Friedman's East Spotlight: The best DL I've seen in 2023
National recruiting analyst Adam Friedman scouted more than a dozen high profile games this season in person. With the playoffs now underway in the East region now, is a good time to take a look at some of the players who shined in those games. Today we look at the defensive linemen.
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Stone has proven to be one of the most disruptive defenders in this class. The Oklahoma commit can wreck game plans from the inside of the defense, pushing offensive linemen around and consistently making plays in the backfield. Stone is a strong run defender, who can quickly dispatch offensive linemen, and make tackles behind the line of scrimmage. In passing situations, Stone uses impressive hand techniques to keep offensive linemen from slowing down his momentum on the way to the quarterback.
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Mathis is one of the more physically impressive prospects in the next recruiting cycle and he has continued to get better. He’s gotten much stronger since last season and added some solid muscle mass over that span. Mathis is an incredibly explosive edge rusher who can consistently make plays in the backfield whether it’s a run or a pass. He’s shown a very good motor this season, chasing down ball carriers who run to the opposite side of the field.
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Even though Davis has been out for a chunk of the season, his junior campaign kicked off with a bang. He is a very strong and active defensive lineman with a versatile skill set. Davis is a near constant presence in the backfield and can be very disruptive against the run or pass. It will be interesting to see where his game goes from here. If he ends up getting bigger and moving inside the defensive line his skill set should still serve him very well.
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Stewart is one of the most talented prospects in the senior class and it’s easy to see on film or in person. The South Carolina commit has the speed to chase down running plays to the opposite side of the field and has the pass rushing skills to beat the man in front of him on any given play. Stewart hasn’t shown off the versatility he showed last season, but that doesn’t mean he’s lost those skills. Despite not making as many headlines as he did last season, Stewart’s best football is still ahead of him.
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Roy is woefully underrated in the 2025 class but that will change with the postseason rankings update. The defensive lineman out of Philadelphia is a well-rounded prospect who can win with brute strength or quickness and agility. Roy does a great job using his hands to disengage from offensive linemen and slip by them to make the tackle. He shows a great motor and chases down ball carriers whether it's a run between the tackles or to the outside.
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Breland is one of the most talented defensive prospects in this class. The Oregon commit does a great job beating the man in front of him on a consistent basis. Breland is a fairly lean prospect right now but that could change quickly once the strength and conditioning coaches at the next level get their hands on him. His strength and quickness combination is really difficult for offensive linemen to handle and running backs and quarterbacks end up feeling the consequences.
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The year over year improvement from Young has been awfully impressive. A tall, long defensive end, Young has really enforced his will this season in a way that he hasn’t in the past. Added strength and a more aggressive attitude on the field has helped his game go to another level. Young isn't the most athletic or quick-twitch defensive end out there but his size, length, and solid technique allow him to rarely get out of position.
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There's a lot of Aaron Donald in Whittington's game. As an interior defensive lineman, Whittington is on the shorter side but he is extremely powerful and quick, which makes him a mismatch for most of the offensive linemen he comes across. The Pittsburgh commit is strong enough to hold up at the point of attack and is a very strong tackler. Whittington chases down ball carriers to the outside and down the field but most of the time he's in the backfield creating chaos. Quarterbacks get a lot of pressure in their face because of Whittington's ability to quickly penetrate the offensive line.
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Jackson is a very strong interior defensive lineman and he creates so many problems for offensive linemen. The Oklahoma commit is able to take on double teams and beat them if the offensive linemen give him any wiggle room. Jackson is great against the run and as a strong tackler. In passing situations, Jackson can collapse the pocket and force quarterbacks into poor decisions.
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Wafle is a boulder in the middle of the defensive line. The Michigan commit is so strong that offensive linemen are barely able to move him off of his spot. Wafle may be on the shorter side but he certainly isn't small. He is technically sound and does a good job using his hands to keep offensive linemen from slowing him down.