Slight Down Year For Defensive Linemen In SC But Walker of Dutch Fork Commits To Michigan

By WORTHY EVANS

Special Writer

Columbia—There are few defensive linemen populating the High School Sports Report’s Top 100 Seniors in South Carolina this season,  but the ones who made it are sure to be high prizes at the college level.

Topping the list of senior defensive linemen is the lean and mean Dutch Fork defensive end Julian Walker. The 6-feet, 6 inch, 250-pounder committed to Michigan in June and is No.14 on the list of the Top 100 seniors.



Walker, a rangy 4-star prospect who can line up as an outside linebacker when needed, had 50 total tackles, 19 for loss, 11 sacks, and a fumble recovery last year as the Silver Foxes secured their first 5A Division I championship, third straight state title in a row, and eighth state crown since 2012. 

Going into this season, Walker said the formula for himself and for his teammates is simple, hard work and the drive to perfection.

“I’ve been working on my pass rush, staying consistent throughout the time of my pass rushes, not taking any plays off, stuff like that,” he said, adding that he’s doing what everyone else is doing as a team. “You could see it on our team. We’re trying to stay dominant, offense and defense. There’s a couple of things we could work on, but we’ll get that in the bag. We definitely looking for a four-peat. We’re staying consistent and trusting the process.”

Gaffney defensive tackle Kelton Smith (6-5, 290) is an East Carolina commit and at No.24. Smith played eight-man football at Oakbrook Prep in Spartanburg his junior year before transferring to the Indians. He’s looking to help the Indians (10-2 in 2024) go deep into the postseason this fall.

“I’ve been doing a lot of training really, preparing mentally, staying mentally strong,” Smith said, adding that East Carolina impressed him immediately. “Really, the college coaches were amazing. It was real fun. I had a real good time with them.”

Bluffton defensive lineman Chris Doyle (6-1, 290) is an Appalachian State commit and No.33 on the list. Doyle had 67 total tackles, 18 for loss, five sacks and 26 hurries for the Bobcats last season.

Named 4A All-State and First Team All-Region 6-4A, Doyle chose Appalachian State over offers from The Citadel and Georgia Southern.

Ashley Ridge defensive end J.T. King (6-4, 240) is 40^th on the list. King had 43 tackles, 20 for loss, 7 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 4 passes defended, and one blocked field goal for the Swamp Foxes last year. He has offers from UNC-Charlotte, Anderson, and McPherson, and has generated interest from South Carolina, Coastal Carolina, South Carolina State, North Carolina A&T, Wofford, and Liberty. He plans to announce a commitment Sept. 6.

“To get ready for my senior season I have been training, lifting, and stretching every day,” he said. “I feel I have grown a lot this summer due to the motivation from my family, community, and my team.”

Ashley Ridge finished 8-4 and reached the second round of the 5A Division I playoffs. This fall King said the team is poised for another strong season.

“I know we have a great team this year. Our offense is very explosive and versatile, Our defense is very aggressive and competitive, and we have outstanding coaches on both sides of the ball,” King said. “But the biggest thing we have is communication and a strong bond. I know if anything happens my brothers have my back on and off the field. I love this team and I truly feel this team is state bound.”

Edge rusher Sawyer Arnold (6-4, 220) of 3A state champion Oceanside Collegiate is another Appalachian State commit and is at No.43.

“App State felt like home the moment I got there,” he said. “The town, game day atmosphere and the overall vibe they had was electric.”

 With his commitment in place, Arnold has worked with the rest of the team to reach the state title game again.

“Our team has put in hard work all summer in the weight room and on the field,” Arnold said. “No other team in South Carolina has put in the work we did all summer physically and mentally. We are ready to shock the state and have another great season. Go Sharks!”

Chester defensive end Terry Radford (6-1, 230) is at No.54. Radford had 116 tackles, 26 for loss, 16 sacks and 18 hurries for the 5-6 Cyclones last year. He has offers from Concord University in West Virginia and Wofford.

Nick Sapp (6-0, 300) of Denmark-Olar is at No. 86.  Sapp said he’s had a good offseason in preparing to be a senior leader in the trenches.

“I think we’re going to do good this year,” he said noting his team’s 4-7 mark in 2024. “We’ve got better talent this year than we have in the past. I’ve been to a lot of camps and prepping myself and getting better. We’re looking good, I feel like we can do better physically.”

He said he hasn’t heard from colleges at this point, but added that he’s interested in “staying close to home.”

Sumter’s David Rogers (6-2, 280) is 91^st on the list. Also, a top wrestler in the heavyweight class, Rogers had 13 tackles, two for loss, and a sack in eight games at Lakewood last year before transferring to Sumter.

Jaylon Davis (6-0, 290) of Union County is 101st. Davis had 58 tackles, 9 for loss, and 7 ½ sacks last season.

Hartsville’s Chris Price (6-3, 275) is not listed among the Top 100 Seniors but is itching for the season to start so he can show that he should have been. Price has offers from Newberry, South Carolina State, N.C. Central, N.C A&T, Elon and Clark Atlanta.

“Chris has been a three-year starter and works extremely hard,” Red Foxes head coach Jeff Calabrese said. “He’s a great teammate, an honor-roll student, a well-rounded athlete. Last year he was All Conference, and with his hard work and effort this year he’s really going to make a difference.”

