Summer football preview: Defensive line in Southern California high schools

Continuing the summer football preview series looking at players to watch for the 2023 high school season, defensive linemen and defensive ends are critical.

Two juniors who know how to put the pressure on quarterbacks come to mind.

Chinedu Onyeagoro of King/Drew recorded 19 sacks as a sophomore. James Dowd of South Pasadena had 11 sacks.

Senior Blake Lauritzen of Thousand Oaks is coming off a junior season in which he had 14 sacks. Ethaniah Steffany of Long Beach Millikan had 11 sacks while Jireh Moe of Orange Lutheran had seven sacks.

Junior Hayden Lowe of Oaks Christian has been picking up scholarship offers in bunches during the spring and summer.

Mater Dei’s 6-foot-6, 300-pound Aydin Breland is one big obstacle in the middle.

St. John Bosco’s Epi Sitanilei and Dutch Horisk are juniors with great potential.

Anthony Jones of Bishop Alemany had five sacks as a freshman for Sherman Oaks Notre Dame.

Dez Polamalu is a 6-2, 250-pound defensive end at Corona Centennial with high expectations.

Luke Webb of JSerra is a returning first-team All-CIF Division 1 honoree.

TJ Ford of Newbury Park was in on 56 tackles for Chaminade last season.