Next Up Northern California ’25 Edge Defenders
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Overall, this is a pretty loaded up-coming Junior and Senior class of defensive linemen across Northern California, and below we will highlight some of the top edge prospects in the 2025 class that are coming off stellar Junior campaigns and…
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Continue ReadingOverall, this is a pretty loaded up-coming Junior and Senior class of defensive linemen across Northern California, and below we will highlight some of the top edge prospects in the 2025 class that are coming off stellar Junior campaigns and will look to be some of the regions best in 2024.
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The Elk Grove product picked up his first offer from Utah last month, and should see plenty of other FBS offers come his way this Spring and as we head into the Fall. He has elite size for the power five level, heavy hands and length coming off the edge while extremely explosive off the ball and can win with both speed and power. In pass rush situations, he can line up anywhere head up on a tackle or out in a wide 9, and wins with heavy hands, a nice long arm stab and by covering ground near the ball with closing speed and tremendous COD/tackling abilities in the backfield. He is heavy handed against the run with a quick lock out, can sniff out screens quickly and is a high motor player with freaky athleticism that should be a 8+ P5 offer kid by the time it’s all said and done.
Highlights
Knapp is another long and rangy edge defender that easily beats offensive tackles off the ball with a long and explosive first step while using his length to keep blockers away from his chest and shows a quick use of hands when bending the corner with natural bend and the ability to quickly collapse the pocket. Knapp is a multi sack kid that is strong against the run, can split double teams and has a relentless pursuit to the ball at all times. At 6’5″+ and change, he has a frame to continue to pack on more weight and should find a home at the power five level, as he has excellent upside and untapped potential. He has anchored the defensive line for one of Northern California’s top teams for the past couple of seasons and will be one of the top returning defenders across Northern California in 2024.
Garretson is a freaky two-way athlete that can play either offense or defense event at the next level and is one of the states top two-way players while having elite size and length for the next level. He is a very physical and violent blocker on the line that can naturally go up in high point balls in traffic while a mismatch nightmare against anyone at the high school level. Defensively, he resets the LOS quickly with a heavy inside punch, chokes out blockers with his length and can quickly get off blocks while violently setting the edge when needed. His length, frame and ability to pack on more size makes him have elite upside at the next level, and it should not be long until a G5/power five school comes calling and offers.