Defensive Line Full-Season Highlight Scouting Reports

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Prep Redzone's First Virginia Player Showcase coming January 12, 2025</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We will be hosting our first&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/10/prep-redzone-stock-up-showcases-are-back-this-winter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stock Up Showcase</a>&nbsp;on January 12, 2025 in Harrisonburg, VA! At our events, we have the drills ran by college coaches, so you will be able to meet and perform in front of those who will recruit you. The showcase is&nbsp;<strong>open to any class of 2025-2028 players</strong>. Group discounts of 3 or more signing up together also apply! Feel free to send&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/GoLions1934" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">myself</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/carljfred" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carl</a>&nbsp;a DM on X if you have any questions. You can register for the showcase&nbsp;<a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/1329/register/virginia-stock-up-showcase" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. Use discount code&nbsp;<em><strong>LaingPRZ2024</strong></em>&nbsp;for $10 off.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today I am offering a preview of the full-season highlight reviews I will be writing in the offseason. Today, I am bringing you five defensive linemen who had strong seasons for their teams. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1177772"],"_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-67473cb8bee56"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Good height and solid size, with room to add mass to his frame. Good athleticism displaying good acceleration, explosiveness, foot quickness, lateral agility, balance, change of direction, and hip fluidity, with solid foot speed, flexibility, and hand quickness. Very good up-field burst, displaying a very quick first step that gains depth, keeping good pad level. Good use of hands to engage offensive linemen and rip past them, showing solid bend to dip his shoulder to keep offensive linemen from grabbing him. Uses his good balance to keep his base with good lateral movement to keep good run defense. Good pass rushing with good acceleration to close on the QB and force distress on the throw. Overall, he is a good prospect who holds offers from UVA-Wise and Hampton-Sydney. Division II ball is his floor in my mind watching his film. Ended his <a href="https://x.com/BraydenRettig/status/1859048007410307315" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">senior season</a> with 52 tackles, 7 TFLs, 5 sacks, 30 QB pressures, and 10 QB hits, forcing 1 fumble and recovering 1 fumble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/17670505/Brayden-Rettig" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/BraydenRettig" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17670505/6704840ed676d31182eb2284' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67473cb8bf176"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["402770"],"_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-67473cb8bf1fd"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Adequate height and good size, expect to continue to grow into a solid/good height. Good athletic ability with very good explosiveness, balance, and hand quickness. Good acceleration, flexibility, foot quickness, lateral agility, change of direction, and solid speed. Explosive first step creating good up-field burst. Very good use of hands showing very good strength and explosiveness allowing him to execute his will versus offensive linemen and split double teams.  Very good against the run, showing good lateral movement to defend his gap and move down the line with very good grip strength to grab and tackle ball carriers. Good power pass rush to push the depth of the pocket affecting QB's ability to step up. Shows a rip and spin move in his pass rush, with good bend to dip around the offensive lineman. Overall, a good player who has D1 ability to play at the next level. He lived up to his top defensive line ranking from us in the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/virginia/rankings/2026-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">class of '26</a>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15897073/JaySean-Richardson" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/Feedabull21" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15897073/6734e9876855ec8683e20716' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67473cb8bf236"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1298445"],"_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-67473cb8bf2b0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Good height and frame. Good athletic ability displaying very good foot quickness and lateral movement, good acceleration, explosiveness, balance, bend/flexibility, and hand quickness, with solid foot speed, change of direction, and hip fluidity. Good up-field burst, gaining depth on his initial steps, with discipline to keep gap integrity on both run defense and pass rush. Good versus the run, showing good use of hands to engage offensive linemen, with good arm strength to keep offensive linemen out of his chest and good leg strength to anchor himself and hold ground. Very good lateral movement allows him to defend the run down the line of scrimmage. Good pass rush, showing good power and speed-to-power rushes, and displaying spin and rip moves in his pass rush plan. Plays in a 30 front defensive end position that I feel suits his skillset well, and he has the strength and potential size to play a weak side edge at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/17987944/Craig-Nelson" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/Nelson_Craig55" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17987944/6732dc47e53bcbed09778cc6' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67473cb8bf2e7"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["400876"],"_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-67473cb8bf449"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Good height and elite size. Very good athleticism for his size displaying elite balance, very good acceleration, lateral movement, bend, foot quickness, hand quickness, good hip fluidity, change of direction, and solid foot speed. Very good up-field burst utilizing his very good foot quickness and bend to gain depth with good pad level. Very good use of hands to engage offensive linemen with his elite play strength with the ability to enforce his will against anyone. Elite run defense, forcing a double team against him that he can split with his strength and use of hands, with very good lateral movement when disengaging blocks to defend his run gap. Very good power pass rush, with very good leg drive to push the depth of the pocket and put offensive linemen off balance, disallowing QBs to step up in the pocket. He is a great competitor who pursues though the whistle. Michael is an FBS prospect who has picked up a <em><a href="https://x.com/Michael_Gibbs_/status/1753152489690419463" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marshall offer</a> </em>already and will see many more. In my mind, he can play in the Power 4.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/17895288/Michael-Gibbs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/Michael_Gibbs_" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17895288/673e0210e61819722ffed6cf' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67473cb8bf47f"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1282096"],"_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-67473cb8bf35c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Good height with elite size. Solid athletic ability with very good balance, good explosiveness, lateral movement, hand quickness, solid acceleration, foot speed, foot quickness, change of direction, flexibility/bend, and hip fluidity. Good up-field burst using his good explosives, and solid foot quickness and acceleration to come off the ball and engage offensive linemen with his good use of hands. Displays very good strength that allows him to anchor himself and drive offensive linemen back to reset the line of scrimmage. Very good run defense, with good processing to read the ball carrier and disengage his block. Good power and bull rush to push the depth of the pocket. Gives very good effort through his pass rush to put pressure on the QB. Overall, his play style fits him as a 0-2 technique defensive tackle/nose guard at the next level. He displays the strength and processing to be a two-gap player and can be very good in an attacking one-gap scheme where you can let him use his strength and explosiveness to overpower interior offensive linemen and reset the line of scrimmage. He is still looking for his first offer. He finished the season with 51 total tackles and 42 of those were tackles for loss equating to 82.35% of his tackles. He also finished with 3 sacks on the season. He is an underrated talent in central Virginia that more need to take notice of.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18199326/Yuri-Radcliffe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hudl</a> / <a href="https://x.com/storyofyuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">X</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/18199326/6732811e2523d8e245fe02e1' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67473cb8bf3d3"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Click&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/prospect-index/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>&nbsp;to claim your Prep Redzone Prospect Index profile.<br>Follow me on Twitter&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/GoLions1934" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@GoLions1934</a>&nbsp;for further content |&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneVA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@PrepRedzoneVA</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/PrepRedzone" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@PrepRedzone</a>&nbsp;| Virginia Scouts&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/carljfred" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@carljfred</a></em>&nbsp;<em>&amp;</em>&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/EdOBrienCFB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>@EdOBrienCFB</em></a><em>&nbsp;</em>|&nbsp;<em>View my previous Prep Redzone articles&nbsp;<a href="https://prepredzone.com/author/cole-laing-author/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->