’26 Rankings Update: The Defensive Line Film Room, Part II

Film is one of the best tools to self-scout, evaluate, and improve. As is the case with any rankings update, we want to celebrate and highlight select prospects who had some really nice film and talk about their game. That said kill the lights, close the blinds, and turn the projector on and join me, as we prepare to enter the film room to discuss what I saw on film.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />    There is something about 6'4" 225lb lineman who run well in the open space that I like. Guess I Like [player_tooltip player_id='1550963' first='Jake' last='Johnson']'s game then. Johnson is outright faster than many of his opponents, even on special teams, allowing to exploit opportunities time and again. That same speed allows him to close on the quarterback and also beat linemen off the edge. There is some evidence of him dipping his shoulder to win, but I cannot get over the fact that he hawked someone on an open-field tackle, refusing to give up nor allow anyone else to make the play.      A mountain of a young man, Mount Olive's [player_tooltip player_id='1515097' first='James' last='Giammanco'] has proven to be a rock in their lineup for the past few seasons. Defensively, we see that has a utilizes the arm-over and stack to penetrate and take ownership of his gap. Although he gets hands on the man in front of him, I would describe his contact as more of a collision, to where he scrapes to the ball. Most importantly, however, it seems as though Giammanco is hard to block when he rips, knifes, and runs off blocks down the line of scrimmage. As a pass rusher, the weak shoulder of his matchup is often caught in his hire. Giammanco also has good offensive film; however, because he is listed as a defensive lineman he is evaluated as such - but I do think Giammanco is a well very good player and can play either side of the ball in college.      Drive deep enough into South Jersey and you will come across Seneca's [player_tooltip player_id='1557405' first='Kingston' last='Williams'], who is within the top-100 prospects in his class. An edge player, Williams can convert his speed rush into a power rush with ease. What allows Williams to be so effective at this is that, more times than not, he plays below the pad level of his offensive matchup. This also implies that he is a speed demon off of the edge. Moreover, something subtle that he does is stack the heels of his matchup once he beats them, effectively shrinking the pocket and escape angles in the process, and then breathes down quarterback's necks with his closing speed. Williams athleticism translates away from the defensive side of the ball too, as this basketball star also plays receiver. Williams fits the mold of the type of player I tend to like: twitchy, raw prospects that can be molded to confirm to a collegiate program's way.      Although he plays at linebacker depth, the way [player_tooltip player_id='1530071' first='Mason' last='Gonzalez'] is used by Ramsey is akin to that of an additional lineman who plays in space. A thick and sturdy player, Gonzalez is a good tackler who wraps well and does not let ball carriers out of his clutches. Hand usage is a part of his game as Gonzalez will push off, create separation, and sheds incoming linemen. Gonzalez is often asked to play down hill, always in motion, rather than sitting back and read or move laterally. At the collegiate level I could see Gonzalez being a stacked backer in a 33 or even a 4i.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class of 2026 Rankings Update Coverage</h2>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-i"></a><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-i"></a><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-i">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-ii">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part II</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-iii">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part III</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-iv">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part IV</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-v">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part V</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-vi">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part VI</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-vii">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part VII</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-viii">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part VIII</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-ix">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part IX</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-x">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part X</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-film-evals-for-new-additions-part-xi">Ranking Evaluation Scouting Notes, Part XI</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-the-athlete-film-room-part-i">Athlete Film Room, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-the-defensive-back-film-room-part-i">Defensive Back Film Room, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-the-defensive-line-film-room-part-i">Defensive Line Film Room, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-the-defensive-line-film-room-part-ii">Defensive Line Film Room, Part II</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-the-linebacker-film-room-part-i">Linebacker Film Room, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-the-quarterback-film-room-part-i">Quarterback Film Room, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-the-running-back-film-room-part-i">Running Back Film Room, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/05/26-rankings-update-the-special-teams-film-room">Special Teams Film Room</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-the-wide-receiver-film-room-part-i">Wide Receiver Film Room, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-shake-up-within-the-top-150-ranked-part-i">Biggest Rankings Jump, Ranked Prospects, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/26-rankings-update-watchlist-prospects-that-entered-the-top-25">Watchlist Prospects that Entered the Top 25</a>

Film is one of the best tools to self-scout, evaluate, and improve. As is the case with any rankings update, we want to celebrate and highlight select prospects who had some really nice film and talk about their game. That said kill the lights, close the blinds, and turn the projector on and join me, as we prepare to enter the film room to discuss what I saw on film.