Prep Redzone WI Showcase: Freakish DL Performances

The DL is clearly a position of depth and talent across WI. The winter Prep Redzone WI Showcase gave a great glimpse into that with the athletes who came out to show off what they have. This group had a ton of athletes come out, athletes with size, length, power, quickness and awesome combos of those traits. There were so many athletes of notes, and we are going to do our best here to provide as many notes as we can on as many DL as possible. There is a lot to like and follow in the near future and within the underclassman classes with this position group, so let's get into it. If you want to check out MVP [player_tooltip player_id='1570886' first='Harrison' last='Walker'] you can do that in the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2024/12/prep-redzone-wi-winter-showcase-mvps/">MVP Article</a>. For the rest of the standouts, continue reading!    Outside of our MVP performance, I firmly believe that Tristen had the best day among the loaded DL group. The rising junior has an elite frame at 6'4" 280 lbs with an elite 6'7" wingspan and just shy of 10" hands. The first thing you notice with Tristen is the way he easily carries that size while still maintaining an athletic frame. Tristen's quick twitch in his hands, feet and hips also jumped out during DL drills. Then when we got to 1 on 1 battles the big man verified the power and violence behind those hands as he was able to win with pass rush moves and with some bull rush attempts. Tristen is a very intriguing prospect in the Class of 2026 with his size and traits.     A 2026 to know among edge athletes is [player_tooltip player_id='1136674' first='Deacon' last='Ward'] out of Greendale. He has a fantastic frame at 6'4" 220 lbs with nearly a 6'6" wingspan and 11" hands. Despite the 220 lbs on his frame, it is very clear that there is a lot of room to add onto that frame to make him even more of a force off the edge vs the run and controlling the line of scrimmage overall. During the showcase the junior dominated in 1 on 1s with his first step explosion and his overall flexibility. Ward got off the ball quickly to attack the edge, usually forcing OTs to reach and chase him. The 2026 also did a great job of showing his ability to dip or bend and make himself a smaller target to punch for OTs as he ran the loop to the QB. Very excited to watch more of Deacon this offseason at camps. Get this kid on your recruiting boards.     Anthony checked in at 6'3" 225 lbs on December 1 with nearly a 6'5" wingspan and with 10" hands. Anthony has a thick frame that is able to generate a solid base of power off the snap. I loved watching him in 1 on 1 battles. The 2026 utilized so many different pass rush moves with success while rushing off the edge and on the interior. The junior showed a swim move, spin move back inside, and some power on a quick punch that shed his IOL to the side so he could slip through the gap into the backfield. Russell did a great job of not getting hung up on blocks and instead was able to consistently create space and use it to win the battle within a few strides off the line. Get eyes on the junior DL out of South Milwaukee High School.     One of the top seniors in attendance at the Showcase was Racine Park's Natavion Santoya-White. The 5'11" 230 lbs senior has nearly a 6'3" wingspan with hands that are just under 10". The senior proved to be a mismatch with his quickness, body control, and pass rush moves and counter moves. Over and over we saw the '25 win with his quick first step and the body control to be able to set up one way and instantly cut back across the grain way before the opposing OL could react. Natavion also has the ability to transition that speed to power too. The senior impressed so much that he ended up earning an offer from one of the coaching staffs helping run the event. It was a great day for the uncommitted senior. Check him out before you're too late.     One of the most impressive DL in the entire state is freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1288198' first='Deandre' last='Ehlen'] out of Brookfield East. The '28 was a consistent starter on the varsity DL this season and looks like he has a very bright future ahead of him. Ehlen checked in at 6' and an impressive 291 lbs. As you can guess, that mass is able to generate a lot of power. Especially with his ability to transition speed to power. Ehlen is very quick off the line, especially for his size and his hands were very strong on the end of his almost 6'6" wingspan. Deandre's leg drive and overall powerful base also helped him create that instant power on contact to collapse the pocket from the interior. The 2028 is quickly making himself one of the state's best overall 2028s. You need to get on this kid early on.     