Tag: defensive lineman

Alabama extends offer to 2024 in-state DL Kavion Henderson

Alabama offered 2024 defensive lineman Kavion Henderson on Friday. He originally released a top ten with Alabama not included.

Alabama’s coaching staff extended an offer to 2024 in-state defensive lineman Kavion Henderson on Friday. Before receiving the offer, Henderson had already released his top five schools. He cut his list from 10 schools to five schools in August. His most recent offer will certainly make things interesting for the Alabama native.

Henderson plays for Leeds High School in Leeds, Alabama. Although he is listed as a defensive lineman, he will likely convert to outside linebacker at the collegiate level. As of right now, he stands at 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds. Regardless, the Alabama coaching staff will try to enter the mix to land the in-state prospect.

Thus far, Alabama has received three commitments from three 2024 prospects. Tight end Martavious Collins, athlete Jaylen Mbakwe, and wide receiver Perry Thompson are all verbally committed to Alabama. Now, they will continue their pursuit of one of the nation’s best defensive linemen.

Roll Tide Wire will now break down Kavion Henderson’s recruiting profile.

Alabama listed in top six for elite 2023 DL prospect James Smith

Alabama landed in the top six for 2023 DL James Smith. He plays for Carver-Montgomery in Montgomery, Alabama — same high school that former Alabama LB Mack Wilson once played for.

Alabama has been recruiting 2023 defensive lineman James Smith for almost two years now. The Crimson Tide offered him after his sophomore season. Since then, he has been a priority target for the coaching staff. He isn’t the only product of Carver-Montgomery High School that is being pursued by the Crimson Tide. The other prospect is his teammate, Qua Russaw.

Smith and Russaw are the coaching staff’s top priorities as of right now. After losing out on in-state defensive linemen Kelby Collins and Peter Woods, the Crimson Tide will look to make up some ground with the products of Montgomery, Alabama.

Smith possesses the raw talent to play defensive tackle at the next level. He is listed at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds. Nonetheless, he moves well for his size. Here is what 247Sports’ Gabe Brooks had to say about Smith’s skillset:

“A physical young defensive lineman who could fit multiple fronts, but likely projects best to 3-tech in an even look. Possesses requisite size/frame. Consistently flashes vs. the run and as a pass rusher. Bull in a china shop who made plays as a freshman with size, strength, and tenacity. Impressive closing speed relative to size. Physicality really stands out for such a young prospect. Technical development and improved body control could make for atruly elite front-line defender. Early returns suggest impacting high-major potential with an early-round NFL Draft ceiling.”

At this time, On3’s RPM gives Alabama the edge at 51.7% likelihood of landing Smith. Defensive line coach [autotag]Freddie Roach[/autotag] has heavily pursued Smith, and I expect that to continue in the coming months. I would be surprised if Smith and Russaw don’t attend any games this fall in Tuscaloosa. Although the two have listed an identical top six, the presumed favorites to land the two highly-rated recruits are Alabama, Georgia, and Auburn.

Roll Tide Wire will now break down Smith’s recruiting profile.

Rating of Ravens DL Michael Pierce in Madden NFL 23 revealed

The initial rating for Ravens DL Michael Pierce in “Madden NFL 23” was revealed

The ratings of players for EA Sports’ “Madden NFL 23” have been slowly released over the last few days. On Monday, ratings for wide receivers and tight ends were released, and Baltimore Ravens’ tight end Mark Andrews was ranked as the No. 3 tight end with a 93 overall rating. Baltimore also had kicker Justin Tucker ranked on Wednesday as the No. 1 player at the position with a 90 overall rating and cornerback Marlon Humphrey received an 90 overall rating, good for the No. 9 spot at his position on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, the initial ratings were revealed for defensive lineman, and Ravens’ defensive lineman Michael Pierce took the No. 10 spot, coming in at an 88 overall.

Pierce was brought back by the Ravens for his second stint with the team during his career. He signed with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2016, and played with the Ravens for four years before latching on with the Minnesota Vikings following his rookie deal.

Individual ratings that got Pierce to an 88 overall included a 94 strength rating, a 91 impact blocking rating and a 90 block shedding rating. The best rated defensive lineman in Madden NFL 23 isn’t a surprise to anyone in Aaron Donald, who made the “99 club”.

Through five NFL seasons, Pierce has 171 combined tackles, 6.5 sacks, four fumble recoveries and one forced fumble in 68 games.

Alabama’s Byron Young named a defensive lineman to watch for 2023 NFL draft

Byron Young is a name to keep an eye on during the 2022 college football season!

