2026 Defensive “Sleeping Giants”

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking at the class of 2026, we have several sleeping giants on the defensive side of the ball. The offers haven't yet come for this class, but I'm confident it's coming for the five players in this article. Here are five sleeping giants who deserve a lot more attention from the class of 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1148705"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Kamari is on the verge of getting a massive amount of college attention. As long as he works his tail off this offseason to perfect his craft and strength, he'll be a high-tier GLIAC prospect at the very least. I absolutely love his initial burst and power off the line of scrimmage. He's able to move good offensive lines backward, and he's a much better pass rusher than most interior D-Linemen. As a run-stopper, he does a great job at moving the RB backward while tackling in order to prevent extra yards. Very excited to watch this guy compete at the upcoming u003ca href=u0022https://events.prepredzone.com/e/1069/register/combine-series-michiganu0022u003ecombine series!u003c/au003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["551281"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Gavin puts up great weight in the weight room, was 2nd in tackles for his team, and shows a lot of great stuff on tape. He's extremely physical, reacts well, and tackles well. I'd love to see him be a bit more reactive and aggressive in the future, but for now, he's an off-ball linebacker prospect that I am very optimistic about.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["422578"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Jesse has been one of the best athletes in Michigan for quite a while. At East Kentwood, I think he'll get a lot more attention. Twitchy, explosive, and extremely reactive. Whether it's as a DB or WR, Jesse is a playmaker. He's patient as a DB, and when he does make mistakes, he has the closing speed to turn his mistakes into interceptions. As a receiver he can run any route at a high level. I personally like his upside at DB more than the receiver, but I could see him earning offers with either position in mind. In my eyes, Jesse is a MAC prospect.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1148719"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"From PowerStrength Training Systems to his coaches at Rockford and West Michigan Drive, I've heard a ton of great things about [player_tooltip player_id='1148719' first='Luke' last='Ahern']. The first obvious thing to point out is his offseason efforts. From training in the weight room to 7on7, Luke has been relentlessly putting in work, and it's starting to pay off.rnHis film shows an extremely fast and reactive athlete at the safety position. Against the run, Luke is a willing run stopper. Once he sees the ball carrier, he's a missile sprinting toward it. Pass defense is where I love his game the most. The closing speed is incredible, as Luke earned multiple interceptions while practically launching himself out of a cannon to close on the ball. He's also proven to be a good blitzer and had a few sacks and QB hits last season. I'd be upset if Luke doesn't earn high-tier GLIAC offers at the very least. My gut tells me he's a D1 guy. Very excited to see Luke at the Combine Series on April 13.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["568145"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"I've talked about George a few times recently, and he's someone I'm very excited to see at the Prep Redzone Combine Series on April 13. He was a rangy playmaker at the safety position for Spring Lake last season. Next season, he'll play for Mona Shores. He's a very good playmaker against the pass. Rangy, athletic, and is able to make plays. Excited to see what he can do at next month's showcase, and I feel he's going to be a standout next year for Mona Shores.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6600d5aa705bd"} /-->