Best Defensive Player overall, but he's not even starting to sniff the potential. The size is an obvious plus right off the bat; His height and long limbs are physical tools not everyone has. With regularity he found himself in the backfield making plays, despite often earning double teams as a defensive end in a three-man front. All that said, if he gets more consistent and violent with his hands, he'll become even more dangerous. On film, when he u003cstrongu003eu003cemu003edoesu003c/emu003eu003c/strongu003e get his hands inside first, and uses that length, he's like a pallet jack going through offensive linemen. Huge upside here.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1060615"],"_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":"I don't care what level of skill you're at in eighth grade, if you're listed at 6-foot-5 and 315 poundsu002du002dor even remotely close to that actual sizeu002du002dyou're going to get some eyes. That's where I'm at with Joshua Larsen out of Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School in Illinois. Less than 10 miles from Chicago, Larsen has eye-popping size and he can back it up with some natural ability. At this level, let's call a spade a spade: he's going to get by with size alone. However, the big man is on a Windy City Dolphin youth team that has other additional really good looking linemen and I'm still drawn to him, on film. At this level of ball, he just bullies his way past double and triple teams, or they run to the opposite side of him. Obviously, mobility is an issue for a kid with this assumed size and overall massu002du002dthat's not a surprise. Out the other side of my mouth, that size will knock down doors for him...and if/once his on-field ability matches his size, he could easily become an interior defensive tackle playing on Saturday's, in the future.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1077118"],"_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":"Charlotte and the surrounding area (on both sides of North Carolina/South Carolina border) is a hotbed for football talent from the youth level, to middle school, high school and beyond. Class of 2028 linebacker/running back, Assad Davis, of Ransom Middle School, is one of those talented players on the middle school level. Listed at 6-foot and 155 pounds, on film Davis immediately jumped out to me as promising linebacker prospect. What separates him a bit right now is his agility and lateral movement. He moved faster east and west, than a lot of players do going north and south. Plays on his toes and doesn't get wear cement shoes while diagnosing a play. On film does a nice job of reading keys and gets to the ball carrier u003cstrongu003eVERYu003c/strongu003e quickly. His speed gets him into position to make a play and he does a good job cleaning up the rest.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1077166"],"_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":"Another defensive linemen to know in Texas is Ju'Lee Gee out of Coleman Junior High. After suffering a nasty broken arm/elbow that required three plates and 12 screws to fix, Gee came back for a monster eighth-grade season this year. The future Waxahachie High School Indian is an explosive disrupter on the interior defensive line, that makes it difficult for the opposition to pick up yards between the tackles. Gee is listed at 6-foot and 230 pounds, and his film shows some near flawless two-gap play. He penetrates quickly and uses his hands well to shed blocks, which allows him to flow to the ball quicklyu002du002deven if plays are going away from him. If Gee continues to add size and takes care of business, he's a 2028 prospect with the potential to become a very highly-recruited player, in my opinion.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1077234"],"_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":"Rounding out today's look at 2028 defensive prospects is yet another massive lineman, Hayden Shannon. I don't have exact measureables on Shannon, but I promise you he's a big corn-fed boy out of PCM Middle School in Iowa with elite size. I'm willing to guess he's 6-foot-4 and in the 270-pound range. Playing both left tackle on offense and defensive tackle, I originally thought of Shannon as strictly a defensive playeru002du002dbut after watching more film of himu002du002dhe plays both sides of the ball at a high level. Offensively, with his size and playing at this pre-high school level, he's more than capable of wiping out multiple down linemen and linebacker hoping to scrape across. On the defensive side of the ball, he can be flat out unblockable in the middle of the defensive front. There's not many junior high kids that can move him out of a hole, which makes running between the tackles a very difficult problem for opposing offenses.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6544e924d0a9a"} /-->