NKY 26s to Watch: DL

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we head deeper into the month of June, the 2025 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, I wanted to take some time to highlight some incoming seniors in specific areas of the state of Kentucky. Over the past week, I have been highlighting incoming seniors at each position in Northern Kentucky. After already covering the offensive side of the ball , I will now turn my attention to the defensive side of the ball, starting with some notable defensive linemen to watch in the class of 2026 in Northern Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["401709"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6851e1eedd039"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='401709' first='Jackson' last='Whitten'] is a player who has been high on my radar for a while now. Whitten lines up at defensive end where he is very dominant against the run. He is very explosive out of his stance and uses his speed to blow by opposing offensive linemen and get to the ball carrier to make the tackle before they can get going. Jackson finished his junior year with 82 tackles and 30 tackles for loss in 12 games. He has also shown the ability to put pressure on the quarterback, finishing this past season with 9.5 sacks. Whitten has also spent some time at quarterback but will be transitioning to the offensive line on that side of the ball to help out at tackle. Jackson currently holds offers from Penn, Cornell, Butler, and Morehead State, and I expect more to come his way as he is a Division I caliber prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1584363"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6851e2ab2b76f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1584363' first='Bo' last='Gay'] jumped onto my radar with a strong junior year. He is a very dangerous pass rusher off the edge, using his speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles with ease. Gay has also shown the bend to dip down and avoid blocks on his way to the quarterback. He finished this past season with nine sacks in 15 games. Bo has also shown the ability to use his high motor to run sideline to sideline to make tackles against the run, finishing his junior year with 42 tackles and 15 tackles for loss. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1175818"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6851e3f2c2abf"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1175818' first='Colton' last='Graham'] is a player who caught my attention when evaluating junior year film. He lines up on the edge as a stand-up defensive end/outside linebacker where he is very impressive as a pass rusher. Graham does a great job of using his speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles on his way to the quarterback then either finishing with a sack or forcing them to hurry their throw once he gets there. He has also shown the ability to stop the run, using his strength to fight through blocks then using his speed to get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle. Colton recently picked up his first offer from Morehead State and I expect more to come his way this summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1590575"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6851e53fbf91d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My final notable 2026 defensive lineman to watch in Northern Kentucky this season is [player_tooltip player_id='1590575' first='Marveen' last='Moise']. Moise lines up at defensive tackle where he is very reliable against the run. He does a great job of stacking/shedding blocks quickly then getting to the ball carrier with a sense of urgency. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very reliable tackler, finishing this past season with 64 tackles and eight tackles for loss in 10 games. He has also proven that he can pose a threat as a pass rusher, using his strength to bull rush straight through opposing offensive linemen on his way to the quarterback. Moise finished his junior year with five sacks. Marveen doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to watch as he definitely has the talent to play somewhere at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->