Another sleeper pick that makes his living creating havoc for offenses. Fernandez had an extremely productive season at Cass Tech in 2024, ending in a state championship ring. With John Baker now moving on to Toldeo, Fernandez will assume an even bigger role and will be the true anchor of the defensive line unit. He is strong, he’s relentless and will have ample opportunities to make his presence felt in backfields all season long.

Gavin Fernandez Gavin Fernandez 5'10" | 250 lbs | DL Cass Technical | 2026 State MI is a really unique player. He’s a physical and nasty defensive lineman who anchored the inside on a state title winning defense for Cass Tech. His strong lower half anchors him in the hole and he is able to shed blocks and make plays when they come his way. His motor is well above average and his versatility to rush the pass and be a run gap filler makes him a unique prospect in the 2026 class. I expect another solid season and a flurry of offers this fall for Gavin.

Gavin is a player I’ve watched closely over the past year. In late 2023, I first watched Gavin’s tape and came away very impressed. Now, I think he’s leveled out as a fringe Division 3 prospect.

Gavin’s best trait is his hands. No doubt about it- Cass Tech knows how to coach violent hands into their defensive linemen. Also, there’s a few instances where Gavin gets off the ball quickly. Though, since he was a rotational player this season, I can’t be confident in predicting D3 offers. He’s a good high school player who has college upside, but right now, he’ll probably fall a bit in the rankings.
I’m still excited to watch Gavin this offseason and I hope he’s able to earn good offers!

As far as I can see, he only shows 1 offer to his name which really surprises me. Gavin was one of the anchors of the Cass Tech defense on their championship run. He has solid size, though if he were a couple of inches taller he would be getting a lot more respect I believe. He is a run stuffing defensive lineman who can shed blocks with ease and when he gets his paws on someone, they’re going to the ground, he’s not someone you can run through. When the QB drops back to pass, I love the moves I see from Gavin. His 16 sacks on the season came from his ability to spin, push, pull and rip. His tape shows him working through multiple double teams to get into the backfield. Gavin is in for a big 2025 in my opinion, and is very underrated at this moment.