Five-star Florida State commit Armondo Blount is still being heavily pursued by Miami, the program that previously held his commitment. … Rivals250 Florida commit Amaris Williams is being pursued by Ohio State, Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee, with the Tigers and Bulldogs appearing to have some momentum. … Ernest Willor, the highest-ranked uncommitted defensive line prospect, enjoyed his official visit to Wisconsin this past weekend and has trips to Ohio State and Maryland coming up over the next two weekends. …
Ole Miss and Auburn are going after Arkansas commit Charleston Collins. … Jericho Johnson remains uncommitted but is expected to choose from Oregon, USC, Utah and Washington during the Early Signing Period. The Ducks are rumored to hold a slight edge in his recruitment. … Uncommitted defensive end Jayshawn Ross has been keeping a tight lid on his recruitment but Alabama is a big player for him along with Kansas State and Nebraska, who hosted him for official visits during the season. … A decision timeline is still being worked out for Solomon Williams, who favors Alabama, Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M.
1. Miami: The Hurricanes are the only program with six defensive line commits rated at least four-star prospects. Flipping five-star defensive tackle Justin Scott away from Ohio State was one of the biggest recruiting wins of this cycle, regardless of position. Pairing him with a wrecking ball like Rivals250 prospect Artavius Jones in the middle of the defensive line will make life very difficult for opposing offensive linemen. High three-star defensive tackle Daylen Russell will also play a key role for Miami’s defensive line in the future. Rivals250 defensive ends Marquise Lightfoot and Booker Pickett along with four-stars Elias Rudolph and Cole McConathy can put incredible pressure on quarterbacks and have high NFL Draft potential as well.
2. Oklahoma: Oklahoma’s defensive line haul looks like they’ll be ready for the transition to the SEC. No. 2 overall defensive prospect and five-star David Stone is unstoppable in the middle of the defensive line and Rivals250 prospect Jayden Jackson, his running mate from IMG Academy, should create a dominant defensive tackle tandem for the Sooners. Four-star defensive ends Nigel Smith and Daniel Okoye and three-stars James Nesta and Wyatt Gilmore each bring something different to the table. Smith and Gilmore are bigger bodies who hold up well at the point of attack and can get pressure on the quarterback. Okoye and Nesta are intriguing athletic specimens who should develop into important pieces of the defensive line.
3. Oregon: An argument could be made that Oregon is too low on this list because it has one more four-star commitment than Oklahoma but, either way, the Ducks should be excited about the future of their defensive line. Reeling in a commitment from No. 82 overall prospect Aydin Breland was huge. He has the tools to be a major disruptor from his defensive tackle position. Flipping gifted defensive end Elijah Rushing away from Arizona should pay almost immediate dividends in pass rushing scenarios. Rivals250 defensive tackle Tionne Gray has the physical tools to be a dominant interior presence. Jaxson Jones, a Rivals250 prospect, and Xadavien Sims, a four-star prospect, will help solidify the defensive end room in Eugene.
4. Ole Miss: Led by five-star Kamarion Franklin, Lane Kiffin and the Rebels hold four Rivals250 defensive line commitments. Franklin is a beast who has drawn comparisons to 2016 five-star Jeffery Simmons, who was drafted in the first round in 2019 by the Tennessee Titans. The trio of Rivals250 defensive tackles Kamron Beavers, Jeffery Rush and William Echoles will make running against Ole Miss in the future a tall task.
5. Georgia: It should come as no surprise that Georgia has a top five defensive line recruiting class. The Bulldogs are bringing in three Rivals250 prospects this year with defensive tackle Nasir Johnson, a former Florida commit, and defensive ends Joseph Jonah-Ajonye and Justin Greene. Jonah-Ajonye and Greene and big, tough defensive ends who expertly defend against the run and have no problem pressuring the quarterback. Johnson is a force at defensive tackle, who uses his strength and agility to overwhelm offensive linemen. Four-star defensive tackle Jordan Thomas and defensive end Quintavius Johnson have exceptional physical gifts that should help them become important contributors. Three-star Nnamdi Ogboko is a massive nose tackle prospect who should play a pivotal role in running situations.
