Deep-Dive of the Deepest Position: Class of 2026’s Defensive Line

<p><strong><em>Enjoy our newest rankings release by using promo code “mankarious30” for 30% off your first subscription to Prep Redzone New Jersey</em></strong>!</p>   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   <p>If there is one thing New Jersey's graduating class of 2026 is ripe with, it is disruptive defensive linemen. Colleges, of all levels, should be clamoring to earn a commitment from a robust, deep, and diversely talented crop of playmakers graduating in June of 2026. There is great discussion at the top of the rankings due to elite level talent, which we will discuss in this article; however, the latter rungs of talent are tremendous in their own right and are, by no means, meant to be slighted. That is just exactly how good this once-in-a-lifetime class of war daddies is.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Top Dog</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700"><strong>Top Attribute: An outright disruptive force</strong></p>   <p>I had the opportunity to see [player_tooltip player_id='829432' first='Damari' last='Simeon'] compete live at a camp this spring, and instantaneously knew that he was a dude. With an athletic body, Simeon has a very quick get off that shell-shocks and stuns opposing offensive linemen. At his best, Simeon can do one of two things to offensive linemen: work them all the way back into their running back or get in their hip pocket and beat them to the play. Either way, the result is the same in a tackle for loss. Flexibility and the ability to bend is also present in this loose athlete, as we see Simeon dip his shoulder extremely low to evade tackles. Another very advanced thing that we see Simeon do is attack the joints on his opponent's arms - they cannot block what they cannot touch, after all. Lastly, with the ability to work both inside and off the edge, Simeon's body is shows the ability to explode low-to-high.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/Damari_Simeon/status/1816604318155571483 </div></figure>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Truly Elite: Clear-cut, Power 4 Conference Prospects</h2>    <p><strong>Top Attribute: Pass rusher extraordinaire </strong></p>   <p>Another prospect that I got to see live and in person at Prep Redzone's Stockup Showcase in the winter, CJ Edward's film verified what my eyes saw. With a quick and twitchy get off, Edwards gains territory near the line of scrimmage in a hurry, forcing offensive linemen to backpedal with intense urgency. He also works his hands very well as he hand fights, gets his hands above his eyes, and works to extend them when defending the run. Relatedly, Edwards uses his hands to snatch defenders and discard them to the side. Lastly, due to his God-given physical gifts, Edwards is in a unique position that his length allows him to attack the inside shoulder of pullers, turning them flat and essentially two-gapping by playing a de facto dent technique.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CJ_agent_96/status/1818685302955032600 </div></figure>     <p><strong>Top Attribute: Lives in the backfield </strong></p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='402196' first='Brandon' last='Simmons Jr.'], is a prospect that I am an unabashed big fan of. Having earned PRZNJ 1st Team Defensive All-State honors, Simmons' has the tape to match. A commonality with the other elite players at his position group, we see that he has a great get off. A bit different, however, than his contemporaries, is that Simmons' style seems to be one predicated more on upfield gap penetration rather than gap control. With aggressive first two steps, it appears as if Simmons is at home in the backfield. The swim move is also available to him, opting to deploy it when appropriate. Hand usage is an another area where the junior succeeds, locking out at times and successfully snatching. More so than his peers, we see that Simmons has a clear closing speed he can accelerate to. Lastly, he has speed in the open field and the quickness to wreck things from a backside 4i. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/brandon7simmons/status/1785032046668108259 </div></figure>     <p><strong>Top Attribute: The low man always wins</strong></p>   <p>Next up is [player_tooltip player_id='284059' first='Chris' last='Dadas'] from Delbarton. Much to my surprise, I have not seen much traction recruiting wise for the impressive interior lineman. More so than any other prospect in his class at his position, Dadas plays with incredible pad level. This pad level is maintained through is get off and throughout the play. Furthermore, we see him excel at fighting off linemen in front of him, shedding blocks, to make plays in his gap - as well as scraping down the line. His size, strength, and pad level makes him a tough assignment when adjacent offensive linemen gallop or double team him. When facing doubles, he actually applies an old-school technique by spiking a knee. A great run stopper, Dadas also has a motor that allows him to chase sideline-to-sideline. Should he get washed when pass rushing, we see Dadas has the wherewithal to spin back to his rush lane to prevent quarterbacks from stepping up.