PRZ WI Showcase: Best of the DL Position Group

I made sure I was front row for the OL/DL battles at the PRZ WI Showcase. The big men in those units had plenty of talent to show off. The best of the OL has been posted. Now it is time to talk about the DL. A group headlined by MVP [player_tooltip player_id='1086267' first='London' last='Hadley'] of Racine Case. Alongside London were athletes with such a wide variety of how they could win in the trenches. Length, quickness, agility, and leverage/power. The wide array of traits give college coaches plenty of options and athletes to dive into. Let's dive into the best of the bunch.    Kristian made his way up from Illinois to compete against some WI OL and the sophomore had a day to remember. Checking in at 6'5", 215 lbs, with a 6'5" wingspan and 10" hands, Kristian looks the part of a future D1 recruit. A long, powerful frame that is loaded to the max with explosive power. That explosiveness was displayed first in the combine. Kristian ran a 5.75 40, 4.3 shuttle, and unreal 6.84 L-Drill, and also jumped 9'5" and 9'7". Those numbers were even more illustrated in 1 on 1s. Off the edge Kristian is able to instantly threaten OTs around the outside. His long strides and first step burst give him a huge advantage. He also has a great base of body control and agility to allow him the ability to counter or juke back inside against the OTs. The 2028 definitely earned that Illinois ranking with his performance.     Tyson was a disruptive athlete last Sunday at the Showcase. He has the build of an LB and that may be his future home, but right now the undersized DL has found a way to consistently get into the backfield. The 5'11" 218 lbs junior ran a 5.03 40, 4.63 shuttle, and a 7.37 L-Drill. Being undersized gives Tyson natural leverage and he understands how to use it. His lower body is backed with power and between that power and leverage we saw Tyson collapse the pocket. We also watched attack with violent hands that were constantly working to clean off the OL hands and win with pass rush moves. The versatile athlete is a unique piece for a future DC to work with.     Avant is a very intriguing 2027. Similar to Tyson above, Avant looks like he may fit best as an LB at the next level. He checked in at 6' 200 lbs with a 6' wingspan and 10" hands. He ran a 5.22 40, 4.68 shuttle, and 7.47 L-Drill. Where Avant truly stood out from the crowd was in 1 on 1s vs the OL. Despite being undersized, Avant won a lot of reps. He flew off the line with an explosive burst and his agility while at top speed made him very hard for the OL to stay square in front of him. That mobility would shine at LB as well in terms of working through traffic. Don't sleep on this kid.     Zachary is just starting to stratch the surface of what he could potentially be. The junior checked in at 6'1" 245 lbs with a 6'4.5" wingspan and 10.5" hands. The big fella can move too. He ran a 5.00 40, 4.66 shuttle, and a 7.28 L-Drill. Being that big while also being able to bend, drop your weight, and burst in another direction is a tough trait to learn and develop. Zach has that and also showed it in some of his pass rushing battles. Safka had a strong junior season on the field and carried it over to the offseason. He will be one to watch this coming summer.     A 2028 who put himself on the map with his performance was Brookfield East DE [player_tooltip player_id='2065355' first='Lance' last='Welch']. The sophomore checked in at 6'3" 220 lbs with a 6'4" wingspan and 9.5" hands. He ran a 5.12 40, 4.5 shuttle, and a 7.34 L-Drill. Lance has a frame with length and he has done well early on with filling it out. He is able to make a strong initial strike when he gets hands on the OL. He can go from that power right into using his hands to defeat the block. The lower body strength is there to keep driving forward while battling with his hands. His sophomore season tape that is available was impressive too. This is a player to have on your radars.     We had a great representation of up and coming edge defenders. One of the members of that group was [player_tooltip player_id='1637696' first='Luke' last='Schubert'] of Grafton. The 6'4" 215 lbs athlete has a 6'4" wingspan and elite 10 7/8" hands. Luke came out after his team won a State Championship a week before, so the kid clearly loves to compete and learn. Luke is on the verge of taking that next leap in his production. He has length, plays with a solid first step, and can play with heavy hands and a strong initial punch to create separation. As he gets more and more experience with his hand fighting and pass rush moves he is going to be so much more impactful and dangerous. Keep an eye on this kid. The tools are coming together.     