’25 Rankings: Five Highly Productive D-Linemen

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2025 rankings holds nearly 70 ranked defensive linemen. Out of those linemen, there's not one that's a bad high school football player. Every single ranked prospect is great at the high school level, and nearly all of them have something to give to a college program. In this article, I'll be taking a look at five defensive linemen who've had very highly productive careers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1290495"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6696e6aa52e78"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700"><br>I've always loved Eric's potential, and with a breakout senior season, he'll be a late-bloomer college prospect. Currently, Eric's tape shows good stuff against the competition that he faces. In other words, Eric has a great swim move and effort that succeeds in the Big North, but probably wouldn't succeed at higher levels. Regardless, I still really like Eric's measurables and overall effort. Next season, I'd love Eric to show a bit more strength. I hope he's spent some time in the weight room, and if he did, he's going to see the results on the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1290499"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6696e6aa52e3b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Phillip is a very high-effort defensive end who can be a game-wrecker in the Blue Water Area Conference. He especially excels in early-play aggression and a truly great get off. Right off the bat, Phillip explodes off the ball in a way I rarely see from D-Linemen. Phillip is able to scream past the opposing linemen and make plays in the backfield. When he is blocked, Phillip does his best to shed the block with good physicality before diving for a tackle. As it is now, Phillip is a great player for the level of football he plays at. In order to become a college prospect, he needs to bulk up a bit while learning how to rush the passer and shed blocks. I hope this season can be a breakout season for Phillip, and I hope it leads to college offers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1298697"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6696e6aa52de1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cameron has had a relatively quiet offseason, but I'm confident that he's set up well for his Senior season. Last season, Cameron had moments of very good run defense. I especially like his ability to anchor himself before violently pushing his blocker to the side then making a tackle. For next season, I'd love to see Cameron show an even more explosive getoff, and also a better motor. Neither are bad at this point, but Cameron could legitimately earn D2 college attention if he cleans up his game. I like his size, love his strength, and I truly hope that Cameron will be able to have himself a breakout Senior season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1290893"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6696e6aa52d7d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Last season, Nolan served as a very high-IQ defensive end. Upfront, I don't think Nolan is a freakish athlete. Where he lacks in athleticism, he more than makes up for it with great IQ and fundamental prowess. Most defensive linemen I watch struggle mightily with pass rush, but Nolan is quite skilled. Notably, he has a great dip-rip move that allows him to get past a ton of offensive tackles. As for run defense, Nolan does an excellent job of setting the edge, and exploding toward the ballcarrier when a tackle is within reach. Overall, he's a very good defensive lineman that can earn college offers with a bit more prowess in either strength or athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1291371"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6696e6aa52d3a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Brett really impressed me when I first covered him on <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/05/hudl-discoveries-36-ok-red-pt-4/">Hudl Discoveries</a>. It's difficult enough to stand out at a big school like Grandville, but it's even harder to stand out at 6'1" 195. Going even further, it's incredibly difficult to stand out at a 6'1" 195lb defensive lineman. Brett stands out through his incredible effort and motor. Defensively, Brett is absolutely unrelenting. He fires off the ball incredibly fast and blows by so many linemen who are too slow to react. Further, he sports a very wide tackle radius. Brett also plays on the offensive line, where he shows that same physicality. The only reason why Brett is ranked at #381 is his size. The unfortunate truth is that very few if any programs will recruit a defensive lineman of his size. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->