Top 2026 Defensive Linemen: 704 Metro Area
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Andrew Harris – Weddington Andrew is a big part of the engine that is the Weddington defense that frustrated opponents all last season on their way to a state championship. At 6’2 and 225 pounds, Andrew has rightfully received a…
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Continue ReadingAndrew Harris – Weddington
Andrew is a big part of the engine that is the Weddington defense that frustrated opponents all last season on their way to a state championship. At 6’2 and 225 pounds, Andrew has rightfully received a lot of attention and accolades for what he has achieved on the field so far. To show you how talented he truly is, we’ll list all his offers from the earliest to the latest: Charlotte, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Connecticut, NC State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Miami, Georgia Tech, Indiana, South Carolina, Troy, Southern California, James Madison, West Virginia, Tennessee, UCLA, Louisville, Memphis, Ole Miss, and Ohio State. I could probably let the offers speak for themselves, but looking at the film, I’ll share some insight. The impressive thing that stands out to me is the pure strength Andrew has to take on blocks – double teams at times – and shed those blocks and make tackles for losses in the backfield. The other impressive thing along with that is his persistent hands to shed those blocks against offensive linemen and work moves from a pass rush standpoint also. When lined up at defensive end, Andrew has excellent speed on the short corner against offensive tackles and wins for quarterback pressures and sacks. Impressive player – he looks advanced beyond being a current sophomore.
Aiden Harris Aiden Harris 6'3" | 250 lbs | DL Weddington | 2026 State NC – Weddington
As if dealing with his brother Andrew wasn’t enough, Aiden is another big piece of the Weddington defense. At 6’4 and 240 pounds, Aiden was named the defensive MVP of the state championship game this past season, along with being named All-Conference. Aiden’s offers currently include the following schools: Charlotte, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Connecticut, NC State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Miami, Georgia Tech, Indiana, South Carolina, Troy, Southern California, James Madison, West Virginia, Auburn, Tennessee, UCLA, Louisville, Memphis, Ole Miss, and Ohio State. If that looks familiar, yes – the same schools offered both Aiden and Andrew! Auburn is the only difference in my count, but that’s some incredible synergy right there. Looking at his highlights, he has been coached very well – he plays half a man with advanced technique as a defensive tackle, and that leverage paired with great get-off at the snap has him creating game-changing plays – in that state championship game we mentioned earlier, he blocks a punt and also intercepts a pass – after tipping it himself at the line of scrimmage. Excellent quickness has him with multiple tackles in the backfield on his highlights, and he plays with great strength as well. These two are going to be a major problem in the next two years, plain and simple.
Manny Lewis Manny Lewis 6'2" | 235 lbs | DL Marvin Ridge | 2026 State NC – Marvin Ridge
Keeping the Union County theme going here, Manny is a 6’2 and 240-pound prospect who has impressive athletic ability overall. Troy, Charlotte, and Colorado have offered Manny so far, but I don’t doubt that there will be more offers on the way for him. Looking at the highlight film – I love that his first four clips are of him either sacking the quarterback or disrupting him very quickly after the snap. I love his pass rush – he is coming full tilt and with bad intentions – his first 3 sacks he is delivering big hits – that is what you love to see. Manny can play off blocks in the run game and run down ball carriers running away from him. He also has impressive open-field speed – there is a clip where Manny runs down a wide receiver screen from behind that shows his true athleticism. I’m excited to see how he will continue to develop.
KJ Gillespie KJ Gillespie 6'3" | 245 lbs | DL Mooresville | 2026 State NC – Mooresville
I’ve been following KJ for a couple of years, and he is now starting to become the player that I thought he would be after seeing him as a freshman. At 6’3 and 245 pounds, KJ can play both inside and on the edge of the defensive line. KJ was an All-Conference selection last season, and he is starting to gain some well-deserved recruiting attention. Charlotte, Kentucky, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia have offered KJ so far, and I am sure that many more offers will be coming his way. When you take a look at the film, there’s a lot of stuff to get excited about. First off, excellent speed coming off the edge that can affect the quarterback quickly after the snap. KJ has a great burst when chasing down ball carriers – there are multiple times when he chases players down for tackles. He has been coached well – KJ performs a technique called wrong shouldering on a pulling guard and blows up a counter play in the backfield. KJ will have a bright future ahead of him in the next two years.
Jace McCallum Jace McCallum 6'4" | 230 lbs | DL Hickory Ridge | 2026 State NC – Hickory Ridge
An All-Conference selection last season, Jace has the frame that college coaches are looking for at 6’4 and 235 pounds. Jace currently holds an offer from Eastern Kentucky, and he has some interest from some local ACC schools as well. On his profile, he lists a 4.167 GPA – always a bright spot, and Jace is also a basketball player which speaks to his overall athleticism and agility. When you look at the film, Jace shows some strong ability to shed pass blocks of offensive tackles, locate the football, and then run the play down with excellent speed. I can see why college coaches get excited with him – that is something you can’t teach with his size as a natural skill. Jace also shows some talent to get to the quarterback using a good get-off in passing situations and shows a nice dip and rip pass rush move through the outside shoulder that is tough for offensive linemen to defend.
Aiden Black Aiden Black 6'1" | 280 lbs | DL Central Cabarrus | 2026 State NC – Central Cabarrus
A 6’1 and 280-pound prospect, I am impressed with Aiden’s work ethic. He is constantly doing something to better his craft, and area colleges have taken notice and he has been receiving a lot of interest as a result. He has not received an offer just yet, but with a 3.3 GPA and his talent between the lines, it is only a matter of time. When you take a look at Aiden’s film, I am very impressed with his quickness off the ball. There are a couple of clips where his defense has a slant call, and Aiden slants to his gap untouched, and makes a tackle in the backfield on both occasions. However, the thing that surprised me was his speed in the open field. You just don’t see 280-pound defensive linemen run down dual-threat quarterbacks in the open field, but I saw that twice on Aiden’s highlight package. He is going to be a player I really watch during the camp season for sure – and he should get some offers if he performs well during that time.