Climbing the Ranks: 2029 Defensive Prospects

There is a sizeable group of really good defensive prospects in this 2029 class at every position! All of the following prospects have done enough to give themselves a notable jump in the rankings.    Blair makes his jump into the rankings, coming in at #19 overall. There are almost no glaring weaknesses to his game. He's a fluid athlete that changes direction well, hits top end quickly and shows off great closing speed. He understands coverages and executes his responsibilities. He also has the grit to come up and play in the box and can make open field tackles better than a lot of upperclassmen at this time. With a productive 2026, Blair will likely continue to shoot up the board!     Pannell came out to our event back in the spring and had a great day. He covered some physical receivers, speedy and shifty slot guys, and some receivers that had quite a bit of size on him, but it didn't matter. He was able to lock guys down with great technique. Checking in on his film, Pannell displays all of the athletic traits that he demonstrated during camp season. Great speed, fluid hips, and sticky 1v1 coverage. Absolutely deserving of a spot in our rankings, and on a trajectory to keep pushing forward!     I absolutely love the versatility Gage showed in 2025. Whether it's playing an OLB off-ball position or lining up on the EDGE and creating havoc in the backfield, Bevins has the ability to be a game wrecker. He has a great first step, really good bend and the strength to straight up shed blocks when someone puts their hands on him. As a pass rusher, he's a weapon, but he is just as impactful as a run stopper with tremendous downhill aggression. Absolutely deserving of a top 40 slot!     Langston is a true speed to power EDGE that has a great first step, impressive bend and superior motor. Not only does he generate pressure consistently, but he has the closing speed to finish plays off with a TFL or sack. Langston is stocky and has a strong base, making him extremely difficult to kick out with a TE or RB, making for a massive mismatch on the edge. I love what he put on film in 2025 and have extremely high hopes that he can develop into a highly sought after defender.     Lamar is a big and powerful defensive lineman with plenty of upside. He's plenty strong enough to plug up gaps and maintain gap integrity, but he's also explosive enough to get out of his stance and catch slower interior offensive linemen off guard. The speed and explosiveness make him not only a game wrecker in the run game, but allows him to be an interior pass disruptor. Lamar is heavy-handed upon contact with the strength to shed blocks and win reps consistently. I am excited to see how he slots in with this young rising group at Brother Rice.

There is a sizeable group of really good defensive prospects in this 2029 class at every position! All of the following prospects have done enough to give themselves a notable jump in the rankings.