PRZNE 2023 Rankings Update: Defensive Line 1-10
Prep Redzone Nebraska rankings for 2023, 2024, and 2025 are loaded and ready to go as we head into the summer months. The 2023 class features 330 players across Nebraska that have shown the skill to play at the next…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingPrep Redzone Nebraska rankings for 2023, 2024, and 2025 are loaded and ready to go as we head into the summer months. The 2023 class features 330 players across Nebraska that have shown the skill to play at the next level. In the upcoming weeks, you should expect to see more articles diving into the rankings and the players that we have scouted.
In this feature, I am focusing on the defensive line by breaking down the top 10 defensive linemen in the 2023 class. This is a very talented group of edge rushers, run stuffers, edge setters, etc. Definitely one of the deepest positions in the state.
Maverick Noonan Maverick Noonan 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Elkhorn South | 2023 State NE | Elkhorn South | 6’4″ 235 lbs
Overall: 2 | DL: 1
One of the scariest players returning to the field in 2022 is Elkhorn South’s Maverick Noonan Maverick Noonan 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Elkhorn South | 2023 State NE . Maverick has been one of the more prominent edge-rushers in the state over the past couple of seasons, and colleges have caught on early. His talents have earned him an impressive list of offers from Nebraska, Arizona State, Michigan State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Iowa, Stanford, and Vanderbilt. Noonan is coming off of a season in which he accumulated 30 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks showing his ability to make plays in the backfield despite seeing double teams on several occasions. One of the biggest strengths of Maverick’s game is his athleticism and bend when he rushes the passer. He is explosive when he shoots off the edge with excellent closing speed when tracking down QBs. Noonan displays violent hands and explosive hips when coming in contact with linemen and has the strength behind his swats to knock his blockers off balance. Maverick has shown throughout his varsity career that he can succeed with speed/finesse moves or power moves in pursuit of the ball carrier. Noonan is also a great finisher when he tackles and uses his long arms to wrap around and drop his opponents on the spot. Expect a bigger, stronger, hungrier Maverick ready to have a statement season in year 4.
Victor Isele Victor Isele 6'3" | 220 lbs | DL Northwest | 2023 State NE | Grand Island Northwest | 6’2″ 220 lbs
Overall: 11 | DL: 2
Grand Island Northwest’s DL/EDGE rusher Victor Isele Victor Isele 6'3" | 220 lbs | DL Northwest | 2023 State NE is a player coming off of an electric spring recruitment period. Victor has recently added offers from Nebraska-Kearney, Central Missouri, Northern State, Wayne State, Sioux Falls, Peru State, and Hastings College. Isele has been an absolute beast at defensive end for the Vikings and has accumulated 142 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, and a very impressive 16 sacks throughout his varsity career. Isele has an insane mix of speed, strength, and great technique. Victor’s lightning-quick get-off allows him to get a great initial push at the line of scrimmage and can then use his power or speed to break into the backfield. Victor is a natural athlete that has also dominated on the wrestling mats and in track & field with a 5th place finish in the 220-pound weight class at state wrestling and placed 5th at state track with an 11.10 100m dash. I’m still trying to figure out how someone his size moves like that, and it makes me thankful I don’t have to try and block him. Isele is a player that is in go-mode from start until finish and plays every snap with high intensity and a non-stop motor. Someone is going to get a stud on their defensive line.
Rocco Marcelino Rocco Marcelino 6'5" | 250 lbs | DL Creighton Prep | 2023 State NE | Creighton Prep | 6’5″ 250 lbs
Overall: 14 | DL: 3
Rocco is looking like a prime candidate for “Best Spring Season” as he has been rising up the ranks quickly after an eventful spring recruiting season. Marcelino’s camp performance at Rivals and other camps has catapulted him to a 3-star rating across various outlets. He has visited power 5 schools like Minnesota, Kansas State, and Wyoming and has received 3 Ivy League offers from Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, and an offer from Air Force Academy. Rocco is a very athletic big man that has excelled not just on the defensive line but will also be a huge contributor to Jay’s offensive line. Rocco plays with a lot of intensity and a tireless motor. He has a great feel for getting inside leverage and is really smart in terms of his hand placement. The biggest part of Rocco’s game is his ability to overpower opponents with his brute strength. He has several plays where he was able to push OL off of their sets and then swoop in for the tackle. Even when he’s on the offensive side, he had some really impressive displays of his strength while delivering some pancake blocks. Rocco is a player that is gaining a lot of momentum and I’m expecting some Power 5 offers to come his way very soon.
