Rankings Update: New Class of 2026 Defensive Linemen

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We recently updated our Class of 2026 Rankings! In this article we are going to share a bit about some of the Defensive Linemen we have added to the rankings for this update.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1368127"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66c3bbafb2873"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Earning offers from both Georgia Southern and Wake Forest in the spring, Dominic jumped on my radar after having a strong performance at a local camp and being one of the strongest returning starters for a good Charlotte Catholic program this season. Dominic produced 65 tackles, 18 pressures, and 3.5 sacks last season, great production from a hybrid interior/edge defensive lineman. With a strong start to the season, I wouldn't be surprised to see more recruiting attention and offers come Dominic's way. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1238231"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66c3bbafb28e1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Jaden received an offer from Charlotte this spring. With his size profile, Jaden is definitely one of those EDGE prospects that colleges are looking for in major supply these days. He lists a 4.5 40 yard dash time and a 3.4 unweighted GPA on his profile, things that will make college coaches interested in learning more beyond his physical traits. Looking at his film, Jaden has a nice burst off of the football and appears to have a long wingspan with his arms. As he gets stronger, he will be able to be a more consistent player against the run, but I can definitely see a high ceiling for him as a player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["284088"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66c3bbafb2925"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I have evaluated Chris before, and I am always impressed with the combination of his strength off the football combined with the technical skills of using his hands to shed blocks and rush the passer as an interior defensive lineman. Two highlights stand out to me - in the first one, Chris does a great job of playing half a man, getting backfield penetration, and forcing a fumble which directly led to a defensive touchdown. Secondly, Chris rips through the inside shoulder of a tackle on a slant stunt, gets penetration, and finishes the play with a sack. He should be seeing some recruiting attention - which might be happening, but another consistent season of impact plays should result in some offers coming his way. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["473951"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66c3bbafb2964"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Antoine is a returning All-Conference player for the Lions who I wrote about in the spring. The Lions have a lot of overall team speed on their defense, but Johnson might be one of their most important pieces. His presence doesn't allow teams to simply line up and run right at West Charlotte to try and neutralize the speed they have. I would love to see Antoine add a pass rush to his strong run stopping ability - that would not only push him higher in our rankings, but it would generate even more recruiting interest for him as a 3-down defensive lineman. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1368126"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66c3bbafb29a1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I was excited to add Dawson to our Wait List here. I saw him Friday Night in person at a preseason jamboree, and he showed the same things that I saw from him on film. Dawson has a good first step off the snap, he does a good job of shooting gaps to get penetration in the backfield, and he can play off blocks to make tackles in the run game. The only reason we have him on the wait list is to see more consistency on film game in and game out, which I feel like Dawson is definitely on his way to do in a big junior year for him. A strong performance this season should see him definitely move up in our next rankings update. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->