Alabama football produces players on both sides of the ball at the collegiate level who end up being drafted and go on to have successful NFL careers. Though the 2022 college football season is months away from kicking off, analysts are looking ahead to see which players at each position from across the nation are worthy of keeping an eye on for the 2023 NFL draft.

Mark Schofield of the Touchdown Wire put together a list of the preseason interior defensive linemen to watch and included rising Crimson Tide star [autotag]Byron Young[/autotag].

In 2021, Young played in 14 games, where he amassed 33 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.

Schofield offers high praise for Young’s abilities and what he might be capable of in the upcoming season.

“Young played in a rotational role against in 2020, recording 29 tackles as the Crimson Tide won the national championship. Against Arkansas that season, Young tallied a team-high seven tackles, and was named the team’s defensive player of the week by the coaching staff.

“He played in all 15 games last season, making seven starts for Alabama. He recorded 39 tackles on the year, including nine for a loss. Young also notched a pair of quarterback sacks on the campaign. Alabama used him all over the defensive line, as he saw 182 snaps on the edge and 229 on the interior. He has a quick first step and is constantly fighting to get to the ball.”

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Young and other Alabama players on the 2022 roster that are being watched by NFL draft analysts.

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Former Alabama DL Phidarian Mathis drafted No. 47 by the Washington Commanders

Phidarian Mathis has been drafted by the Washington Commanders with the No. 47 pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

The Washington Commanders have selected former Alabama defensive lineman [autotag]Phidarian Mathis[/autotag] with the No. 47 overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft.

Mathis becomes the second Alabama player to be selected during the second round joining former Tide receiver [autotag]John Metchie[/autotag].

Mathis will join fellow former Alabama defensive linemen [autotag]Jonathan Allen[/autotag] and [autotag]Daron Payne[/autotag] in Washington.

Mathis was a terror for [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and Alabama during the 2021 campaign. Accumulating a total of nine sacks from his interior defensive line position.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for continuous coverage of the 2022 NFL draft.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on Twitter @Blackwood89.

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Former UGA DL Travon Walker predicted to go early in 2022 draft

Former UGA DL Travon Walker is predicted to go early in the 2022 NFL draft by several outlets.

According to several outlets, Travon Walker, a 6-foot-5, 275-pound former defensive lineman for the Georgia Bulldogs, is projected to be chosen early in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

At the NFL Combine, Walker posted a speedy time of 4.51 seconds in the 40-yard dash, .23 seconds faster than the predicted top pick, former Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. In addition to his speed, Walker showed off a 35.5″ vertical, a 10’3″ broad jump, and a 6.89-second 3-cone drill.

Due to his outstanding performance, Walker’s draft stock has skyrocketed, and many experts have him ranked high in their mock draft lineups.

Alabama commit Walter Bob will attend JUCO before joining the Tide

Four-star defensive lineman Walter Bob will head to JUCO before joining the Crimson Tide

According to multiple reports, the long-time commit for the class of 2022, Walter Bob, will not be signing with the Tide this week during the February signing period.

Bob will first attend junior college at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas where he will be for the next two and half years. Bob has been enrolled at Hutchinson since Jan. 7. Bob is expected to join the Tide once his academics are in order.

According to the report from the Tuscaloosa News, Nick Saban and the staff has known about Bob’s situations long before he committed to the Tide in February of 2021.

Alabama was the first Power 5 school to offer Bob a scholarship.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Walter Bob’s status throughout his JUCO career.

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Former Alabama DL LaBryan Ray set to play in East-West Shrine Bowl

Alabama DL LaBryan Ray accepts an invite to a collegiate all-star game.

Former Alabama defensive lineman LaBryan Ray has accepted an invitation to compete in the annual East-West Shrine Bowl.

The East-West Shrine Bowl is a college football all-star game for draft-eligible players and has been played annually since 1925.

To say that Ray went through a lot in his time at Alabama would be a massive understatement. Ray came to Tuscaloosa as a highly touted five-star prospect back in 2017, but never really lived up to expectations because of the number of injuries he suffered.

Ray ended his injury-riddled Tide career with 76 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and one forced fumble.

You can catch Ray in the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl when it takes place on Thursday, Feb. 3, in Las Vegas. It will kick off at 5:00 p.m. CT on NFL Network.

Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!

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Texas offers the No. 9 overall player in the transfer portal

Texas offers the best defensive lineman in the transfer portal, Jared Verse.

