Scouting The Top EDGE/OLB in Division II-AAA

A lot of prospects across Tennessee have emerged and etched their names as stars in their respective classifications. With the transfer portal calmed down, for now, I'm scouting the top players at each position in each class.   Next in this series, I'll discuss Division II-AAA edge rushers and outside linebackers. Here's a scouting report of my top outside guys at the first and second levels in DII-AAA.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/09/hejulien-crop-422x277-1773098809.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2147738"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Baylor EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='1357924' first='Hans' last='Emery Julien']. Photo by Baylor Athletics.</figcaption></figure>   2027 EDGE Emery Julien – Baylor School   Emery Julien was one of the biggest surprises last high school football season. He was a monster for the Division II-AAA state champion Baylor Red Raiders, recording 45 tackles, 10 for a loss, nine sacks and 14 QB pressures in just nine games. Julien has the size, traits and production that have earned him significant college interest over the last eight months.   The rising senior offers good size, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 235 pounds in an incredibly athletic frame, allowing him to maintain his movement. He has long arms that you want in a new style edge rusher, along with the space to add more weight to fill out his frame to the max. Julien is highly athletic with great twitch and a wicked, quick first step off the ball. The scary part about his game is that he was so good last season, but he's just getting started.   The 2027 prospect contains the run well with his high football IQ, excellent tackling and quick instincts. He's proven to do well getting tackles for loss, while shedding blocks to make plays. His pass-rush ability is truly second to none in Tennessee, but he could polish things up to become even more dangerous. The sky is the limit for him, and he should establish himself as a Power Four prospect as a senior.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/Photo-Apr-25-2026-12-47-27-AM-crop-1320x867-1777092609.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2181092"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: CPA EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='989275' first='Houston' last='Payne'] during a game. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure>   2028 EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='989275' first='Houston' last='Payne'] – Christ Presbyterian Academy   [player_tooltip player_id='989275' first='Houston' last='Payne'] is an intriguing prospect for a CPA who has all the tools and traits to be a highly productive player at the next level. He didn't get to play a huge role in 2025 with upperclassmen in his way, but he was still solid and showed flashes. In eight games as a rotational player, he totaled 19 tackles and a sack. He will likely take the full-time starting job next season, where he has the potential to be one of the biggest breakout players in Tennessee.   He offers a nice frame for his age and position, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 230 pounds. Payne has long arms and strong hands, along with a quick first step that could turn him into the best edge rusher in the state with some development. It's not just quickness in small areas; the rising junior has hit 18.8 mph this offseason, giving him excellent speed off the edge.   Payne has nice pass-rush upside with his physical tools and relentless motor, but he was very impressive against the run last season. He does a good job of setting the edge and crashing down to funnel tailbacks inside, where he makes a play or one of his teammates cleans it up.   The 2028 prospect does a nice job of fighting off blocks and staying physical throughout the echo of the whistle. I'd like to see a bit more production from a pass-rush standpoint, but that will come. Once he develops in certain areas, Payne will be one of the more complete players in his class.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/Photo-Apr-25-2026-12-35-53-AM-crop-1203x790-1777092744.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2181095"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Brentwood Academy OLB [player_tooltip player_id='1585726' first='Kenneth' last='Simon'] II during a game. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure>   2027 OLB [player_tooltip player_id='1585726' first='Kenneth' last='Simon'] II – Brentwood Academy   [player_tooltip player_id='1585726' first='Kenneth' last='Simon'] II transferred into Brentwood Academy last season and was an immediate star player for the Division II-AAA powerhouse. He's incredibly gifted physically, able to play all over, but was their hybrid outside linebacker, where he was terrific. The rising senior has some of the best traits in his class, which warrant his consensus four-star rating, as almost every school in the nation wants him.   Simon II possesses solid size, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 210 pounds in a lean, athletic frame. He began his career as a safety before being moved into the box at Brentwood Academy, so he moves very well in all facets. While he may not be the biggest guy, this talented rising senior brings great physicality and plays with an impressive motor.   My favorite part of Simon's game is his versatility. With his background as a defensive back, his second-level coverage skills are tremendous, but he has really adapted well to being a true linebacker. He tackles well, gets downhill quickly, has an impressive football mind and even offers nice upside as a pass rusher. Simon II has drawn interest from just about every top program and should be a good player wherever he chooses to go.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/cosmodematteo11/status/1998578282237984819?s=20 </div></figure>   2028 OLB Cosmo DeMatteo – Baylor School   Baylor's [player_tooltip player_id='1188708' first='Cosmo' last='DeMatteo'] is an intriguing prospect who showed a lot of flash last season as a big contributor to the Red Raiders' defense as an outside linebacker. He's a young buck, so it's hard to project, but he has all the necessary tools and physical gifts to be a Division I player. With continued development, he can certainly achieve that goal while winning a few more state championships.   He offers solid size, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 200 pounds in a long frame that works well for his position. DeMatteo is very athletic, moves well laterally, gets downhill quickly and also has the physicality that you need to play outside backer at a high level. The 2028 prospect did just that in 2025, being one of the best players on Baylor's defense.   I like what he offers as a pass rusher. It's nothing crazy, but it's enough where teams must respect his ability and not only focus on him in the run game. He's a proven run defender who's done so at an excellent clip. He must improve in every area to maximize his potential, but he's shown a lot of promise through two years of high school ball.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2026/04/Photo-Apr-25-2026-12-34-06-AM-crop-1198x786-1777093040.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2181103"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Ensworth OLB [player_tooltip player_id='1614247' first='Mason' last='Bonner'] during a game. Photo from his Instagram.</figcaption></figure>   2029 OLB [player_tooltip player_id='1614247' first='Mason' last='Bonner'] – Ensworth School   [player_tooltip player_id='1614247' first='Mason' last='Bonner'] is someone who most people don't know about, but they should have on their radars heading into 2026. He's an incredibly talented player who should step in and make an impact on one of the best defensive units in Tennessee. He already has impressive physical tools, with the raw athleticism you don't see too often at this level, and he puts it all to good use.   He has good size for his age, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 190 pounds, with a long frame that allows him to be dangerous at several spots on the second level. The 2029 prospect is extremely athletic, with the fluidity to move quickly anywhere, along with the physicality that ties it all together. Bonner has upside as a pass rusher, but also as a run-stuffer.   The rising sophomore had a good freshman season, but should see a big role in his first time on the varsity team. He needs to polish up in a few areas, but he has everything you look for in an outside linebacker. Ensworth has a track record of producing defensive stars, and this kid looks to be one of the next up.

A lot of prospects across Tennessee have emerged and etched their names as stars in their respective classifications. With the transfer portal calmed down, for now, I'm scouting the top players at each position in each class.