2027 Watchlist Check-In: Defensive Linemen

This offseason, we're taking a look at some of the players sitting just outside our rankings. Our watchlist check-in series looks at those players who often just need an opportunity. These rising juniors have been injured, stuck behind others on the depth chart, or just don't quite have enough varsity film to be ranked. But they're close, and many will enter the rankings this year.   Here, we're looking a few quality defensive linemen who could start this season and raise their stock.    Hernandez-Chicas plays both off-ball linebacker and edge rusher for Mooresville, but with his weight kept down for wrestling, we think he has the brightest future off the edge. He was productive while playing mostly on JV as a sophomore and as he makes the transition up to the varsity level, we think he could grow into a havoc-wreaking edge defender, with a quick first step and relentless motor.     Though he's not the biggest nose tackle you'll see in North Carolina, Littlejohn plays with excellent leverage, allowing him to stonewall bigger offensive linemen. He flashes the ability to get off blocks and make tackles himself and he'll occasionally shoot gaps, but he's at his best as a space-eater. He excels at taking on blocks to clear paths for his linebackers. He should get more playing time on varsity this year and I'm interested to see just how high his ceiling is.     Beckwith did a lot for New Bern last season, playing numerous positions, including some offensive line when forced into action late in the season. He bounced around so much that his numbers were modest. However, we think he could thrive if he has the opportunity to play on the edge, perhaps flexing inside on some passing downs. He's longer than his heigh suggests and is a sure tackler.     While Broome is ranked in the back of the rankings, we think he's a guy who could climb the rankings and we've included him here as another guy to watch in 2025. Broome has a quick first step and though he's a bit undersized as an interior defensive line prospect, he has plenty of strength to match interior offensive linemen. As he continues to improve his game, don't be surprised if he makes some big plays next season.

This offseason, we're taking a look at some of the players sitting just outside our rankings. Our watchlist check-in series looks at those players who often just need an opportunity. These rising juniors have been injured, stuck behind others on the depth chart, or just don't quite have enough varsity film to be ranked. But they're close, and many will enter the rankings this year.