One of the top performers in the 1 on 1 battles throughout the morning was [player_tooltip player_id='1570488' first='Gavin' last='Burt'] out of Fort Atkinson. The 6'3" 215 lbs senior is still available and deserves more attention after his showing. He was one of the top testers on the DL with his 5.01 40, 4.65 shuttle, and 8' broad jump. That athleticism and burst highlighted his 1 on 1 reps as he piled up the wins over OTs. He won with speed and bend, making himself a very hard target to land a punch on or cut off as he ran the loop. The senior also did a great job of playing under the hands of OTs and dipping/bending. Burt put himself on our radars with his showing. Get him on yours.     An absolute dude that has been growing and developing on the DL is Union Grove's [player_tooltip player_id='1570949' first='Quinn' last='Koepnick']. Quinn had a great check in at 6'2" 255 lbs with 10.25" hands at the end of his 6'3.5" wingspan. The big man dominated right from the start with his testing results. The 255 lbs athlete ran a 5.00 40, vertical jumped 25", hit a 4.94 shuttle, and had a 7'9" broad jump. Quinn's weight room dedication has clearly been paying off and translating to the field. That weight room development shined in 1 on 1s where he was able to create a push with his bull rush or toss his OL aside as soon as he caught them off balance. The junior is a violent athlete on the DL that coaches need to check out. He also plays OL for Union Grove too.     Hawk is coming off a season where he had 4 sacks along with 20 TFLs, yet his best football is still way ahead of him. The '26 has a growing frame that is now 6'3" 230 lbs with an elite 6'6" wingspan and 9.75" hands. The big man is blessed with impressive balance, burst, and change of direction for a DL. That was illustrated by a 4.66 shuttle, 8'4" broad jump, and 7.57 L-Drill. All of which were the fastest or near the fastest at the position. As Hawk continues to develop the nuanced parts of the edge position like his pass rush moves, the athletic edge is going to become even more of a problem and game changer off the edge. I'm excited for his future.     One of the more intriguing prospects on the DL is 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='1570918' first='Kyle' last='Johnston'] out of Catholic Memorial HS. Kyle has an outstanding frame to build on and fill out over the coming years. He currently sits at 6'5" 206 lbs with almost a 6'7" wingspan and 10.5" hands. The sophomore was able to work his way onto the varsity field as a sophomore for a team that made it all the way to State. The underclassman is definitely growing into that frame still, but he was able to flash a solid get off at the snap and understands the advantages that length can give him and uses it well. Keep tabs on the CM 2027.     If you are looking for that next wave of special talent coming through the Wisconsin ranks you have to include the 2028 DL/TE out of Wisconsin Dells. The freshman has outstanding measurables. 6'4" 242 lbs, 6'7.5" wingspan, 10.75" hands, 4.85 shuttle, and a 7'9" broad jump. The freshman has the size that would have coaches excited if he was a senior. Hendrix still has three years of HS football ahead of him. During that time we are going to see some outstanding development. He is still growing into that elite frame, and as his body control and awareness improves so will the athletic tools that he brings to the field. Hendrix is a big, strong ball of clay right now and I am pumped to see how he grows and develops over the coming years. Big things ahead for this young man.     Sometimes you can tell by certain measurements that we may be at the beginning of an impressive future breakout athlete. One such case that I'm intrigued by is freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1570970' first='Yisrael' last='Washington']. The '28 is only 5'10" 191 lbs currently, but the freshman possesses some of the most elite length measurements in the group. At only 5'10" tall, Washington has an awesome 6'4.5" wingspan. Plus he has some of the biggest hands at 10.25". If we see his frame start to catch up to that elite length then we have a prospect on our hands that is very much worthy of keeping a close eye on. The young athlete tested well too. 5.02 40, 4.77 shuttle, 7'9" broad jump, 7.87 L-Drill. I'm going to have my eyes on the freshman.     