Alabama DL Report: 5 Risers, 5 Sleepers

From top to bottom, Alabama is one of the best states in the country when it comes to producing talent on the defensive line. The 2025 class is no exception. Here are 10 guys catching my eye.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Risers</h2>    It's a consensus belief across the board that [player_tooltip player_id='790717' first='E'Mauri' last='Smiley'] is one of the best players in Alabama. He has picked up several D1 offers this spring, but it still feels like he is getting closer to a major recruiting push. Smiley is listed at 6'3 254. With that frame, there's a good chance he plays more with his hand in the dirt. He has impressive bend for a big guy, allowing him to win the edge and finish at the QB. He has an advanced feel for how to use his hands, slapping at blockers to keep his chest free. Smiley is slippery, frequently slipping into the backfield. He arrives on time as a tackler and does a good job of generating violent contact. His instincts are off the charts, finding the ball early and undercutting angles that the RB may have, ultimately redirecting the play back toward his teammates. Smiley might not test the way other DL prospects in the 2025 class do, but his instincts and feel for the game are some of the best I've seen at his position.     [player_tooltip player_id='1314811' first='Eldridge' last='Shelton'] was one of the more efficient pass rushers in Alabama last year, finishing 2nd in the state with 16 sacks. He is an electric athlete as well, which has helped him earn some D1 offers this offseason. Shelton will sometimes line up with his hand in the dirt, but he projects more as an OLB at the next level. He throws a lot at blockers when rushing the passer. His 0-60 is top-notch, quickly overwhelming blockers and penetrating the front before things can even get set. When he doesn't win initially, he is willing to fight with his hands and works through the whistle, gradually winning some reps. He appears to have good length in his arms, which he uses to trip up RBs trying to slip outside. He also wraps up the QB nicely when finishing, clubbing at the football too. Shelton is a pure "go get the ball" player on defense and could find the field early as a result.     [player_tooltip player_id='1596504' first='Garrett' last='Sanford'] is a massive player at 6'4 240. He is listed as a DE, but after looking at his body proportions, there's a chance he grows out of that spot and slips inside once fully grown. Sanford is hard to move and is a lot to handle in running lanes. He anchors well to the ground and uses his length to lock out blockers, ultimately winning the lane and forcing the RB to redirect, which doesn't show up on the stat sheet. Won't be a guy who consistently gets after the QB, but he is a willing pursuer and will get his hands up to deflect or disrupt the QB's throw at the last minute. Sanford won't light up the stat sheet, but he will wear down blockers and free up opportunities for his teammates. He picked up his first D1 offer from Jackson State this spring.     [player_tooltip player_id='1584593' first='McCade' last='Wright'] has turned heads on the camp circuit and has several FBS offers under his belt headed into his senior season. Wright is an outstanding athlete and still has plenty of room to add to his already massive frame. He shows the ability to bull rush from any spot, striking powerfully with his hands and running straight through blocks. He is still growing as a block shedder, but if he can get around the QB, his length around the arm of the QB will linger. He plays laterally along the LOS exceptionally well, collapsing running lanes and showing sideline-to-sideline pursuit skills. [player_tooltip player_id='1584593' first='McCade' last='Wright'] isn't a clean projection and is certainly a project, but his combination of size and athleticism is worth a gamble. The ceiling is high here.     Between spring ball and this camp season, Chase Howard has racked up several D1 offers and has put himself on the FBS radar. He is a muscled-up 6'3 245 that plays up and down the defensive front, but will project long-term as a true DE. Howard often wins at the line, stunning blockers with his hands and shedding. His balance when battling through blocks and working to the football is outstanding, consistently staying on his feet and arriving at the football as a result. He has outstanding instincts, playing like he's attached to a rope with RBs. Howard is fundamentally sound, but he is also a good athlete and has more than enough play strength to play DE at the D1 level. It should be a big fall for Howard.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sleepers</h2>    Javien Stoudemire is wreaking havoc on Friday nights, even with practically 0 recruiting attention. Stoudemire comes in at 6'2 250, playing with incredible strength in his upper body and possessing broad shoulders. He has his way with anybody he gets his hands on, ripping through blockers and ragdolling ball carriers when he gets his hands on him. He is a bit top-heavy, but he plays with great balance and stays on his feet well for his play style, he also has room to add more weight to his lower body. He shades guards and centers mostly, but he also takes some reps at DE. He will project as a 3-tech at the next level. From every spot, he can turn speed to power, and you can feel the energy in his pursuit of the ball. Any small school looking to add a wrecker on the DL needs to look at Stoudemire. He might end up being a huge steal.     [player_tooltip player_id='401091' first='Cruz' last='Lee'] is still in the infancy stages of his football development, but the athlete here is more than impressive. He comes in at an untapped 6'6 225 and also happens to be a basketball and track athlete. Off the bat, he contains several surface-level athletic traits to be excited about. He carries over some twitchiness from the basketball court and flashes the speed needed to consistently be around the ball. Play strength is still developing, but he is patient at the line of scrimmage and stays square. He is always in contention to make a play thanks to his range. Lee has so much room to add more weight. His best football days are way in the future. There should be a D1 team willing to bank on his upside.     Lightfoot is a boulder on the Opelika defensive front. He is a pure IDL projection, coming in at 6'3 315 with weight stacked in his upper body. He has the heavy hands and play strength needed to jar blockers and get them moving backward. His presence alone in the gaps must be dealt with on every play, and he can free up LBs by occupying IOL. Won't offer a whole lot on 3rd down, but he does have the twitchiness to shed blocks and corral the ball carrier in short areas. Most of his damage however is done against the run, where he can push people around and sit in running lanes. He isn't a stat sheet stuffer, but you can't teach his kind of power.     Marquaes Lambert quietly had a productive junior season, just living in backfields. He lacks length but compensates for it with his explosiveness and fiery hot pursuit skills. Lambert plays up and down the defensive front and is capable of winning from any spot. He creates instant penetration at the line by either bulldozing his way into the backfield or firing off the shoulder of blockers. Once he is free of blockers, he chases the football with a mission. I would call Lambert a "searcher", meaning he shouldn't be tied down to a specific position. Instead, he should work up and down the line searching for a mismatch, because once he finds it, his explosiveness and effort are nearly impossible to defend.     Jeremiah-Steven Beverly is a young, yet fiery DL prospect. He is still young and has a few years of development before he heads to the college level. Regardless, his short, yet powerful frame might translate best to EDGE, and he might even slide back and play off the ball some. As I mentioned, he is quick off the ball and plays with outstanding pursuit skills. He arrives at the ball violently, de-cleating and stunning ball carriers. He takes advantage of off-platform blockers, violently attacking their chest and forcing them to quickly recover. Shorter pass rushers have to compensate for their lack of length with their energy and effort, and Beverly plays with both of those things. He is still a puppy, but he is starting to impress and his recruitment will pick up soon.

From top to bottom, Alabama is one of the best states in the country when it comes to producing talent on the defensive line. The 2025 class is no exception. Here are 10 guys catching my eye.