2028 Watch List to Ranked: Defense

A ton of promising talent on the defensive side of the ball. The Class of 2028 has just gotten out of the blocks. 25 meters into the 100-yard dash, we've got a few frontrunners. Many of them were previously on the Watch List. Here are five defensive prospects who have earned a ranking after being previously on the Watch List.    Another excellent talent from Cass Tech who earned Varsity time as a freshman.   <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/22710378/678712cb013538ec04cb55b7">His tape</a> is mostly what you'd expect. Army served as a solid role player, was a decent run stopper, and had a few flashes in pass coverage. Army's best highlights come from the tail end of the tape- 1:55 shows a great read and near-INT. 2:05 demonstrates an ability to hit hard and break up passes. I like Army's upside as a free safety. Already with plus athletic ability, his Friday Night production should match his offers very soon.     King's always got at least one superstar up front. [player_tooltip player_id='1167235' first='Elijah' last='Willis'] could realistically play D1 ball as an offensive lineman or defensive tackle.   First off, Elijah's size stands out. Pair that with above-average athletic numbers, and you have yourself a very promising defensive tackle. Apart from the eye test, the dude can play. In-season, I loved his anchor and all-around ability to plug gaps and stop the run. This offseason, Elijah has shown he's more than just a run-stopper. He's pretty dang polished in pass rush, and I'm impressed with his getoff, bend, and hands.     Sky's the limit for this Muskegon LB/ATH. His performance at the MHSAA camp in Jenison still sticks in my mind to this day. He passed the eye test with flying colors- he's got an excellent frame and standout athleticism. Dacari looked phenomenal in drill work.   The impressive showing didn't stop with drills. I thought the 1on1 period was when he was at his best. Dacari did an excellent job using his length and speed to get in position to break up passes. He's still a bit raw in this area, but even though he has stuff to work on, he's still way ahead of the curve. I'm expecting Dacari to earn time on both sides of the ball this season. Excited to see how he ends up being utilized.     I'm quite bullish on Marquell. I don't know a whole lot about Marquell, and there's less tape on him than most, but there's still good reason to beleive he'll develop and perform.   I like Marquell's offseason work. He got to a ton of camps, competed, and showed some great flashes at DB. I'm especially impressed with Marquell's patience- he rarely bites on double moves, and has great closing speed when the ball is eventually thrown. He excels defending off-man against a receiver running a comeback route. There are fewer quality clips of him playing press, but I'm confident he's at least above-average in that area. Lastly, I love his testing numbers. Particuarly, his 4.4 shuttle and 102-inch broad jump. Way above average for his age. Speed can absolutely be improved, though. I hope to see Marquell perform well this season. I see the potential, and I think he'll meet that potential.     Landon checks a ton of boxes.   The physical tools are there. Landon is tall, has good muscle, and showed promise during his freshman season. This offseason, Landon has travelled to countless camps, visited a ton of colleges, and he's straight-up improved. A recent clip from The D Zone 7on7 indicates that Landon has made improvements to his catch radius.   I'm not yet sure if I like Landon better as a Tight End or Defensive End, but I know he's got excellent upside at both positions.

A ton of promising talent on the defensive side of the ball. The Class of 2028 has just gotten out of the blocks. 25 meters into the 100-yard dash, we've got a few frontrunners. Many of them were previously on the Watch List. Here are five defensive prospects who have earned a ranking after being previously on the Watch List.