Prep Redzone TN Showcase DL Breakdown
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As someone who has been in the scouting community for a few years, I prefer to see players in person. Having only recently moved to Tennessee from North Carolina, however, I haven’t had much opportunity to get eyes on prospects…
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Continue ReadingAs someone who has been in the scouting community for a few years, I prefer to see players in person. Having only recently moved to Tennessee from North Carolina, however, I haven’t had much opportunity to get eyes on prospects in the Volunteer State. In fact, Saturday’s Prep Redzone Showcase was my first chance to see several players in person.
If you haven’t yet read Chris Smith’s overview article and his Top Performers make sure to check those out. Here, I’ll try to differentiate my thoughts a little bit and talk about some of the guys in the trenches that impressed me.
Edge Rushers
On the outside, I was impressed with University School sophomore Raleigh Seals Raleigh Seals 6'4" | 225 lbs | TE USJ | 2023 TN . He put up a sub-5 40 and some great quickness with great times in the short shuttle and L drill. He showed out in one-on-ones and is a guy that could become a top pass rusher with a bit more muscle and time to develop. I’m still not sure whether to classify him as an edge or an interior lineman at this point, but if he puts on a bit more weight, he could be a prototypical strongside defensive end in a 4-3 system.
Similarly, freshman Ryan Robinson Ryan Robinson 6'2" | 220 lbs | DL Father Ryan | 2024 TN from Father Ryan looked impressive during the testing portion, even at his young age. He’s a bit raw, but he already possesses an impressive combination of size and speed that projects well in the future. I was impressed with his bend in one-on-ones. As he adds more weaponry to his pass rushing repertoire, he’ll be a hot commodity on the recruiting trail.
Going into Saturday, I knew of a lot of the guys on the camp list, but one of the guys that really surprised me was Beech class of 2022 edge rusher Austyn Keen Austyn Keen 6'4" | 210 lbs | DL Beech | 2022 TN . He was bigger than I had previously thought and had violent hands and great bend around the edge. To be honest, I thought he’d blend in with a lot of the other guys at the camp, but he stood out as one of the top performers of the day.
Another senior that impressed was Aiden Lehner Aiden Lehner 6'3" | 225 lbs | DL Page | 2022 TN out of Page. He doesn’t have the best size for a defensive end, but makes up for it with good technique and quickness.
Interior Linemen
There weren’t a lot of interior defensive linemen in attendance, but I was impressed with two guys.
Rockwood sophomore Nehemiah Storey Nehemiah Storey 6'1" | 285 lbs | OL Rockwood | 2023 State TN put up good testing numbers for his size and despite being one of the few interior guys in attendance, held his own in one-on-ones against a solid interior offensive line group. He dsiplayed both good straight-line burst and lateral quickness. As he continues to refine his pass rushing approach, he can be one of the better interior linemen in the state.
Freshman Antori Hamilton Antori Hamilton 6'0" | 280 lbs | DL Knoxville Catholic | 2024 TN made the trip over from Knoxville Catholic and put in a great showing, testing well and winning a few one-on-ones handily with an impressive array of pass rushing moves. He displayed a mature approach to pass rushing and won with technique and quickness. As his body catches up to his mind, he could be a dangerous threat on the interior of the defensive line.