UW- Eau Claire Big Man Camp: Best of the DL

We continue our coverage of the inaugural UW- Eau Claire Big Man Camp held inside their brand new indoor facility. A beautiful facility that athletes were able to gather in with helmets, shoulder pads, and cleats and get some mid-summer live action. It was awesome to hear the pads popping, watch kids prove themselves, and see the offers roll in following the event. Today we are going to talk about the best of the DL group. There were several studs to know going forward, so make sure to have these kids on your recruiting boards.    An athlete who has been on our radar since his freshman season, and also put together a great showing at the Big Man Camp is Wausau West's DT [player_tooltip player_id='383775' first='Deondre' last='Bournes']. The '25 measured in at 5'10" 255 lbs with just over a 6' wingspan. Every rep I saw from Deondre impressed me. Didn't matter if it was in positional drills or 1 on 1 battles. It is clear that Bournes puts in the work. He has a strong frame that was always perfectly balanced through every rep. The '25 did a great job of staying in a position of power and a position of leverage. He was explosive off the line, and demonstrated heavy hands to defeat blocks. Deondre earned an offer from Eau Claire following the event. He definitely provides an interior mismatch with his technique, quickness, and hand use.     One of the more impressive athletes walking around the camp was [player_tooltip player_id='1120621' first='Storm' last='Tiry']. He checked in at 6'3" 229 lbs with an elite 6'5" wingspan. What was most impressive about the frame is that Storm carries the 229 lbs so easily. There is a ton of room to easily add another 20+ lbs if a team wanted him to play with his hand in the dirt. The lean athlete started his day running a blazing 1.19 flying 10. Then in the 1 on 1 battles the '25 proved to be one of the best players in attendance. Storm's profile of power and athleticism is excellent for the next level. He is able to win with speed off the line and making lateral moves to leave OTs reaching and chasing. He can also get hands inside, create separation, and make a pass rush move thanks to his power. Storm is another 2025 who earned an offer from UWEC following the event. Don't miss out on the steadily rising prospect.     It is clear that UWEC liked what they saw from this DL group as '25 [player_tooltip player_id='942706' first='Brady' last='Schauer'] out of Sun Prairie East was also able to earn himself an offer from the Blugolds. The 295 lbs '25 measured in with almost a 6'3" wingspan. Schauer proved that he was a very stout DT in 1 on 1 scenarios. He easily held the line, and in pass rush battles the Sun Prairie East product flashed the power to bull rush and collapse the pocket from the interior. Brady also showed off some versatility in his rushes, winning with some quick lateral moves. The '25 carries his size well and is able to be sudden with that frame. He definitely looked the part of one of the best interior DL in WI.     Marquell was able to earn his first offer following the Big Man Camp from the Blugolds of Eau Claire. Marquell first caught my eyes in the positional drill work for the DL. He flashed a quick get off and natural bend to run the loop. The '25 also played with active hands during those drills. That led to me keeping an eye on him in the 1 on 1s where he was able to stack wins vs the OL. In the battles, Bovia flashed sudden lateral agility to set up the OL outside then cross their face back inside. His quickness and hand use was the key to his success all day long. I'm excited to watch him more closely this fall.     An athlete who came into the camp as a popular recruit was [player_tooltip player_id='1225613' first='Jaydon' last='Lanser']. The 2025 left the camp with even more fans of his game, and an additional offer from the Blugolds. The 6'2" 208 lbs '25 edge defender is on the verge of a 6'5" wingspan. Length that the incoming senior has utilized very effectively over the past year. Every rep we see Jaydon get that separation with those long arms. His hand quickness and lateral agility pair together to give him a very effective repertoire of pass rush moves. No doubt about it, Jaydon has the talent to be a menace off the edge at the next level. A big senior season is coming.     This was my first time getting to watch the Rufus King product in person. It was a strong showing for the '25 DL who was able to earn himself his 5th offer overall and 1st from the WIAC. Khadin showed a low center of gravity and used leverage to create a consistent push against the OL. He was able to drive his man off the ball and could toss them out of the way with strong hands. Khadin paired that power with fluid lateral movement so he could get in position to only need to beat half a man. Khadin will be leading a deep DL group this fall.     I love going to these events because I get to meet new athletes that we absolutely need to know about. This event's biggest addition to our radar is the Ellsworth DL [player_tooltip player_id='1380117' first='Nolan' last='Kummer']. He made a lot of fans during the camp, leading to multiple D2/D3 offers in the days following. The 6'1" 267 lbs DT has a frame that looks the part of a next level prospect. It is well put together, yet there is plenty of room to continue to add onto it. Nolan was my top interior pass rusher in the 1 on 1 battles. He explodes off the ball and easily bull rushed his opponents off the line of scrimmage until he was ready to shed them for the win. Nolan plays with the hands of a heavyweight boxer, powerfully creating separation or ripping past, or swatting hands away giving him lanes to get to the QB. Kummer proved to be a mismatch with his combo of size, speed, and strength. Don't miss out on this kid.     Another edge rusher who caught my eyes during the camp, and over this past year, is Racine Case's [player_tooltip player_id='1394947' first='Thomas' last='Lackey']. The 6'2" '25 checked in at 208 lbs with a 6'3" wingspan. The speed he plays with off the edge was a problem for OTs all night long. He accelerates off the line quickly and has the balance and flexibility to bend or dip under OTs as he runs the loop to the QB. When the OT was able to get him cut off the senior was able to so quickly cut laterally and again accelerate past his opponent. The '25 has exciting tape showing off his versatility outside of being a pass rusher too. Check him out.     One of the more intriguing DL prospects who is under the radar is Rufus King's [player_tooltip player_id='245980' first='Jamison' last='Bonds']. He checked in at 6' 245 lbs with an excellent 6'4" wingspan. The senior didn't hesitate to use that length and hands to win in the trench battles. It was impressive watching him rep to rep as he was able to consistently maintain separation and then show off the lateral movement and quickness and he would burst past the OL. Jamison showed an effective push-pull, and a rip move. Bonds is making strides in his development based off what I saw in Eau Claire.     Hunter was one of the athletes that caught your eye during the warm up stretching. His 6'+ 285 lbs frame was one of the biggest in attendance. The incoming senior proved to be the type of athlete that teams look for on the interior. A big, stout frame that can eat up blocks or wreck havoc when left in 1 on 1 scenarios. In 1 on 1s Hunter created a big initial pop on contact that helped him start to create a push in his bull rush. His reps relied on that initial contact power and leg drive plus getting effective hand placement. The '25 earned an offer from the Blugolds with his performance.     Andrew made the trip up from Iowa a worth while one. The 6'2" 223 lbs DE has a nearly 6'5" wingspan. He definitely looked the part of a college edge defender. He played like it too with his 1.20 flying 10 and 4.55 pro agility. Andrew's balance, and flexibility caught my eyes on the pro agility as he was able to easily drop his weight and hips then explode in a new direction. Once we got to the live battles he again caught my eyes with how quickly he was able to win reps. Whether he was running the edge, setting up outside and crossing back inside, or using a well timed pass rush move, Andrew was impressive. The IA product deserves more of the spotlight. Check him out.

We continue our coverage of the inaugural UW- Eau Claire Big Man Camp held inside their brand new indoor facility. A beautiful facility that athletes were able to gather in with helmets, shoulder pads, and cleats and get some mid-summer live action. It was awesome to hear the pads popping, watch kids prove themselves, and see the offers roll in following the event. Today we are going to talk about the best of the DL group. There were several studs to know going forward, so make sure to have these kids on your recruiting boards.