Korver Demma Korver Demma 6'3" | 230 lbs | DL Gretna | 2023 State NE | Gretna | 6’3″ 230 lbs
Overall: 19 | DL: 4
Korver is a player that broke out in 2021 in a big way. The Dragon defender racked up 54 total tackles and a team-high 8.5 sacks while playing defensive end. Korver did an excellent job setting the edge in the run game and was very successful at collapsing the pocket and applying pressure (9 QB pressures). He played last season at 215, but it looks like he has bulked up to 230 for his senior year. Considering how much of a handful he was last year, this should be a scary thing to hear if you’re an opposing offensive tackle or offensive coordinator. Demma displays great twitch and does a great job shaking off blocks and using his hands to swat away linemen. He has a very nice play at the start of his Hudl clip where he gets hit with a double team but manages to shed the block and hustled to make the TFL on the scrambling QB. Another great asset of Korver is his length, as he had several plays where he was able to stop ball carriers in their tracks by stretching out his long arms, and he has the strength to follow through with the tackle. Korver is getting a lot of interest from all levels of college football with offers from Wayne State and Northern State and upcoming camp visits to Mizzou, Lindenwood, Kansas State, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Iowa State. Korver and the Gretna Dragons will be fun to watch in 2022.
Kade Pieper Kade Pieper 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Norfolk Catholic | 2023 State NE | Norfolk Catholic | 6’3″ 240 lbs
Overall: 22 | DL: 5
Norfolk Catholic is returning some very talented pieces from last year’s Class C2 runner-up squad. Among them is DL Kade Pieper Kade Pieper 6'3" | 240 lbs | DL Norfolk Catholic | 2023 State NE , who was an absolute beast for the Knight’s defensive line. Kade racked up 118 total tackles and sacked the QB 7 times. He plays with a high motor and a huge mean streak. He is violent with his hands and uses them very well to disengage from his blockers. Pieper has a strong rip and swim motion that is very impressive and highly effective. Pieper is another player that will start on both the offensive and defensive line. He is guaranteed to shoot off the snap and play through the whistle wherever you put him. Pieper gives max effort and relentless pursuit on every play. Kade is already on the radar of D1 schools and has received an offer from South Dakota. Kade plays for the smallest school on this list of top ten DLs, but there’s no question that his game is big time and ready for the next level.
Caleb Kinkaid Caleb Kinkaid 6'3" | 225 lbs | DL North Platte | 2023 State NE | North Platte | 6’3″ 205 lbs
Overall: 27 | DL: 6
North Platte’s Caleb is the returning sack leader in 2022 after racking up 10 sacks during his junior year. Kinkaid emerged onto the scene after displaying a penchant for blowing up backfields and making big plays; along with his double-digit sacks, Caleb also accumulated 79 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and forced 4 fumbles. Caleb is an interesting player on this top 10 list because of his versatility and the several ways that he can rush the edge. He has the explosiveness and physicality to play a traditional defensive end role with his hand in the dirt, and he has the speed and twitch to play standup LB/edge rusher. He has great body control when he rushes, and he gets a good amount of bend coming off the edge. Kinkaid does a great job fighting and shedding through his blocks to get to his man. Caleb has drawn interest from South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. He is still on the hunt for his first offer, but something tells me that shouldn’t be a long wait.