Price said to be the leader that Coach Calabrese and the team wants and expects him to be, he has to be in shape. He and the team know that to do better than last year’s 10-2-1 record, Region 5-4A championship, and third round visit in the playoffs, conditioning is key.

“That’s the biggest thing when you play four downs and four quarters, I can’t be a leader if I’m not in condition,” Price said. “Every day after practice we run extra sprints on our own. I think we’re going to do good. Our D-line is good. We’re definitely ready to come out and go hard.”

Another honorable mention is Andrew’s edge rusher Chris Stewart (6-3, 230). Stewart has offers from Western Michigan, Campbell, Elon, Gardner-Webb, Mercer, and The Citadel, among others.

“Getting ready for this year I went to a lot of football camps to get myself locked in and learning from different college coaches on my technique,” Stewart said.

Last year Andrews finished 6-5 overall and 2-3 in Region 6-2A. Stewart knows his team needs to improve on last year and he’s seeing it.

“We did decent, but this year we’ve got a good team and we should be able to make a deeper run,” Stewart said. “It feels good being able to lead at my position. I was once in that position of following the older guys, and now I’m in that position, inspiring other people and making them feel better.”

Among the top 25 juniors, South Pointe’s Seth Tillman (6-3, 260) is sixth. Tillman has offers from South Carolina, Arkansas, Clemson, Georgia Tech, and Kentucky.

“He’s a great defensive lineman and he comes from a great family,” head coach Bobby Collins said. “He’s a great young man. He’s not finished growing. Both he and (teammate and offensive lineman and USC commit) Anthony Baxter are Sunday players.”

To get there one day, Tillman knows he’s got to put in the work now. He had 76 tackles, 25 for loss, and 15 ½ sacks in last season’s 11-3 effort and he knows he needs to improve on that.

“First and foremost, I have to stay humble,” he said. “I’ve got to get my body right, and I’ve been working extra hard and I’ve got to make sure my grades stay right and listen to my coaches.”

Jaden Wuerth (6-3, 270) of Dutch Fork is 16th on the list. Wuerth transferred to Dutch Fork from Aquinas, Ga., where he compiled a team-high 147 tackles, 38 for loss, and 13 sacks.

In coming to South Carolina, Wuerth said he knew he wanted to go to a winning team, and the Silver Foxes stood out. He added that he didn’t know much about head coach Tom Knotts’ program—other than the eight state championships it won since 2012.

“I know they’re missing some guys and I’m there to help them out, Wuerth said. “Guys like (DE) Josh Smith where I can fill some gaps. (Teammate) Julian (Walker—50 tackles, 19 for loss,11 sacks) is on the other side so we should be pretty dominant.”

Wuerth already has an offer from South Carolina, and Clemson and Georgia Tech have shown interest in him.

Emerald’s Marquise Anderson (5-9, 210) is 25th. Anderson had 95 tackles, 15 for loss, two sacks and 13 hurries, good for earning a spot on the Region 1-4A All-Region Team.

“Marquise Anderson is an undersized, quick and aggressive problem for offensive linemen,” head coach Tad DuBose said. “He had a great sophomore year and we are expecting another great season. Marquise had a great off season improving his speed and agility.” 

Kamarion Glenn of Belton-Honea Path (5-10, 300) is 30th. Glenn had 29 tackles, two for loss, four sacks and nine hurries as the Bears (13-2) reached the 3A state championship game last season.

Head coach Russell Blackston said the junior 3-year starter for BHP is a great asset to the team and will only get better in his junior and senior years.

“He starts as a defensive tackle but he also plays some center for us,” Blackston said. “He’s a pleasant kid to coach and fun to be around. I’m glad he plays for me and not against me.”

Boiling Springs’ Dennis Glenn (6-2, 290) is 19^th on the list and looks to have a breakout junior and senior year. Glenn had 28 tackles, a sack, and 14 hurries in the Bulldogs’ 7-5 season. He has offers from N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Appalachian State, Memphis, Charlotte, and Liberty, among others. 

DT Triston Diggs (6-2. 220) and DE JaQuan Hannah (6-2, 200) of Carvers Bay are two juniors who are poised for big seasons along the Bears’ defensive line.

Diggs’ first offer, from The Citadel, came recently, and he has interest from South Carolina state and some other schools.

“I’ve been practicing very hard in the weight room this summer,” Diggs said. “I’ve been working very hard at getting my weight up as much as possible and going to a lot of camps as well. I’ve been trying to be a better leader on the team as well.”

Last year’s 4-7 effort made it clear to the young team that they needed to put in more work in getting ready for 2025.

“We were a very young team last year, we weren’t as conscious of what we were doing on the field, we weren’t as smart,” he said. “But this year is going to be a lot different.”

Hannah, who made visits to The Citadel and South Carolina, added that he and Diggs have been working individually and with the team.

“We’ve been doing a lot of training and getting strong in the weight room, and not only that I’ve been working on my craft and getting ready for this year,” Hannah said. “The whole team’s back so this year I feel very confident on what we’re going to do.”

Hartsville junior JaQuan Samuel (6-2, 275) was an offensive lineman last year, but this year he will be on the opposite side of the football. “Jaquan is a first-year stater with a lot of potential,” said head coach Jeff Calabrese.