Teams looking for size and power on the interior need to check out 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1570965' first='Vadim' last='Misiura']. Vadim is a 6'1" 288 lbs DT with a 6'2" wingspan and nearly 10" hands. Vadim isn't best known for being a pass rush force, but the big man proved that he had the power to get pressure by collapsing the interior of the pocket vs guards or centers. The '26 DT isn't just a space and block eater, though. He had 57 tackles in 2024 with 2 sacks and 210 TFLs. Vadim is at his best when he can control the line, then use his strength to shed the block quickly and make the tackle. This is a junior worthy of a look going forward.     Another underclassman with eye-catching physical tools is [player_tooltip player_id='1570973' first='Zachary' last='Safka'] out of Greenfield High School. The sophomore checked in at 6' 221 lbs, but the best part was his 6'7" wingspan and 10.25" hands. Numbers you don't hear or see often, and they tell me that we could see big things ahead for Safka as he continues to grow physically. The sophomore did a good job of getting his hands on and getting separation with that length. As he continues to grow, get stronger, and develop his pass rush moves we could see big leaps in Zach's game.     Another 2027 with a bright future and lots of potential within his frame is Oak Creek's [player_tooltip player_id='1570923' first='Lincoln' last='Hanson']. Lincoln checked in at 6' 200 lbs, but where he set himself apart at that size is with his almost 6'7" wingspan and 10.5" hands. Hanson also broad jumped 8'5", ran a 4.74 shuttle and a 7.48 L-Drill. Watching Lincoln through the drills and athletic testing, it is clear that the sophomore is a smooth athlete with some noteworthy burst when he changes direction. Some of that easy athleticism shined in 1 on 1s where he won with a sudden, and effective inside redirect after setting up what looked like an outside rush. I'm excited to watch the sophomore continue to grow and develop his game.     Theo is coming off his first season as a varsity starter while helping Franklin earn the D1 #1 seed entering the playoffs. The 6'1" 226 lbs junior brings some serious length to the field with his nearly 6'6" wingspan and almost 11" hands. Tools that helped him in the 1 on 1 battles to end the session. We saw Theo take reps on the interior and on the edge, winning at both spots. The junior flashed quick, violent hands to clear himself of the OL and a solid first step off the snap. The raw tools are there for Theo to continue to develop with. I'm excited to see him take that next step leading into his senior season.     Another top underclassman performer was Franklin's Andrew "AJ" Chromy. The 6'2" 243 lbs sophomore was a problem in 1 on 1s. The sophomore had some of the most consistent success with his hands that I saw throughout the day. His swats or punches were strong and always got the OL hands off of him allowing him to make a move or counter move off that separation. I was impressed by AJ's quickness off the snap and how he always seemed to have a plan of attack on each rep. Between his size and technique at this point in his career, I'm very excited to see what is ahead for the '27.     I was looking forward to seeing the freshman DL out of Arrowhead in action. Jacob is coming off a season that saw him work his way onto the varsity field for reps as the season went along. The 5'11" 218 lbs freshman hit double 8'3" broad jumps, highlighting his lower body power/burst. Where that burst and get off truly shined, though, was in the 1 on 1 battles. Jacob flew off the line at the snap as was able to win with his quickness in multiple ways. One was with simple lateral agility while on his path to engage, leaving the OL punching at air. Another time was with the quickness in his hands to swat down his opponents hands then rip through into the backfield. Downing is a strong, explosive freshman that is showing the early signs of a difference maker.

The DL is clearly a position of depth and talent across WI. The winter Prep Redzone WI Showcase gave a great glimpse into that with the athletes who came out to show off what they have. This group had a ton of athletes come out, athletes with size, length, power, quickness and awesome combos of those traits. There were so many athletes of notes, and we are going to do our best here to provide as many notes as we can on as many DL as possible. There is a lot to like and follow in the near future and within the underclassman classes with this position group, so let's get into it. If you want to check out MVP Harrison Walker Harrison Walker 6'1" | 220 lbs | EDGE/LB Mount Horeb | 2026 State WI you can do that in the MVP Article. For the rest of the standouts, continue reading!