St. Louis Co. 26s to Watch: DL

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we approach the heat of the summer, the 2025 high school football offseason is in full swing. With that in mind, I wanted to take some time to focus on some of the top incoming seniors in Missouri in specific areas of the state, starting with St. Louis County. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I will now turn my attention to the defensive side of the ball, starting with some notable defensive linemen to keep an eye on in the class of 2026 in St. Louis County!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1112565"],"_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-683a1956812e7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1112565' first='Titan' last='Davis'] is one of the top overall returning prospects in the state in the class of 2026. He lines up at defensive end where he is dominant against the run. Davis explodes out his stance and uses his speed to shoot through his gap before opposing offensive linemen have a chance to block him. He is a very reliable tackler once he gets to the ball carrier, finishing this past season with 46 tackles and 18 tackles for loss. Titan is also dangerous off the edge as a pass rusher, showing the speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles with ease. He finished this past season with nine sacks and also came away with one interception. Davis just announced his final four of Michigan, Alabama, USC, and Penn State, and I can see him making a big impact wherever he ends up playing at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1305795"],"_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-683a195681346"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1305795' first='Jocques' last='Felix'] is a player who caught my attention when breaking down junior year film. He is a versatile defensive lineman who mainly plays inside at tackle but has shown the ability to play end as well. Felix is very impressive as a pass rusher, showing the ability to fight with his hands to defeat pass rush moves and speed to shoot the inside gap with a sense of urgency. He has also shown the ability to stop the run, reading the play quickly then using his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle in the open field. Jocques currently holds multiple Division I offers and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["849703"],"_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-683a19568138e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='849703' first='Brendan' last='Huddleston'] is a defensive lineman who is coming off a strong junior year. He lines up at defensive end where he is a dominant pass rusher off the edge. Huddleston has the speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles with ease along with the bend to avoid blocks. He does a great job of finishing at the quarterback, finishing this past season with six sacks and several quarterback pressures. Huddleston has also shown the ability to stop the run, finishing his junior year with 87 tackles. Brendan is committed to Northern Illinois where I can see him finding a key role on their defensive line once he gets there. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1125461"],"_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-683a1956813d4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My final defensive lineman to watch in the class of 2026 in St. Louis County is [player_tooltip player_id='1125461' first='Ben' last='Petersen']. Petersen lines up at defensive end where he is reliable against both the run and pass. He plays with a high motor which he uses to fly around the field and blow by opposing offensive linemen on his way to the ball carrier to make tackles against the run. Ben finished this past season with 55 tackles. As a pass rusher, he has shown the speed to beat offensive tackles off the edge with ease along with the strength to bull rush straight through them on his way to the quarterback. He finished his junior season with seven sacks. Petersen currently holds an offer from Northern Iowa and I expect more to come his way going into this season as he is a Division I caliber prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->