Must-see from the class of 2022: D-Linemen
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I love football, and it must be said, here in the Volunteer state, we are treated to an abundance of riches when it comes to skill in the sport. There are some absolute studs who are playing ball in Tennessee…
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Continue ReadingI love football, and it must be said, here in the Volunteer state, we are treated to an abundance of riches when it comes to skill in the sport. There are some absolute studs who are playing ball in Tennessee at the moment, and on every level, on both sides of the ball, you can find immense talent here. As such I wanted to begin a series highlighting the young men I am most looking forward to seeing in action this upcoming season. My daddy raised me as defensive minded kid (I can’t tell you how many times I heard “defense wins championships”) so out of the gate I wanted one of the less glamorous position groups to get their due: I wanted to focus on the Defensive-Lineman. Here are five 2022 Recruits along the D-line that I am most excited to see in the 2021 season:
Kendyle Ball Kendyle Ball 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Davidson Academy | 2022 State TN – Davidson Academy 6’3″ 210
The first thing that jumps out to me with Kendyle is his sack production from last season. This young man had 16 sacks last season. Again, 16 sacks. You pair that with his 91 total tackles (a whopping 35 tackles for a loss) and you have an absolute bear of a player in the trenches, and I cannot wait to see what he gives us this coming season.
Theron Gaines – Oakland 6’0″ 230
If you’re looking for a tackling machine look no further than Theron, who finished last season with 73 solo tackles and 108 total. That’s quite a number for a young man who plays along the line. If you want to see every thing Theron does right, check out last season’s game vs Warren County (13 solo, 3 asst, 16 tot, 3 tfl). This kid can absolutely ball, and if I was a betting man my money would be he only gets better this season.
Colin Stewart Colin Stewart 6'2" | 240 lbs | DL CPA | 2022 State TN – Christ Presbyterian Academy 6’2″ 230
What excites me most about Colin, is thinking about what we can expect from this young man this coming season. As a junior, he was able to produce across the board, and I anticipate with more reps, we could see this kid’s numbers explode. He has the height you want from your DL (6 foot 2) and the mass (50lbs on me) to absolutely eat up tackles in the middle. I think Colin has the tools to turn in a special season this fall.
Jeremiah Bailey Jeremiah Bailey 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Smyrna | 2022 State TN – Smyrna 6’2″ 240
Bailey is a flat out stud as he plays both sides of the ball, and does both quite well. It’s his defensive production I want to hit on though, because as a junior he had 69 total tackles with 2 sacks. Those are by no means stats to sniff at, and when I imagine what this kid is going to be able to do as senior when he sees the field more, I get excited. When you look at the jump his numbers make from the 19’ to the 20’ season (10 tackles to the aforementioned 69), I don’t think it’s out of the question to see Jeremiah hovering around the 100 total tackle mark for the 21’ season.
Cade Holiday – White House 6’0″ 233
When evaluating Cade, one must bear in mind the sample size is rather small. In just 7 games last season, he finished with 29 total tackles and 2 sacks. Not too shabby for a junior lineman who just played 7 games. I cannot wait to see what this young man is capable of with a full season under his belt. I would not be surprised in the slightest if Cade’s production tripled this coming fall.
Football players who go to battle in the trenches, are more often than not ignored yet they are unafraid to put their hand in the mud and go in to battle snap after snap. It’s not easy to get noticed on the line, yet these 5 young men in particular offer such a plethora of talent they are impossible to disregard. I for one cannot wait to see what they have to offer us this coming season.