Grant Berry Grant Berry 6'4" | 220 lbs | DL Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE | Lincoln Southwest | 6’4″ 220 lbs
Overall: 35 | DL: 7
The Silver Hawks have something special brewing with their 2023 class. DL Grant Berry Grant Berry 6'4" | 220 lbs | DL Lincoln Southwest | 2023 State NE is going to be one of the big names for Southwest and a top DE in the state. Berry is coming off of 52 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and a forced fumble during his junior campaign. Grant is a very long, lean, and athletic defensive end that uses his frame and strength very well. He uses his long arms to create separation off the snap. He packs a lot of force in his first step, which helps him shoot out the gate at the snap. Grant is starting to pick up steam on the recruiting circuit with recently picked up offers from Peru State and Northern State. Overall, Berry is drawing a lot of attention from in-state schools and schools in the surrounding states, including UNK, Minnesota State-Mankato, Augustana, Chadron State, and others. I think he is still being under-recruited, especially considering his potential to be a terror edge presence.
Aidan Betz Aidan Betz 6'3" | 280 lbs | DL Elkhorn | 2023 State NE | Elkhorn | 6’3″ 280 lbs
Overall: 46 | DL: 8
Has there been a more dominant DT the last two seasons than Elkhorn’s Aidan Betz Aidan Betz 6'3" | 280 lbs | DL Elkhorn | 2023 State NE ? The Antlers D-lineman has been an elite run-stuffing, space-eating defender for one of the top defenses in Class B. Betz racked up 35 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks during his junior year. Aidan is a powerful player that can be vicious with his hands and gets a great initial punch at the snap. One thing that really stands out to me about Aidan’s game is how quick and nimble he is for being a bigger player. Betz is surprisingly quick on his feet, and with good closing speed for a DT, this combination can easily catch blockers and QBs/RBs off guard and off-balance. On top of being an elite DT prospect, Aidan has also been a force for the Antler’s offensive line. His knowledge of the leverage and hand placement transfers well to either side of the ball. In the past two weeks, Aidan has picked up his first three offers from Wayne State, Minnesota State – Mankato, and Northern State and will certainly continue to add to his list as the summer circuit begins.
Jamison Kemp Jamison Kemp 6'2" | 285 lbs | DL Omaha Central | 2023 State NE | Omaha Central | 6’2″ 290 lbs
Overall: 52 | DL: 9
Jamison is one explosive big man! Omaha Central’s Jamison Kemp Jamison Kemp 6'2" | 285 lbs | DL Omaha Central | 2023 State NE broke out as one of the top defensive linemen in the 2023 class and colleges are starting to take notice. Since the start of the spring, Jamison has received offers from Wayne State, Augustana, Minnesota State – Mankato, and Doane. Jamison mainly operates out of the DT position but can easily slide over to defensive end. He finished the year with 23 tackles and was credited with half a sack, but his impact goes way past the stat sheet. Jamison does a great job eating up interior blockers and opening up opportunities for his teammates to swoop in and make plays. When he does line up over the guard or at the 5 technique, he has done very well setting the edge and shutting off run plays to the outside. At 6’2″ and 290 pounds, Kemp has a deceptively quick get-off and is a great overall athlete (5th place finish at State Wrestling) that will hustle on every play. With interest from South Dakota, Bemidji, Hastings College, and Sioux Falls, expect Jamison’s offer list to grow as the summer progresses.
Noah Bustard Noah Bustard 6'2" | 225 lbs | LB Elkhorn South | 2023 State NE | Elkhorn South | 6’2″ 225 lbs
Overall: 58 | DL: 10
Noah is a player that I believe is going to shoot out the gates in 2022 and have a huge season. Noah is a versatile “plug and play” defender that can line up at DT, DE, EDGE, and is expecting to see some time at linebacker. He has a nice set of pass rush moves that helped him become a consistent presence in the backfield. Even when he wasn’t getting the sack, he was able to put pressure on the QB and disrupt the offense. He takes advantage of even the smallest crack in protection and can make himself small to shoot through the said crease. One thing to really like about Noah is his motor and work ethic, both on and off the field. Bustard has been moving WEIGHT in the weight room with maxes of 455-pound squat, 300-pound bench press, and a 295-pound hang clean. Noah has visited Ivy league Dartmouth and will be attending their camp on 6/24. Other schools interested in Noah include Augustana, Central Missouri, UNK, North Dakota State, and several others.
Make sure to follow @PrepRedzoneNE on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with all your Nebraska prep recruiting news.