The Film Room: TN2027 Defensive Linemen (Part II)

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">As we stay in the lab breaking defensive line film, the deeper this position gets. The five prospects talked about in this piece will all play on the next level with a few of them destined for the Power and D1 playing stage. </h2>     (DE) [player_tooltip player_id='1675717' first='Dallas' last='Pauldo'] - Rockvale   Strengths: Pauldo immediately looks the part when stepping off the bus, which is half the battle when making it into the Power Four, D1 level. You have to have the size and physical makeup to contend on that stage and Pauldo does. He also has a body and frame that can still be molded and that's appealing towards what his future may look like. The Rockets rising senior fits best playing defensive end where he can play stout versus the run while providing the occasional pass rush. He is physical at the point of attack, showing nice arm extension and powerful hands that allows him to get off blocks. Pauldo is a good athlete that moves well laterally and maintains his balance against physical contact. His pursuit towards the ball is good as well as Pauldo shows nice closing speed. This is a max effort guy that plays hard and maintains a solid motor throughout games while using his physicality to set the tone. I see position versatility with Pauldo. Depending on how he grows into his frame, the Rockets D-linemen could develop on the end or work inside as a tall 3-tech interior disruptor.    Needed Development: Increasing the explosion and speed is what I see Pauldo needing to work on the most. Coming off the ball quicker would help his cause as well. The Rockets defensive lineman is talented with a power profile that works on the next level but to become the kind of game changer he can be, developing his lower half explosiveness would push his game to new heights. Another part of his game that Pauldo can work on is his hand action. If he can use his hands more frequently, you might see a better initial pass rush that allows Pauldo to find the quarterback quicker.    College Potential: This Mid-Tennessee product is already on the Power Four radar, holding offers from the likes of Georgia, Missouri, Vanderbilt and others. Since he is on the P4 radar right now, it's more about Pauldo continuing to develop his game and maintain his recruiting status. His size, physical makeup and potential playing on the D-line is strong and should be quite appealing to just about every college staff on the P4 and D1 level, so expect to see Pauldo continue bringing in big time offers as the off-season months go on.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/10/Photo-Oct-21-2025-11-24-31-PM-1.jpg?w=777" alt="" class="wp-image-1971389" style="aspect-ratio:0.7587999718962973;width:262px;height:auto" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Rockvale Athletics</figcaption></figure>   - - - - -    (DT) [player_tooltip player_id='2116601' first='Sinai' last='Dikisongele'] - Lakeway Christian    Strengths: This East Tennessee big man is sitting under the radar right now but I bet that changes soon as Dikisongele brings a lot of physical tools to the field that translates well to the college game. Standing 6 '3 315 pounds, the Lions big man has beef and overall size to stack blocks on the interior and do a variety of things from stopping the run towards rushing the backfield. Dikisongele is an athletic guy for his size that moves very well, especially laterally. He is lite on his feet, displaying easy moving hips and an agile lower base. Dikisongele comes off the snap well, showing a nice get-off and the ability to get into the backfield quickly. This guy is not only a good athlete for his size but a naturally powerful young man as well. Dikisongele is hard to move off his spot. Once he gets his hands on the blocker, he usually stacks him or moves him back and changes the line of scrimmage. This dude has some strong hands and a great initial punch that knocks O-linemen out of balance. The Lions senior brings the unique ability to not just plug up the run but also get after the quarterback as well.    Needed Development: When I look over his junior film, I don't see a lot of dire improvement needed at the moment to be a highly recruited guy. Dikisongele has all the tools and size needed to see his recruitment blow up very soon. The biggest thing for this East Tennessee product to do moving forward is to simply continue improving in all areas about himself and his game. Working on his technique while learning the game further is what I see at the top of the page for Dikesongele to focus on over these off-season months.    College Potential: I see a Power Four prospect written all over this guy. Those offers have yet to come but I bet they will very soon (I talked with two P4 coaches last week on Dikisongele, so I know they are coming). It's hard to find defensive tackle prospects that have the athleticism and size that the Lions big man brings to the field. The great thing too is that Dikisongele is still coming into his own with plenty of room for growth, so his best football days appear to be ahead of him. Once the word gets out fully on this guy, I expect his offer list to grow significantly and become one of the more heavily pursued defensive linemen from our in-state TN2027 class.    - - - - -    (DE) [player_tooltip player_id='1402723' first='William' last='Umsted'] - Christian Brothers    Strengths: This Memphis area two-way prospect could have some college staffs look at him for tight end but I personally like Umsted best at defensive end where he can develop into an outstanding edge setter with potential to rush the passer. Umsted is well built physically with a wide frame and broad shoulders that helps against opposing blockers. The Purple Wave senior is strong at the point of attack. He does well at maintaining his balance and position then breaking off the block to chase down the ball. Umsted comes off the ball well while also displaying a solid motor that should only improve over time. He also has active hands and excellent bend that allows him to get around his blocker and chase down the quarterback. Sporting an agile lower base with good footwork, this Purple Wave defensive end has pass rushing upside along with the physical makeup to set the edge versus the run. That's the area where I think Umsted could make an impact early in his college career. He gets off blocks well with nice arm extension and powerful hands and once he releases, he sets the edge to either make the tackle or force the run back inside.