Winter Showcase Top Defensive Performers

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">We had some unknowns step forward on the defensive side of the ball and make names for themselves at last weekend's #PRZTN Showcase. These guys below are the one's we felt stood out the most! </h2>     (DT) [player_tooltip player_id='854396' first='Jack' last='Smith'] - South Gibson   - Taking home MVP honors for the D-linemen, Smith had himself a stellar showing at the #PRZTN Winter Showcase where he boosted his stock and put himself on the map as a potential top prospect coming out of his West TN region. The first thing you like about Smith is how broad and full he is with his upper body. The Hornets big man is a powerful young man that used his strength to his advantage during 1 on 1 competition but also displayed good hand work and deceptive mobility. Smith is a wide bodied young man that fits the nose guard role well. It will be interesting to see how his recruitment goes because I could see strong interest in him, especially if he continues to develop his athleticism and explosion off the snap.    - - - - -    (DL) [player_tooltip player_id='1405051' first='Hunter' last='Broyles'] - White Co.    - Broyles was a player I was interested in watching closely last weekend and he did not disappoint. The Warriors rising junior showed off excellent D-line versatility where he took snaps in 1 on 1 competition at both defensive end and tackle and handled himself very well. The key trait that stood out most to me was his mature mindset when it came to pass rushing. He showed a variety of moves that you don't see too often from high school D-linemen as well as some good athleticism that could work at several positions across the defensive front. If Broyles can continue to pack on more weight while enhancing his lower base agility, you could see FCS programs get involved at some point with this Mid-TN big man.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/BroylesH2026/status/1875754916469436580 </div></figure>   - - - - -    (DL) [player_tooltip player_id='1104286' first='Melvin' last='Boone III'] - Rockvale   - One of the more disruptive D-linemen we had at the #PRZTN Winter Showcase was this Murfreesboro area rising senior that showed off a variety of pass rush moves. Boone was a late addition to camp but stood out as one of the best D-line performers due to his athleticism, explosion off the ball and excellent hand work. The Rockets defender started the day really well by testing among the best at his position then proceeded to excel during 1 on 1 competition where most O-linemen had a hard time dealing with his nimble body movements. Boone is undersized (6'0 265) but is an active ball player that could grow into a 3-4 rush end or slide inside to rush the passer as a 3-tech tackle.    - - - - -    ‘27 (DL) [player_tooltip player_id='1409368' first='James' last='Stewart'] - Blackman   - The Blaze have a young, up and coming D-lineman here to build around over the next two years as Stewart brings a lot of traits to the playing field that could work well on the college stage. He put those traits on display last Saturday at our Winter Showcase where his athleticism, hand work and size proved to be difference makers in 1 on 1 competition. Stewart has a mature pass rush about himself that could be used at end or tackle on the next level. His testing numbers have yet to arrive but I bet Stewart placed among the top testers at his position. This Murfreesboro area D-lineman had an overall consistent, impressive day that he should build upon this off-season and continue boosting his stock as a player to watch in the #TN2027 recruiting class.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JamesRStewatt/status/1875702010693218708 </div></figure>   - - - - -    ‘27 (DE) [player_tooltip player_id='1584096' first='Colby' last='Cates'] - Lewis Co.    - One of the biggest defensive surprises from the Winter Showcase was this Mid-TN D-linemen that impressed with his ability to rush the backfield but also show good athleticism that can be developed much further. Cates did well during the testing portion of camp but really kicked things in gear once we reached positional work and 1 on 1 competition. The Panthers rising junior has a good feel for the game and shows in his pass rush. Cates understands how to use his hands to get off blocks then bend towards the backfield with nice closing speed. He also showed surprising power as well and he can definitely get bigger and stronger. Working both the end and 3-tech tackle is a possibility for Cates. This Mid-TN product will certainly be one to follow and watch develop over the next few years!    - - - - -    ‘27 (Edge) [player_tooltip player_id='1595501' first='Zeke' last='Walkup'] - Cannon Co.    - If we found a hidden gem from our Winter Showcase, it was the Mid-TN small town standout that displayed some of the best pure edge rushing speed of anyone at camp. Walkup has really developed his body over the past year where he now looks like a legitimate college prospect and he proved that on Saturday. The Lions rising junior kicked his day off by testing well then proved to be the most athletic edge prospect in attendance by excelling during positional work and flourishing through 1 on 1 competition. Walkup is fast off the edge along with outstanding bend and closing speed that caused problems for offensive tackles. He is still in developmental mode and needs to keep packing on the weight but I really liked what I saw from Walkup and what his potential could be down the road.    - - - - -    ‘28 (LB) [player_tooltip player_id='1282553' first='Cooper' last='Jones'] - MTCS   - We had a solid crop of linebackers at last weekend's Showcase but it was this rising sophomore that came home with MVP honors. Jones proved throughout the day from his testing into positional work and his ability to cover that he was the best linebacker of the day. The Cougars defensive prospect had one of the better testing days for all backers, showing off his agility and lower base explosion. His best work of the day came when he reached positional 1 on 1's versus running backs and tight ends where he tracked the ball well, displaying the ability to flip his hips and cover while making the right read on passes to the flat. There is a lot of growth yet to go for this Murfreesboro area defender but he certainly made an impression and placed himself on the map as someone to watch in the future.    - - - - -    (LB) [player_tooltip player_id='1592213' first='Danius' last='Ward'] - Henry Co.    - Much wasn't known about this Mid-TN linebacker but Ward certainly made an impression on Saturday to place himself among the top performers for the day at linebacker. Early on during testing, Ward did well for himself but really stood out once we got to positional work where he took to directions well and made sure to showcase his athleticism while doing so. The Patriots rising senior proved to be a versatile guy with his ability to move fast towards the ball but also do good work in coverage. Ward does have length and athletic traits that translate to the college game. He is a bit undersized at 6'0 185 pounds but has the frame to certainly pack on more weight and become a standout linebacker this Fall for his Henry Co. team.    - - - - -    (LB) [player_tooltip player_id='1583134' first='Carson' last='Kelly'] - Arlington   - Standing 6 '3 and little more than 200 pounds, Kelly immediately looks the part of a potential college guy and he pushed that narrative further on Saturday where he displayed the athletic skills to compete on the next level. The Tigers linebacker started his day testing well but really shined once we saw him move in space and chasing down ball carriers during drill work. Kelly is a fluid mover with length that covers a lot of ground. He continued to boost his stock when we started 1 on 1's where Kelly did well coverage. There were a few missteps in this area but you could see the upside this Memphis product brings to the field. I like the upside here, so it will be interesting to see how Kelly develops the rest of the way into the 2025 season.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/carsonkelly08/status/1876371147433943373 </div></figure>   - - - - -    ‘27 (DB) [player_tooltip player_id='1594170' first='DeMarcus' last='Huffine, Jr'] - Powell   - Winning MVP for your position during your first camp of the year is definitely a great way to crank up your off-season and that's actually what this Knoxville area defender did. Huffine, Jr had himself a coming out party at the #PRZTN Winter Showcase as the top performer on the back end due to his outstanding technical skills and coverage abilities. The Panthers rising junior impressed in a big way during 1 on 1 competition where he played lock down coverage, doing so with excellent lower base agility and speed. He was smooth and effortless in a lot of what Huffine, Jr did. The outside cover corner work was definitely the best of camp, showing that this East TN product may be someone to know about now and moving forward.    - - - - -    (DB) [player_tooltip player_id='1591253' first='Darrius' last='Baldwin'] - Melrose   - Traveling all the way from Memphis to compete at the #PRZTN Winter Showcase, Baldwin made it a point to get himself on the map and I believe he did just that. The Golden Wildcats rising senior had an outstanding day, all the way from his testing and into 1 on 1 competition where Baldwin proved to be one of the better defensive back prospects in attendance. This Memphis area defender played with an aggressive nature that gave receivers fits. He also competed extra hard, making it a point for those in attendance to recognize him. Baldwin did well for himself showing good footwork and nice recovery speed along with the ability to fight for the ball while in the air. I don't know if cover corner will be his position in college but I do know he brings versatility to the back end as Baldwin could handle the island, nickel or safety.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/DarriusBaldwin3/status/1875702354349260801 </div></figure>   - - - - -    (S) [player_tooltip player_id='1103034' first='Andrew' last='Smith'] - Maryville   - Smith put forth his best season yet last Fall with Maryville and he continued his strong play last weekend at the #PRZTN Winter Showcase where he placed himself among the top defensive back prospects in attendance. Standing 6 '2 and almost 190 pounds, Smith immediately looks the part of a potential college guy but the question about him heading into camp was if he could run well enough to stand out. I believe he did as Smith showed excellent lateral movements and speed throughout camp from his testing work all the way into 1 on 1 competition. There are times where Smith got a little stiff but he made up for it with making the right reads. Overall, it was a good day for this Maryville safety, who certainly boosted his stock with a great camp performance among his peers.    - - - - -    (DB) [player_tooltip player_id='1432234' first='Denzel' last='Yarbrough'] - Smyrna   - This Mid-TN product proved to be one of the more interesting prospects at our Winter Showcase due to his physical look and defensive versatility. Yarbrough first made an impression with his size (6'0 180 plus), length and his physically well built frame. Then he went into testing where the Bulldogs defender did well but really stood out with his coverage during 1 on1 competition. Yarbrough worked a lot on his man to man coverage and handled himself just fine but that showed me where he could be an excellent safety or hybrid linebacker on the college level. There is a lot to work on moving forward for Yarbrough but the tools are strong to develop into a potential college guy.    - - - - -   Other Top Performers: (DT) [player_tooltip player_id='1589198' first='Jacob' last='Mahoney'] - WH-Heritage, (DT) [player_tooltip player_id='1583156' first='Mylan' last='Morris'] - Marshall Co., (DL) [player_tooltip player_id='1587395' first='Kenneth' last='Benn'] - McCallie, (Edge) [player_tooltip player_id='1595504' first='Sam' last='Rohan'] - Ravenwood, (LB) [player_tooltip player_id='1449768' first='Jaxson' last='Rutledge'] - Maryville, (LB) [player_tooltip player_id='1570553' first='Jayden' last='Shannon'] - Cannon Co., (LB) [player_tooltip player_id='1583146' first='Jude' last='Fitzpatrick'] - Upperman, (S) E'Marion Woods - Oakland   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/01/20250104_180413-rotated.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-1596537" style="width:294px;height:auto" /></figure>