Keep an eye on this local small school edge rusher in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Lions probably will

This kid from Hope College is turning some heads.

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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My first newspaper job ever was working for the Holland Sentinel in West Michigan. There, I covered Division III Hope College. I never thought that once I transitioned fully into NFL coverage, I would ever talk about Hope again, but last week, one of the more fun transfer portal stories hit the wire.

Hope College has an edge rusher who has a lot of people talking right now, and you should not at all be shocked if the Lions take a look at him. He might wind up declaring for this year’s draft in April.

Hope College’s Liam Danitz has everyone talking, and the Lions might be watching

The interesting thing about Danitz is that he’s an All-American sprinter. The guy is super fast. Faster than a lot of the guys at Division I schools who are going to get a lot of attention in this year’s draft. The speed has translated to the field. Danitz had 15 sacks and 21 tackles for loss this season. He’s catching the eye of some of those Division I schools, and he’s getting offers, too.

James Madison, Louisiana Tech, and Western Kentucky have all offered him spots in the transfer portal. The thing is that he might not be able to play an extra year of college football. He is waiting for the NCAA to give him permission. If they don’t, his plan is to get into a pro day and see what happens.

His best bet is likely to join in on the GLIAC pro day. This is an event the Lions attended last year, where they met with players from smaller schools like Albion College, Wayne State, Grand Valley State, and Saginaw Valley State. This is where the Lions scouted guys like Trevor Nowaske and Ian Kennelly. If Danitz gets in there, the Lions will have the upper hand on being the first NFL team to really scout him.

Look, at the end of the day, it might be a long shot for him, but players like this can often find their way and wind up having awesome careers. Nowaske is a good example of that. Isaac TeSlaa, who was at Hillsdale College before transferring to Arkansas, is another. Danitz may not be drafted, but he is someone to watch as an undrafted free agent.

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