HBCU Carolinas Showcase – Top 5 Defensive Linemen – Analysis

The HBCU Carolinas Showcase brought over 350 players to Mallard Creek High School on May 7th. The purpose was to give a platform for some of the top athletes in the Carolinas directly to multiple historically black colleges and universities. Over 30 colleges and universities were in attendance with a total of 87 coaches including 8 HBCU Head Coaches. The event was a landmark success for putting players in the Carolinas on a pedestal, led by Charlotte Football Insiders. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-361445" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/06/AJ-Richardson-189x300.jpg" alt="" width="189" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="50907" first="AJ" last="Richardson"] - Class of 2023 - Kings Mountain - The first thing I can say about AJ is his GREAT attitude and personality. His focus between the lines was amazing. He has a great first step and uses his hands well, both of these work hand in hand to give him a great advantage off the snap. He then sheds and can work a move in the pass rush game, this helped him in the 1 on 1’s we saw at the Showcase. Looking at the film, AJ can play inside at the 3 technique in passing situations or a weakside 5 technique in pass-rush packages. At 6’1 and 235 pounds, you could also do some fun things with him as a pass rush LB or some fire zone concepts. After his performance at the showcase, he received his first offer from Presbyterian College, and I expect more offers to come for this talented young man. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-361466" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/06/Peyton-Scott-186x300.jpg" alt="" width="186" height="300" /> Peyton Scott - Class of 2023 - Butler - Standing at 6’4 and 220 pounds, Peyton was someone who came in to the HBCU Carolinas Showcase a bit under the radar but left his mark and put a lot of people on notice about his talent! First off, his size and frame is one that college coaches get very excited about. He has the ability to add weight and still retain his natural speed and explosiveness. Which is what really made him stand out in pass rush 1 on 1’s - his incredible explosion off of the snap, along with his ability to bend and use his long arms in working moves made him almost unblockable at times. He also has an ability to play Tight End, which is just another added value for Peyton. After his HBCU Carolinas Showcase performance, Scott has received offers from Charlotte, Old Dominion, and Kent State. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-361504" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2022/06/Ashton-Miller-138x300.jpg" alt="" width="138" height="300" /> Ashton Miller - Class of 2023 - Mountain Island - Ashton entered the HBCU Carolinas Showcase known locally as a strong Defensive Lineman that can really rush the passer from the defensive end position with excellent power and speed. At 6’3 and 240 pounds, he has room to grow which has contributed to the explosion in his recruitment - since the showcase Ashton has received offers from Presbyterian, Davidson, The Citadel, Valparaiso, and Emory &amp; Henry. Ashton excels at both the Defensive Tackle and Defensive End positions and uses his hands well at the point of attack to shed blocks in the run game and work moves in the pass rush game. I really love the fact that Ashton is a secure tackler once he engages with the QB or RB as well. Dezhan Clark - Class of 2024 - Porter Ridge - Not much was known about Clark coming into the HBCU Carolinas Showcase, but playing at Porter Ridge he was well-coached and that worked well for him as he quickly stood out in drills with quick feet and good agility. At 6’0 and 240 pounds, Clark still has some room to grow but looks like he will be an important part of the Pirates’ defense this upcoming season. Clark has an ultra-quick get-off when he plays defensive line. Clark also plays offensive line and has even more of a nasty streak coming off the football there - his passion is a joy to watch on film. Isaiah King - Class of 2024 - West Cabarrus - King is a natural Defensive Tackle, and the thing that really stood out at more of a pass rusher evaluation at the HBCU Carolinas Showcase is his just pure strength reflecting his ability to be able to push the pocket from 1 tech taking on double teams or a 3 tech shooting the gap to disrupt offenses. With another year to go, I’m excited to see where King ends up as he plays offensive line as well and looks like a power type of guard on that side of the ball.