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/02/wumsted.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-2129401" style="width:234px;height:auto" /></figure>   Needed Development: There are a lot of things that Umsted does right but to boost his game further, adding in more pure speed would help his cause a ton. Doing that would make him a better prospect both at tight end or defensive end. Gaining a quicker step off the snap would help as well. Developing his hand work would also allow this Memphis area prospect to become a more formidable pass rusher. I can also see Umsted packing on more weight and turning into an interior 3-tech prospect as well. That just depends on how his body develops over the next few years and possibly who recruits him.    College Potential: Umsted to me is a Power Four sleeper. That depends on how much better he improves over the next six months while putting forth a stellar senior season. Right now, I can see Umstead becoming a D1 guy that gets looked at by places like App. State, Arkansas St., MTSU and others but until those schools get on board, the FCS playing stage is where I believe he will land. I scout this defender as a solid prospect that does a lot of small things right while displaying the upside to become a more explosive, disruptive guy working on the end of the line. Umstead is also projecting to be a Top 100 guy that could move higher with strong off-season development.    - - - - -    (DT) [player_tooltip player_id='1699523' first='Roosevelt' last='Bates'] - Southwind   Strengths: When you turn on the film, you are going to notice that Bates is undersized at 6'0 but he performs very well, using his height to his advantage. The Jags senior defensive tackle comes off the snap fast while staying low and getting under his blocker to gain leverage. Bates plays fast and violent with a quick first step, which makes things difficult for opposing blockers to deal with. Another factor that helps him get into the backfield is his agile lower base. Bates bends and moves well laterally, showing quick feet, explosive flashes and the ability to change directions. This Memphis area product shows excellent hand work as well. He displays a mature pass rush bag that should only improve further as he continues to get older. Bates fits the 3-tech role well while having enough athleticism to work standing up on the end, as seen inside his junior film. You don't have to worry about him competing either as Bates plays hard each and every snap. This is a max effort young man that competes at a high level with an excellent motor.    Needed Development: Knowing that he stands at 6'0 and will be an undersized interior D-lineman in college, Bates could be limited in certain areas, especially stopping the run. When he faces bigger O-linemen that come off the ball well, they tend to push him back just enough to make a difference. He needs to continue packing on more weight to hold his ground better in stacking blocks and thinning the rushing lanes. Adding more weight will also help Bates when it comes to dealing with double teams. The Jags senior doesn't have the longest arms either, so using his hands to win will be very important for his overall success.    College Potential: I like the way this guy performs and competes on a consistent basis. He's not the most imposing figure on the defensive front but Bates is athletic, fast and violent with mature pass rushing tools that would work well on the college stage. As we scout through these off-season months, I see Bates as a FCS guy right now that could develop and play his way into a D1 prospect. If he can add in the needed weight and further his power, the Jags senior might have enough tools in the bag to entice bigger programs. This Memphis area prospect will certainly be someone I follow over the coming months to watch how he progresses and boosts his overall stock.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/02/rbates.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-2129402" style="width:239px;height:auto" /></figure>   - - - - -    (DT) [player_tooltip player_id='1583156' first='Mylan' last='Morris'] - Marshall Co.    Strengths: A multi year starter that has been a part of a lot of wins at Marshall County, Morris is a true interior tackle prospect that does equal good work at stopping the run and rushing the backfield. The Tigers senior is a disruptive guy that moves pretty well, which helps him cause havoc against the quarterback. Morris is a solid rusher that uses his hands well while being able to change directions and chase down the ball. He displays solid bend coming out of his stance then uses his hand power and quickness to work past would-be blockers. The Tigers big man is an adequate athlete that moves better than his body frame may appear. This is a max effort guy as well that plays hard and uses football intelligence to win on most occasions. Morris does have enough power to stack blocks and do solid work versus the run. He is a versatile interior D-lineman that you could use at the nose or the 3-tech, depending on what you may want him to do.    Needed Development: For this Mid-Tennessee product to develop into a multi-year, impactful college starter, Morris must continue to add in more power and weight to help his cause against the run. More times than not in college, he will be asked to plug up rush lanes and make tackles on the ball, so adding more size will help him a lot. He could also develop his lower half agility and foot speed much further to become better at rushing the backfield as well. Morris doesn't have the longest arms either, so enhancing his hand work and quickness of the ball will allow him to become more disruptive.    College Potential: As things sit right now in these off-season months, Morris looks like a D2, NAIA level prospect that could boost himself into a FCS guy with continued development. There are a lot of things to work on for the Tigers big man if he wants to reach the FCS playing stage but the fact Morris is a hard worker with high character, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets himself there. His work this off-season in and out of the weight room and on the playing field along with a strong senior year will dictate where Morris winds up in college.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/02/mymorris.jpg?w=768" alt="" class="wp-image-2129403" style="width:214px;height:auto" /></figure>