Although very undersized, DeWayne is absolutely balling out at the high school level. His week 1 performance against Davison still sticks out in my mind, and honestly, so does last year’s state championship performance.

You’ll find few defensive linemen / EDGE rushers that fire off the ball as quickly as DeWayne. I’ve seen him go up against some highly-touted linemen, and more often than not, DeWayne’s speed wins over the offensive lineman’s superior size and reach.

Although I don’t know what position DeWayne will play in college, I am confident that he can still succeed as a third-down pass rusher up to the D2 level. Troy Hairston II (Seaholm grad, played CFB at CMU, now on Texans) was an undersized linebacker who grew into a phenomenal defensive lineman at CMU with a similar size profile. I really, really hope that DeWayne has a similar story of success.

DeWayne keeps on showing up in big games. During the 2023 state championship, I loved his performance against an elite Muskegon offensive line. Against Davison, he showed a lot of that same great D-Line play.

He’s one of the most explosive pass rushers I’ve ever seen. Right when the ball is snapped, DeWayne EXPLODES out of his stance and can blow by nearly any tackle and cause immediate pressure. Time and time again, this is exactly what happened. Especially with little to no blocking from the Davison backfield, DeWayne had a few clear paths to the QB.

I’ll admit, DeWayne is a bit one-dimensional as a lineman, and most colleges will be very turned off by his size. However, I know that someone with his size profile can make it at the Division 1 level.

2016 Seaholm Grad Troy Hairston II was 5’11” 220 coming out of high school. He walked onto Central Michigan (zero offers) and was MAC defensive player of the year by his senior season (playing DE). In college, Troy had the same playing style that I see from DeWayne. Now, Troy is the starting fullback for the Houston Texans (undrafted). I’m not saying that DeWayne will make it in the NFL, but I am saying that I’ve seen someone with the same size profile get constantly overlooked but still make it big.

After several great showings last season, DeWayne earns a ranking within the top 200. I watched as DeWayne racked up tackle after tackle during the State Championship game, and I’ve been pretty high on him since. I have no doubt that he’ll continue to produce, though his lack of size isn’t attractive to most colleges looking for a linebacker or defensive end. He could be a college running back, but needs to earn significant playing time in order to be recruited at the position. DeWayne is a very high-effort player who 100% deserves more college opportunities than he’s already received. With a great season, he’s got a D3 floor with real GLIAC upside.