PRZ Exposure Series SC: Defensive Line Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>COLUMBIA | </strong>The Prep Redzone Exposure Series at Richland Northeast revealed something that we already knew.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defensive line in the 2027 class could be the deepest position in the state. And while there weren't many 2027 guys at the position on hand, the three who were there really opened some eyes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Newberry's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2210828' first='Dontavias' last='Griffin'] </strong>was a guy who stood out first in the 40. He ran two good times, and showed great movement for both there and in the L Drill, where he showed off a quick burst and a great change of direction. In drills, Griffin lined up inside and showed a variety of moves to get to the QB. Whale Branch's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1036772' first='Rahiem' last='Saunders']</strong> was another 2027 DL who quickly drew some attention. Coming in at over 300 pounds, Saunders still shows plenty of explosive ability. He moves well, he uses his size to his advantage, and he plays with great leverage, particularly when lined up inside. The third of the three 2027s at the position proved to be a different player than his classmates. At 225 pounds, Chapin's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2182512' first='Clinton' last='Gentry']</strong> won his very first rep in drills with speed. Then he won his second rep with speed. Then on his third...stop us if you've heard this before. Gentry's certainly not a one-move guy, but that speed move was stunning at times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2027s weren't alone, though. Four guys from the 2028 class stood out as well. Catawba Ridge's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2212399' first='Xavier' last='Bighem'] </strong>(pictured) was spending some down time before a combine rotation snagging passes, and was so good at it one of the coaches on hand refused to believe he wasn't a WR. He does have that kind of look and athleticism, but in drills it's apparent he's all DL. He won some reps with a power rush, some with a spin, and showed a variety of things that will serve him well. Speaking of spins, Aiken's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1467819' first='Brandon' last='Poston']</strong> won his first rep one-on-one with a devastating spin move, and was a tough matchup the rest of the way. He's another tall and athletic DE, and was at his best coming off the edge. Chapin had a pair of guys at the position from the 2028 class in <strong>Garrett Graham </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2118954' first='Tyson' last='Waters']</strong>. They both move well and use their first step and their ability to use leverage to keep guys off balance to their advantage. They're completely different body types - Waters looks like a textbook end while Graham is close to 300 pounds and is the picture of a tackle - and they could make life extremely difficult for Eagles' opponents.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the youngest guys in the field drew some of the highest praise. Hillcrest's 2029 DL <strong>EJ Thompson</strong> was singled out by the staff as the standout DL of the event. He ran a really good 40 for his size, showed fantastic change of direction in the L Drill, and really stood out in one-on-one competition against taller, older competition. He showed the ability to control the line of scrimmage inside and to win matchups with a variety of moves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->