Prep Redzone WI Prospect Tour: DL Standouts

The Prep Redzone WI Showcase was loaded to the brim with trench talent. We started our post event coverage with the OL standouts. Time to flip to the other side of the ball and talk about the freakishly athletic and powerful dudes on the DL. There was a special blend of talent with a wide array of talent and traits that are going to get them all to the next level. Seven athletes stood out most to me between the testing, drill work, and 1 on 1 battles. Let’s check out how they did it and what they have to offer the next level! <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="267044" first="Jace" last="Gilbert"], ’24 DL- Arrowhead</strong> The top prospect in attendance at the Prep Redzone WI Showcase, and DL MVP, was the Arrowhead sophomore. Jace possesses elite size and length at roughly 6’5" 260 lbs. He carries that weight extremely well as he has a powerful, yet lean frame giving him the ability to still add a large chunk of size on top of what he has. This opens up the possibility of playing all along the DL at the next level. That big frame pairs with rare body control, athleticism, and power. Jace dominated the Showcase starting with a 7.74 second L Drill. The 1 on 1 battles is where he was able to put it all together and show everything he has. That is where we got to see how special of a talent he is. Jace was able to win consistently with speed and lateral agility as he won rep after rep without the OL as much as laying a hand on him. It isn’t every day that a kid his size leaves OL grasping at the air. The sophomore holds one FBS offer from Central Michigan, and after what we saw in person on Saturday it is very apparent that more need to follow suit sooner rather than later. The Class of 2024 looks like a deep one here in WI, and Gilbert is holding down the #1 defender spot. [embed]https://twitter.com/MJ_NFLDraft/status/1525513412331053056[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="191982" first="Sawyer" last="Lichtensteiger"], ’23- West Bend East</strong> One of my favorite under the radar defenders is the edge rusher out of West Bend East. He won’t fit every scheme at 6’ 210 lbs, but he has the traits that could be very useful for a DC on third down. Sawyer showed off that third down pass rush ability during 1 on 1s. He springs out of his stance, has active hands, and a high motor that has consistently helped him make plays outside the normal framework of a play. Sawyer also flashed quick hands that were able to quickly get hands off him. That is the key for undersized athletes. Being able to create separation while not having a ton of length to work with. Sawyer can do that; giving me faith that he can continue to do it at the next level. He is definitely a soon to be senior to keep an eye on this fall. [embed]https://twitter.com/MJ_NFLDraft/status/1525516858132254720[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="286169" first="Nicholas" last="McCullough"], ’25- Muskego</strong> I’m excited for the future of the Muskego freshman DL. The roughly 6’3" 225 lbs DE is well on his way to building a frame that will grab the attention of the next round early. Nicholas is a long, lean prospect who has been seeing a lot of gains and advancements in the weight room this offseason. In the drill work and 1 on 1 battles we got a sense of how that new strength is going to pair with his length leading to big plays. Nicholas was able to use a strong base and explosive upper body to generate separation between himself and the OL. I’m very excited to watch his development over the next three years. The early signs are showing a lot of potential, and a very coachable kid. Expect him to climb the 2025 rankings as he continues to develop his strength, hand use and pass rush repertoire. Kid is just getting started! [embed]https://twitter.com/MJ_NFLDraft/status/1525505014608830469[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="225872" first="Jackson" last="Braden"], ’24- Badger</strong> One of the biggest breakouts of the Showcase was the Badger Sophomore DL. Jackson has built up a powerful frame at 6’4" 250 lbs. Braden shined in the 1 on 1 battles where he was able to stack up win after win thanks to his ability to overpower offensive linemen. He spent the day lining up on the interior and used his well developed strength to drive OL off their anchor, and once he got them off balance flashed heavy hands and a solid collection of pass rush moves that got Jackson past the hip of the OL. Jackson has shown vast improvements since his last Prep Redzone camp appearance. I have a feeling the DL is going to be a fast riser this camp season. He kicked it off as well as he could have hoped for. Coaches, make sure you are well aware of this senior to be! [embed]https://twitter.com/MJ_NFLDraft/status/1525518347688988672[/embed] <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="104985" first="Daniel" last="Simon"], ’24- Winneconne</strong> Daniel has been a fun prospect to watch over the past couple of years. He is a Prep Redzone WI Showcase veteran, and the growth and development that he has shown over the past couple years has me excited for his future. He has grown up to 6’4" 220 lbs; a perfect frame for his age and the DE position. Simon demonstrated some burst and flexibility as he rushed the edge with a solid first step and bend making him a harder target to land a block on. A breakout junior season looks to be in the making as he prepares to make the jump to varsity this fall. Check out the picture below to get a sense of how he has grown, and filled out over the past year. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-341121" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/05/Daniel-Simon-crop-1242x816-1652749125-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>Steven Scott, ’24- Menomonee Falls</strong> One of the top performers on the day was the sophomore DL. First off, the Menomonee Falls product has elite size at 6’5" 275 lbs. Steven has all the power and athleticism you could hope for in a frame that size. The Top 15 player in the Class of 2024 lived up to the hyped, and proved why he should climb the rankings during our next update. Steven possessed the heaviest hands of the Showcase. He was able to swat OL aside with impressive ease, and he has the athleticism to quickly utilize any bit of unbalanced play by the OL. It is also worth noting that Steven was able to be just as effective lining up all along the DL during the Showcase. Whether facing athletic OTs or strong IOL, Scott was able to win rep after rep with his length, power, and athleticism. Sky high potential for this dude! [embed]https://twitter.com/Steven_Scott_73/status/1526359384003170306[/embed] <strong>Parker Fontaine, ’23- Oshkosh West</strong> Parker was one of the early winners of the day as he quickly passed the eye test with his 6’7" 315 lbs frame. The best part is that he is able to move well with that massive frame. He quickly caught the eye of one of our scouts during our testing portion earning him an early shout out. The DT has built up next level strength that he was able to show off on Saturday in the 1 on 1 battles. The big man is made for collapsing the pocket. He quickly overpowers IOL as they try to set their anchors against him. Then he uses his short area burst to finish to the QB. The junior is under the radar right now, but that needs to change because kids with his talents are not easy to find. There is a lot of potential to tap into and mold here! [embed]https://twitter.com/SalomonDLcoach/status/1525484406957383680[/embed]