Back in the trenches

Games are won and lost at the line of scrimmage. After taking some time away from the line of scrimmage, I am back in the trenches with part one of a two-part story featuring some of the teams returning a lot of talent along the defensive line. These guys made significant impacts last season, and one more year of development will make them – as a unit -tough for offenses to deal with in 2024.   Blaine   [player_tooltip player_id='1204074' first='Evan' last='Lowry-Simpson'] – not your proto-typical interior or 3-4 defensive end. Lowry-Simpson uses his athletic ability, hands, and quickness instead of power and size. He can be a nightmare for slower linemen. He uses his stature to get small – not giving blockers an angle to square him up.   [player_tooltip player_id='1204072' first='CJ' last='Sanderson'] – speed and athleticism are also Sanderson's calling cards. He gets off the line of scrimmage quickly, and once that quickness has a blocker off-balance, he takes advantage and uses his hands and leverage to get off the block. He does a great job moving laterally – keeping blockers off his body and stringing out plays to the outside.   [player_tooltip player_id='1248658' first='Wyatt' last='Konkler'] – explosive off the snap with a good initial punch off the line. He uses his arms not only to get blockers to rock back on first contact but also to use good arm extension to keep blockers off his body.   [player_tooltip player_id='1255915' first='Bangalee' last='Kamara'] – I could not find footage for Kamara, but he has the size – 6'2 250 – to be a problem on the inside of the Bengals' defensive line.   Elk River   [player_tooltip player_id='1118428' first='Charlie' last='Olson'] – plays with great leverage on the edge and does a good job keeping his play-side shoulder free. He is explosive and athletic enough to give the Elks' coaching staff flexibility, as he can drop into a linebacker position. Olson has the speed to make plays down the field or when he starts on the opposite of the play side. He transitions from pass-rush mode to defending the run and doesn't over-pursue and get out of position.   [player_tooltip player_id='938335' first='Nick' last='Montik'] – split time between JV and varsity last season. He has the body type 3-4 defensive ends are supposed to have. He is physical at the line of scrimmage and rarely gets moved off his spot when single-blocked. He has solid speed, allowing him to make plays down the line of scrimmage.   [player_tooltip player_id='591739' first='Brockton' last='Graber'] – another physical defensive end; Graber maintains a good hip level throughout most reps. He has a good punch off the snap and uses that to keep linemen off his body – making it easier for him to flow to the ball. Like Olson, he does a solid job of keeping his play-side shoulder free to allow him to make plays down the line of scrimmage.   [player_tooltip player_id='924236' first='Simon' last='Bicek'] – mainly an offensive guard last season, Bicek should see some additional time on the defensive side of the ball, giving the Elks another athletic defensive lineman with good speed and agility.   Farmington   [player_tooltip player_id='551346' first='Ethan' last='Giesler'] – plays all along the defensive line. Giesler has good lateral movement, moving down the line of scrimmage without turning his hips to give blockers much of a service to hit. He has good arm extension and uses his hands effectively to get off blockers.   [player_tooltip player_id='1186811' first='Max' last='Speratos'] has a great first step and often beats the blocker to the spot, automatically getting the offensive lineman out of position. Speratos's quickness and straight-line speed allow him to make plays from the backside and down the field. Even with that quickness, he keeps his hips low, allowing him to take on blocks even when his speed is countered.   [player_tooltip player_id='1255904' first='Bret' last='Leitgeb'] – quickness off the snap gives Leitgeb a solid pass-rushing foundation. He has good upper-body strength and can take on double teams without giving up ground. If he gets a blocker off balance, that upper body strength allows him to throw blockers to the side aggressively.   [player_tooltip player_id='923838' first='Hank' last='Vonbank'] – played mainly offense last season, but his athletic ability on the offensive side of the ball will translate nicely as he takes a more prominent role on the defensive line in 2024.   Esko   [player_tooltip player_id='551314' first='Brock' last='Montminy']—a prototypical 3-4 nose tackle, Montminy is a massive presence in the middle of the Eskimos' defensive line. He constantly deals with double teams and holds up well. He has good lateral movement, allowing him to be more than a two-gap run stuffer. He has surprising speed for as big a man as he is.   [player_tooltip player_id='945909' first='Nolan' last='Pfister']—although he is dwarfed by Montminy, Pfister is a big, solid athlete, too. At defensive end, he is tough at the point of attachment and uses a strong upper body to maintain space between him and the blocker. Because of that extension, he can shuck blockers either way to free himself.   [player_tooltip player_id='924238' first='Heath' last='Sunnarborg'] – I wasn't able to find any highlights for Sunnarborg, but with his athletic build, I expect him to be a welcome addition to the Esko defensive front.   Mountain Iron-Buhl   [player_tooltip player_id='1003346' first='Noah' last='Berrini'] – is about as physical a defensive lineman as there is in the state. His size, explosiveness, and strength overwhelm a lot of offensive linemen he lines up against. Despite double teams, he can split them to get into the backfield or use his upper body strength and athletic ability to fight off double teams while moving laterally down the line of scrimmage. More than once in his highlight package, he simply throws blockers aside to make a tackle.   [player_tooltip player_id='945893' first='Chris' last='King'] – his size and speed combination is more than most offensive linemen will be able to handle. He looks like the most athletic guy on the field. Mainly a defensive lineman, King will also play standing up as an outside linebacker. As a down lineman, he keeps his pad level low and uses his length and upper body strength to keep blockers off his body, allowing him to manipulate the blocker however he wants. When he gets into the backfield, he engulfs ball-carriers.

Games are won and lost at the line of scrimmage. After taking some time away from the line of scrimmage, I am back in the trenches with part one of a two-part story featuring some of the teams returning a lot of talent along the defensive line. These guys made significant impacts last season, and one more year of development will make them – as a unit -tough for offenses to deal with in 2024.