Even with multiple contributors returning and eight defensive linemen in their 2022 recruiting class, Texas is still looking to add more talent and depth to the group via the transfer portal.

The front seven was a major issue for Texas last season as they were horrendously exposed every game by opposing teams rushing attacks, and lacked a true sack threat as Ben Davis led the team with 2.5.

Steve Sarkisian and his staff were clearly serious in regards to bringing in upwards of 33 new scholarship players, and are continuing to try to stockpile as much talent as possible.

This was evident by their latest transfer portal offer. Texas extended an offer to defensive end Jared Verse out of the University at Albany.

Per Verse’s Twitter, he has received offers from schools such as Florida, Oklahoma, USC, and Tennessee among many others.

It is no secret why large quantities of Power Five teams are offering Verse, as he established himself as one of the FCS top pass rushers accumulating 52 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for a loss, along with 9.5 sacks. He was also named the CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year due to his strong performance in UAlbany’s shortened spring season.

Verse expressed to 247Sports that he was very grateful for his time at UAlbany, as they were just one of his two offers coming out of high school as he was mainly playing tight end prior to switching positions, but is looking for an opportunity to compete at the highest level in order to make it to the NFL.

He also mentioned what he was looking for in his next destination, and seems like he has the perfect attitude for a Texas team that is in the midst of a culture rebuild, along with a rebuild in general. Here is what he said he is looking for in a school and coach:

“I want to talk to coaches and ask them what they expect from me: Do you want me to be a pass rusher, a four-down guy with 60-plus snaps a game or do you just want me to be a pass rusher?” Verse said. “I can be a 60-down guy. Use me until I’m dog tired and you have to take me out. I have to be able to buy into the coach’s beliefs and see how they are as a team and system. Are you competing for championships? Are you making players better? I also want to see their mindset as a team. Are they trying to hit that next level so they can push me and elevate my game?”

Verse’s strong performances through just 15 career games were enough to garner him the No. 9 overall ranking in the transfer portal, along with being the second highest rated defensive player.

The Longhorns have been active in the portal as they hold the No. 5 transfer class with commits from defensive back Ryan Watts along with quarterback prodigy Quinn Ewers, and are making a push to add the highly touted Verse to that talented duo of transfers.

Four-star DL Justice Finkley commits to Texas over Alabama, Colorado

After commitments on back-to-back days from Jaray Bledsoe and J’Mond Tapp last week, another defensive lineman has decided to jump into the class.

It’s been a good week for Texas on and off the field. Saturday saw a convincing win over Louisiana at home. A ton of momentum is going to be carried into a tough environment at Arkansas.

Recruiting has been a strong suit as well, especially on the defensive line. Coach Bo Davis has been doing miracle work with some of the country’s top prospects.

After back-to-back commitments from Jaray Bledsoe and J’Mond Tapp last Monday, another defensive lineman has decided to jump into the class.

Four-star Justice Finkley committed to Texas over Alabama and Colorado on Thursday afternoon. Being from Trussville, AL, Steve Sarkisian was able to go into his old stomping ground and get a win over Nick Saban.

Finkley and his family took an official visit to Austin on July 25. He got to meet with Sarkisian himself and Pete Kwiatkowski, his main recruiter per 247Sports. Where the four-star will play in the defensive coordinator’s defense is yet to be known.

With a move to the SEC pending, stocking up in the trenches was going to be critical for Texas. After Tom Herman’s recruiting classes were built based on skill position players, Sarkisian’s staff has heavily focused on the defensive line.

A huge victory over the Crimson Tide in their own backyard.

On the 247Sports composite, Finkley ranks as the No. 112 overall player and the No. 19 defensive lineman in the country. Within the state of Alabama, he is the No. 6 prospect.

Although Kwiatkowski can be credited with this recruiting victory, Bo Davis has done a remarkable job across the defensive line. Most of his work has been outside of the state of Texas as well.

  • Four-star DL Justice Finkley (AL)
  • Four-star DL Jaray Bledsoe (TX)
  • Four-star edge J’Mond Tapp (LA)
  • Four-star DL Kristopher Ross (TX)
  • Four-star edge Derrick Brown (TX)
  • Four-star DL Aaron Bryant (MS)
  • Four-star DL Zac Swanson (UT)

The best part is, Finkley could be the best of the bunch.

He could end up playing the same role Ovie Oghoufo did over the weekend against Louisiana. Potentially at jack as well.

Finkley’s 6-4, 255-pound frame will not be big enough to play inside from the beginning. If Davis wants him to get there, some serious lifting and weight gain will have to occur.

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