Underclassmen Challenge: Fab 15 Defense
ATLANTA – Although no player at Sunday’s Rivals250 Underclassmen Challenge Presented by Under Armour had yet entered their junior year, many already looked like college players, particularly among the defensive line and at linebacker. Here are our Top 15 performers from the defensive side of the football.
RELATED: Fab 15 offense | Top plays | All-Farrell team | Recap | Rivals Camp Series
Recruiting wrap: Emerson landed his most recent offers from Florida State and Nebraska. Tennessee may have an early advantage due to proximity to home.
Performance: Although he is already 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, Emerson worked at defensive end and was very effective in that role against an impressive group of offensive tackles, allowing him to win the position MVP award. Emerson has a great first step for a big defensive end and combines it with impressive athleticism and lateral agility for a player his size.
Recruiting wrap: Henry recently visited Alabama and Georgia and his high on both programs. Clemson has also made an early impression. All three schools have offered.
Performance: Henry pushed Emerson and made it a very competitive race for position MVP honors in a very deep defensive line group. The 6-foot-5, 220-pound defensive end already knows how to use his length to his advantage and is an explosive edge rusher. He had some of the easiest one-on-one wins all day despite facing good offensive tackles.
Recruiting wrap: Tisdale holds early offers from East Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.
Performance: The depth of talent at linebacker was impressive and bodes well for the strength of the position nationally in 2018. Tisdale separated from the group by a small margin in the one-on-one session, displaying a very impressive break on the football and utilizing his 6-foot-3, 206-pound frame to play with great range in coverage.
Recruiting wrap: Indiana was the first Power Five school to offer Gainer. He also holds in-state offers from Florida A&M and Florida Atlantic.
Performance: The 6-foot-4, 194-pound Gainer is an impressive looking young linebacker with long arms and a frame that will allow him to add the necessary weight. He showed fundamental proficiency, control and discipline working through position drills, then proved he was very competent in space during the one-on-one session.
Recruiting wrap: Haney holds one offer from Northwest Missouri State.
Performance: Haney traveled all the way from Kansas City and made the trip worthwhile, winning Defensive Back MVP honors. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound rising junior jumps off the field due to his height. He understands how to get the most out of that length in coverage while not succumbing to the stiffness taller defensive backs sometimes suffer.
Recruiting wrap: Thompson holds 12 offers with Arkansas, Minnesota and Ohio State the most recent. Missouri is the school he is most comfortable with early.
Performance: There were players on both lines who physically looked the part, but maybe none played as powerfully as Thompson. The St. Louis product abused interior offensive linemen most of the day and found few who could match his strength or intensity. Thompson does tend to play high at times and he has active, but undisciplined hands.
Recruiting wrap: Hollifield lists North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest as his early top three.
Performance: At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, Hollifield does not have the length of a Tisdale or Gainer, but he brought just as much athleticism and that provided for a very successful day in both position drills and one-one-ones. Hollifield showed the speed to run with running backs down the field and also displayed great ball skills, getting his hands on several passes.
Recruiting wrap: Frazier awaits his first offer, but has received early interest from Clemson, Penn State, N.C. State and Virginia Tech.
Performance: The defensive back coaches at Sunday’s Underclassmen Challenge were particularly impressed with the way Frazier competed despite being one of the youngest prospects at the event. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound rising sophomore not only showed the confidence to challenge bigger receivers, but also a skill set that will make him highly coveted.
Recruiting wrap: Cooper has a double digit offer list with Kentucky, Michigan and Michigan State being among the most recent to join.
Performance: At 6-foot-2 and 350 pounds Cooper is carrying some bad weight, but it does not appear to hinder his quickness at all. An ideal fit for the zero technique role on a defensive line, Cooper is explosive off the snap and then combines good pad level, excellent hands and power to overwhelm most interior offensive linemen.
Recruiting wrap: Green is building an impressive offer list with Clemson, Illinois and Virginia Tech the most recent schools to join his list.
Performance: The Defensive Back MVP of the Rivals Camp Series in Kansas City nearly doubled up on his hardware, bringing the playmaking ability he showed last month to Atlanta. At 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds, Green is a tall defensive back and he plays long, allowing him to get his hands on a lot of footballs during one-on-one competition.
Recruiting wrap: Pappoe may have the most extensive early offer list of any 2019 prospect. He considered cutting to a top five in April, but decided it was too early.
Performance: Pappoe came into the Underclassmen Challenge with probably the most recognizable name in the 2019 class, and he lived up to that hype in Atlanta. At 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds, Pappoe was another in that linebacker group who definitely looked the part. In one-on-ones he took on top running backs, showing good change of direction and ability to run with them down the field.
Recruiting Wrap: Miami landed a commitment from Jobe last summer. He remains committed, but is still exploring other options.
Performance: Jobe was another prospect singled out by the Underclassmen Challenge defensive back coaches as having a strong performance. What we liked from the 6-foot, 176-pound safety prospect is that he has a physical style of play and he combines it with good speed, showing the ability to stay with wide receivers down the field.
Recruiting wrap: Dingle holds early offers from Kentucky, Louisville and Tennessee.
Performance: While many of the top linebackers in Atlanta are likely to play on the outside, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Dingle looks best suited for middle linebacker. Camp settings are not usually great showcases for inside linebackers, but Dingle is an exception. He moves very well for his size and was even able to stay with speedy slot backs on out routes and down the field.
Recruiting wrap: Landry holds early offers from Iowa State, Kansas and UTSA.
Performance: Landry is another Houston native who made the long trip to Atlanta and saw his effort pay off, producing a strong showing amongst a deep group of defensive linemen. At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, Landry is growing into the defensive tackle role. He has long arms, which aid his leverage, and also decent quickness for the position.
Recruiting wrap: Pittsburgh is the only Power Five offer for Walker, but he holds several more Group of Five offers.
Performance: The 6-foot-2, 285-pound Walker was not as physically imposing as most of the other top defensive tackles in attendance, but he is a solidly built kid who packs a lot of punch in his shorter frame. Walker was effective during the one-on-one session because he gets off the ball quickly and it was difficult for offensive linemen to stop his momentum.