Ranking WNC DLs in 2024 North Carolina high school football season

From Zion Brown to Finley Sullivan, the Citizen Times and Times-News ranked the top defensive linemen for the 2024 NC high school football season in WNC.

Asheville Citizen Times

The start of the North Carolina football season is quickly approaching. Western North Carolina teams are completing summer workouts and competing in 7-on-7s to prepare for the upcoming NCHSAA and NCISAA seasons.

Ahead of the first kickoff, the Citizen Times and Times-News are highlighting the top defensive linemen to watch in 2024, including Brevard's Zion Brown and West Henderson's Tyler Nash.

Here is the Citizen Times and Times-News' ranking of the WNC's best defensive linemen.

Best North Carolina high school football DL in WNC for 2024

10. Chris Wences

Mitchell

Vitals: 6-3, 210, Sr.

Wences collected four sacks, 41 total tackles with six for a loss, an interception and a forced fumble. He helped the Mountaineers reach the second round of the NCHSAA 1A playoffs.

9. Grayson Hoilman

Avery County

Vitals: 5-7, 220, Sr.

Hoilman racked up eight sacks, 12 quarterback hurries and 83 total tackles with 17 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

8. Omirion Barber

Hendersonville

Vitals: 5-10, 265, Sr.

Barber tallied four sacks, 17 quarterback hurries and 59 total tackles with 14 tackles for a loss. He had four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. His stats should improve after CJ Landrum graduated and signed with Charleston Southern.

7. Cash Freeman

Christ School

Vitals: 6-2, 284, So.

Freeman had six sacks and 42 total tackles with 11 for a loss as a freshman.

6. Finley Sullivan

Christ School

Vitals: 6-4, 230, Sr.

Sullivan recorded seven sacks and 38 total tackles, including nine for a loss, in his first season with the Greenies after transferring from West Henderson.

5. Brody Orton

Murphy

Vitals: 6-1, 200, Jr.

Orton was named All-WNC second team after he collected 05 total tackles with six for a loss and three sacks and a fumble recovery.

4. Judson Weaver

Brevard

Vitals: 5-10, 190, Sr.

Weaver accumulated 73 total tackles with 14 for a loss, seven sacks and 20 quarterback hurries. He had three fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.

3. Camden Breazeale

Murphy

Vitals: 6-3, 186, Jr.

Breazeale was also named All-WNC first team in 2023. He collected 11 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, four pass deflections and forced two fumbles while having 122 total tackles.

2. Tyler Nash

West Henderson

Vitals: 6-5, 250, Sr.

Nash was named All-WNC first team after tallying 57 tackles, 14 sacks, nine quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. He was a pivotal reason the Falcons repeated as Mountain 7 conference champions and reached the fourth round of the NCHSAA 3A playoffs.

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1. Zion Brown

Brevard

Vitals: 6-1, 190, Sr.

The reigning All-WNC Defensive Player of the Year recorded nine sacks and 35 quarterback hurries as well as 104 tackles with 23 for a loss. Brown helped the Blue Devils win the Mountain Foothills 7 conference championship.

Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times and Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times and Times-News.