Myles is a massive prospect who towered over a lot of the other linemen. The 6'3" 360 lbs sophomore has a 6'6" wingspan. That is a big frame to help eat up space on the interior. That is where Myles would be at his best. Taking up blocks and letting his LBs roam free behind him. Myles was able to get some positive surge in 1 on 1 battles by just getting hands on and driving that lower body. If the sophomore can continue to add muscle and clean up his frame he could work his way into a recruit that could play either side of the football.     The 6'2" 230 lbs junior had a solid day. He has a 6'2" wingspan and 10" hands. He ran a 5.28 40, 4.78 shuttle, and a 7.75 L-Drill. The DL recruit also showed off some balance and agility in 1 on 1s. He won with a spin move and was very consistent with his motor. Watching his tape, that motor shines there too. Connor battles to the whistle and it helped him make a lot of plays and impact outside of the first few seconds of the play. I can see Connor being a target for theD3 level.     Another Illinois prospect made his way up to Oak Creek for the Showcase. This one was freshman Cade Albrecht. Cade is a freshman to get on your boards early on. He was a varsity starter this past season, and for good reason. Cade has a great frame at 6'3" 220 lbs with a 6'3" wingspan and 10.5" hands. The 2029 is going to continue to grow too, so we could see him turn into a real monster over the coming years. Cade is right on that edge of setting himself apart from the crowd. He has the frame, has a solid base of power, and he is just starting to get comfortable in his frame. As that comes along he is going to get more flexible and fluid, allowing him to be even more athletic. Cade is at a great spot, heading into the offseason ready to work and with key varsity experience already under his belt. Keep a close eye on the 2029 DL.     Another La Crosse Central athlete to make a name for himself was [player_tooltip player_id='1954041' first='Oliver' last='Walker']. The sophomore DE checked in at 6'2" 210 lbs with a 6'3" wingspan and 9" hands. Oliver is coming off a season where he was able to make a consistent impact off the edge for the varsity. While he is very raw, Oliver has tools that he leaned on for his success. Like a quick first step to get into the backfield and a nice closing burst. Walker also flashed some very effective hand fighting moves. As things start to come together more fluidly and Oliver gets bigger, faster, and stronger, we could see him become a game-changing edge defender.     The Waterford sophomore DL is undersized right now, but he has some pieces that suggest he could continue to grow. The 5'9" 245 lbs athlete has a 6'2" wingspan and 9" hands. Cullen surprised me with his day. He did really well with winning the leverage battle, getting underneath his opponent and driving them off the line. Cullen also flashed the upper body strength to quickly shed the OL in 1 on 1 battles. Cullen made a name for himself last Sunday.     Dashaun is an athlete I will be interested in seeing how he grows and develops. The 5'11" 195 lbs athlete best projects as an LB, but he plays DE for West so that he can get on the field. In the trenches Dashaun is clearly undersized, but he finds ways to win with short area agility that gets him the angle she needs to beat OL. He uses 6'2" wingspan to keep or create space that he can use to win his battles. The sophomore has varsity experience in the trenches and should be a staple of the Appleton West defense for years to come.

I made sure I was front row for the OL/DL battles at the PRZ WI Showcase. The big men in those units had plenty of talent to show off. The best of the OL has been posted. Now it is time to talk about the DL. A group headlined by MVP London Hadley London Hadley 5'11" | 245 lbs | DL Racine Case | 2027 State WI of Racine Case. Alongside London were athletes with such a wide variety of how they could win in the trenches. Length, quickness, agility, and leverage/power. The wide array of traits give college coaches plenty of options and athletes to dive into. Let's dive into the best of the bunch.