2026 Rankings Update: Defensive Linemen

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1128435' first='Tre' last='Hoskins']<br>Hannibal<br>- Hoskins (6'5" 275) is a three sport athlete (football, baseball, track) who had a breakout sophomore season for his Pirates in 2023. I saw him as a freshman and made a mental note about his potential, and he did not disappoint when I watched him in action this past year as a sophomore. He's a versatile lineman who can play defensive tackle, nose or defensive end. Along with his good size he has great strength, gets good push, has good quickness off the ball to get past or around offensive linemen, a really good motor and finishes well on tackles. He's just scratching the surface on his potential and is on the trajectory to be on colleges radar in the coming years. In his second year on varsity he recorded 59 total tackles - 19.5 tackles for 136 yards in loss, 8 sacks for 89 in loss, 33 quarterback hurries, 6 fumbles recoveries, 1 forced fumble, 1 blocked punt and 1 blocked PAT.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1125476' first='Phoenix' last='Phillips']<br>Maryville<br>- Another athletic big in the trenches at defensive line in the (6'3" 285) DT prospect Phillips. He's an explosive force at the interior of the defense and a load for guards and centers to try and handle with his quick first step, speed and power he brings on each play. Phoenix can shoot the gap and be in the backfield in a hurry, or use his strength to push past them and blow up plays in the backfield. He also has good speed to run down ball carriers and quarterbacks from the back and finishes with authority. He's also dominant in track in the throws. He already has a 500 pund squat and 300 pound bench, and self reports a 5.0 forty time. As a sophomore Phillips had 63 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and 4 sacks in 11 games. Colleges are already taking notice of this young lineman to watch closely over the next two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1129721' first='Jaishon' last='White']<br>Chillicothe<br>- While not a traditional football factory for college coaches to travel to, Chillicothe has some college prospects who are worthy of the attention they are receiving. Sophomore DE/TE [player_tooltip player_id='1129721' first='Jaishon' last='White'] (6'5" 240) is one of them and on the rise with his athletic play I saw this past season from the sideline. White is another prospect who I knew of as a freshman that I made sure to travel to see in 2023. White also plays basketball, and you could see the athleticism transfer to the football field with his ability to run, the explosive first step, and using his hands to block passing lanes on throws. He has a good motor and stays after it to run down plays. He is also very good as rushing the quarterback and uses his speed well. While he's still raw and learning the position, he has all the tools to play on the next level. Jaison also has the frame to play inside or out and be a versatile prospect going forward. This past season Jaishon recorded 86 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 42 quarterback hurries and had 9 sacks. Colleges would do well to have him on their radars.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='284041' first='Jaxon' last='Hunter']<br>West Plains<br>- The (6'3" 240) Hunter first caught my attention as a 8th grader with his impressive strength and overall athletic ability. He lived in the weight room and displayed unusual strength for his age, which he used well as one of the top throwers in the state in track. He came to the Elite combine the past two years and lived up to the potential I saw then. In 2023 Jaxon had a breakout year and utilized his strength, speed and quickness to have a dominant sophomore year and pick up post-season honors of All-District, All-Conference, All-Area and team defensive lineman of the year after recording 64 tackles, 47 of them solo, 9,5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. His strength and explosion off the ball make it difficult for opposing lineman to handle. He has the frame to where he could play DE or grow into a defensive tackle in the future. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='849682' first='Marcel' last='Reed']<br>Hazelwood Central <br>- It's a very good class for defensive lineman, and another name to now is the (6'1" 305) DT/NG prospect [player_tooltip player_id='849682' first='Marcel' last='Reed']. He saw some good action as a freshman and gave a preview of what was to come. Marcel is very quick and explosive for a 300 pounder, He has a great motor and plays aggressively, already shows violent hands and likes to train at his position. He was part of a good Boom DL squad and trained with some other future college DLs and it showed in 2023. He has the size and strength to be a two gap nose and the agility and quickness to be a 3-tech defensive tackle. He's also still learning but on a solid trajectory to keep getting better. He had 22 tackles and a sack from his nose guard position as a sophomore. He is a two time All-District and two time All-Conference player at Nose Guard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->