Brett Davis – USA TODAY Sports
In football today, there is an unrelenting search for edge pass rushers who can put pressure on the quarterback consistently, however, there is still no replacing a talented pass rusher from the defensive tackle position. It’s the reason Warren Sapp was a hall-of-fame football player, and it’s the reason Chicago Bears‘ defensive tackle Henry Melton is currently under the franchise tag heading into this season. Gerald Willis III has a chance to excel in the three-technique defensive tackle spot with whatever defense he joins. He is ranked as the No. 3 defensive tackle by ESPN and No. 5 by Rivals, but he is currently the top undecided tackle in the nation.
Willis attends Louisiana state power Edna Karr High School, the same school as top athlete Speedy Noil attends. While Noil anchors the offense, Willis anchors the defense by disrupting quarterback play up the middle and destroying the pocket. While Karr’s defense also has and LSU commit, linebacker and fellow ESPN 300 player Donnie Alexander, it all starts up front with Willis. As a defensive tackle, Willis posted a jaw-dropping 100 tackles last season, 24 of which were for a loss, and 13 sacks. Edna Karr is hoping to defend their state championship from a year ago.
The top three schools Willis has narrowed his choices down to are Florida, LSU and Texas A&M. All of these teams run a 4-3 defense with an emphasis on getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Whoever Willis ends up choosing will hope to desperately bring him into the mix on defense as early as possible to add to their team’s depth. It will be interesting to see what ends up happening to this talented player.
Tim Carroll is a Prep Sports Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Timbo_Slice00 and add him to your circle on Google.
