2025 Rankings Stock Risers On Defense

JP Rock January 15, 2024 @ 10:17 PM

Daedan Hopkins DE Hermann The long and athletic Hopkins could have made it on offense or defense with his potential and skills he showed in 2023 on both sides of the ball. Daedan showed tremendous route running and pass catching ability for the Bearcats with almost 700 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns on the year. In fact, some colleges are looking at him as a tight end on the next level. Defensively, he is a real problem for quarterbacks and ball carries at 6-foot-6 and explosive get off and speed coming off the edge. He has all the physical tools college coaches look for and is a tireless worker who loove to train and improve on his skills and technique. He's still raw and has tremendous upside and ceiling to still reach. As a junior he contributed 67 tackles and 9 sacks. Schools such as Missouri, Iowa State and others have already offered, but expect many others to come calling in the off season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1118571' first='Vi'Naz' last='Cobb'] S Cardinal Ritter This (6'2" 200) S prospect really elevated himself with his play and helped his Lions win their second state championship in a row, but in a higher class then the previous season. Vi'Naz transferred in from Illinois and helped solidify an already talented defensive backfield loaded with D1 caliber players. Besides his great size and athleticim, he showed good run support and cover skills with his speed and physical play. Cobb impressed Iowa State enough that they gave him his first offer at the end of the season. Ball State offered just today. Watch for his recruiting profile to increase in the coming months.   [player_tooltip player_id='328110' first='Donovan' last='Fitzmaurice'] DT Marquette A couple of years ago, Donny came to the Elite combine and looked like he would develop into a potential college caliber offensive lineman. What he has done in the past couple of years is to transform himself into a D1 caliber defensive lineman through hard work and dedication. Fitzmaurice (6'4" 275) loves to train and has spent countless hours in the gym to develop himself physically by leaning out and gaining muscle, strength, speed, quickness and explosion off the ball. He has a very good motor and doesn't quit on plays. The nice thing is that he is just scratching the surface. He can be as good as he continues to make himself. He had 51 tackles, with 28 QB pressures and a sack playing nose guard, but has the ability to play a 3 or 5 in college. He's picked up an early offer from Missouri State.   Theo Grace LB Kearney The glue that led the class 4 state championship defense in 2023 from his linebacker position. Grace (6'2" 220) is an athletic big thumper in the middle with speed, great lateral quickness who makes ball carries pay whether they try to run inside or out. He can cover sidelines to sideline and can also drop in pass coverage. Theo loves the weight room and has spent a lot of time in it. Great strength, which helps him in track, where he is among the best in the state in the throws. He averaged over 10 tackles per game and won multiple post-season honors. Watch for for colleges who evaluate well to recruit him hard.   [player_tooltip player_id='1136460' first='Skyler' last='Slaton'] DE Branson A name to really watch for in the off season and through next season is the (6'3" 235) Slaton, who really stood out at recent PrepRedZone showcases this winter, showcasing his terrific speed, strength, explosiveness and quickness in testing at the events. One look at Skyler's play shows that it matches his athletic ability. He has a great first step and motor, and can cause havoc from his defensive end position. Look for his road show to continue at college camps in the summer to garner the attention of coaches. Once they see him in person they will have to take notice.

Daedan Hopkins DE Hermann
The long and athletic Hopkins could have made it on offense or defense with his potential and skills he showed in 2023 on both sides of the ball. Daedan showed tremendous route running and pass catching ability for the Bearcats with almost 700 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns on the year. In fact, some colleges are looking at him as a tight end on the next level. Defensively, he is a real problem for quarterbacks and ball carries at 6-foot-6 and explosive get off and speed coming off the edge. He has all the physical tools college coaches look for and is a tireless worker who loove to train and improve on his skills and technique. He's still raw and has tremendous upside and ceiling to still reach. As a junior he contributed 67 tackles and 9 sacks. Schools such as Missouri, Iowa State and others have already offered, but expect many others to come calling in the off season.