Though he’s a veteran with plenty of varsity experience, Phinazee has really upped his game as a senior. He’s approaching his career-high in tackles for loss and has already exceeded the three sacks he put up in each of the last two seasons. Perhaps most impressively, he’s not pressing. He’s doing his 1/11 most of the time, eating up space and freeing up his linebackers. In doing so, he’s also blowing up his fair share of running plays and getting after the quarterback.

Phinazee is a wildly fun player to watch. An all-conference selection last year, he’s a rare true nose who lines up directly over center on almost every play. Still, he doesn’t always take a four-point stance, and he’ll occasionally stand up to rush the passer, while flashing on stunts, too. He’s quick and powerful and took a shotgun direct snap last year before running QB power for a touchdown. I’m interested to see if he plays any 3-technique this season under a new coaching staff, and think he’ll get some more recruiting interest as the year goes on.

Kai has been one of my favorite area interior defensive linemen for the past couple of years, and now college football programs are starting to recognize what I’ve seen for a while. Kai’s strength and get off at the line of scrimmage as a defensive tackle is impressive, and he does a great job of playing in gaps and keeping linemen off of his linebackers. Kai has picked up his first three offers this offseason – coming from Towson, Gardner-Webb, and Campbell universities, respectively.

Kai is one of the stronger two-way linemen in the Charlotte Metro Area. That alone is good enough for consideration on the 704 Junior Bowl team. Kai is a very good interior defensive tackle who totaled 65 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks this past season for a good Yellow Jackets team. Kai requires double teams from interior offensive linemen, and it frees up his teammates to make plays at the line of scrimmage.

Phinazee is a space-eating interior presence who anchors the front for Forest Hills. At 6’2” and nearly 300 pounds, he brings the kind of size and strength that immediately changes how offenses operate inside. His production backs it up—65 total tackles, 2 sacks, and even an interception, showing surprising awareness and mobility for a big man. Phinazee consistently occupies blockers, frees up linebackers, and still finds ways to make plays himself. The combination of size, effort, and unexpected playmaking ability gives him real value at the high school level, and as his technique continues to sharpen, he projects as a disruptive interior defender with next-level potential.

Kai had a great offseason, and I think this fall is when he will begin to show why he’s one of the best interior defensive linemen in the Charlotte Metro Area. Kai has worked hard in the weight room, and his explosive first step off the ball will be something that causes a lot of offensive linemen to have some long Friday nights this season.

I highlighted Kai in my Deep Dive series for top Union County defensive linemen, and that analysis played a big role in him entering the rankings for Defensive Linemen just outside the Top 100 and #12 in his position. When you take a look at his game highlights, Kai does not get moved easily from either the “1” technique or “3” technique role he plays on the defensive line in the running game. Kai exhbits some impressive quickness in shooting gaps in his pass rush moves upfield, and has a nice short area burst allowing him to get sacks or force tackles for loss on ball carriers. It is only a matter of time before colleges start showing interest.

I have seen Kai up close and if he was a little taller, he would have some offers right now. Kai has impressive strength to be a 2027 prospect and he knows how to tie that strength into some nice pass rush moves for an interior defensive line prospect. I am excited to see how he performs at some camps coming up where he can get even more exposure for himself.

I spent a good bit of time watching the OL vs DL portion of this camp, and I loved Kai’s motor all day long. With a good get-off at the snap, Kai worked a couple of different pass rush moves in 1 on 1’s, which I love seeing as the bull rush isn’t really a good measure of skill in this setting. Forest Hills has consistently produced talented players over the last few years, and it looks like Kai is going to continue the trend for the Yellow Jackets. He will definitely be in consideration to be ranked in our next update with this combine performance.