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/chris_dadas </div></figure>     <p><strong>Top Attribute: Relatively raw with tremendous potential</strong></p>   <p>I think it was two years ago when [player_tooltip player_id='825247' first='Jayden' last='Jones'] was a freshman that I saw him on the camp circuit. With a great get off, Jones is a great pass rusher who knows to match the hand should he not get home. Jones gets hands on and quickly works a violent disengagement/shed move. With his open field speed, he has the ability to save big plays before they happen. Jones' hands show they work upwards above his eyes at times, but with his sudden burst we see that he bends the corner extremely well. Lastly, Jones possesses raw strength with the ability to lift and dump his matchup without much bend.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/jayjones2026/status/1658544084946935825 </div></figure>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jersey's Next-Best College-Bound Recruits</h2>    <p><strong>Top Attribute: </strong>Two-way lineman who is equally proficient at both</p>   <p>Out of everyone so far, [player_tooltip player_id='212390' first='Jack' last='Harris'] is probably the most true, two-way lineman of the bunch. That said, I personally liked his defensive tape better, and thus, him ranked accordingly. Harris is very quick off of the ball, thus making him extremely hard to reach. This, combined with his outstanding upper body strength, allows him to bury opponents, often slinging them to the ground when doing so. Harris' feet are consistently moving, allowing him to turn weak shoulders and reestablish the line of scrimmage alike. At his absolute best, we see Harris get into the hip pocket of pullers, as well as strain and separate well. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/harrisjack99/status/1828904666115047655 </div></figure>     <p><strong>Top Attribute: </strong>Reestablishing a new line of scrimmage</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1213095' first='Nisaiah' last='Maldonado'] is new to Jersey. So, let's properly welcome him: how you doin'? Now that the formalities are out of the way, the New York Import has some very impressive film and very impressive size. At his last school, Queensbury, we see the massive prospect totally bench press offensive linemen back two yards behind the line of scrimmage as though they were just 135lbs on a straight bar. This ability to reestablish the line of scrimmage makes him a threat to make tackles for losses by scraping on plays away from him. Furthermore, we see him keep his feet working through contact to accomplish this as well. For a man his size, Maldonado runs extremely well. This was evidenced as the big man hustled downfield and stopped a pick 6 that was going back the other way.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/NisaiahM58/status/1766639030580498553 </div></figure>     <p><strong>Top Attribute: </strong>Active with his hands and his feet</p>   <p>Not sure if it is pedigree or lineage at this point, but Union City is home to a long line of outstanding linemen. Add [player_tooltip player_id='1085702' first='Adrian' last='Villalta'] to that list. Again, a solid get off seems to be the theme here with our top prospects. Moreover, we see that Villalta works his hands well and has quick feet. These feet allow him to scrape down the line of scrimmage and quickly stack behind offensive linemen when eh gets around them. He does has strength, however, as he as been seen walking back offensive linemen when playing the run. That strength also shows up where he can fight through, what I would consider, holding penalties in order to follow a pulling guard. Lastly, Villalta is physical enough where he defeats trap blocks with ease. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/adrianvillalta_/status/1634194972533567489 </div></figure>     <p><strong>Top Attribute: </strong>The perfect blend of pad level and quickness</p>   <p>[player_tooltip player_id='284073' first='Rob' last='Carstarphen'] has been a prospect very much on our radar for a while now. Carstarphen gets low when he tackles. Getting low seems to be a theme in Carstarphen's game. We see him play with low pad level off of the snap, firing out flat, while working his hands to gain extension, to work defenders into the backfield. While staying low, Carstarphen is also quick, often getting into the backfield. The junior defensive linemen must have been playing football for a long time now, as he seems to sense, see, and settle when defending screens well. When backside, the hustles down flat, scraping in order to make plays. Carstarphen profiles as a dynamic run stuffer. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/rob_sturdy/status/1825956217291944253 </div></figure>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prospects You Should Get Familiar With: The Rest of the Class' Best</h2>    <p><strong>Top Attribute: </strong>Lunch pail worker</p>   <p>If you are looking for a gritty, hard nosed player that does a number of things well and you can rely on, [player_tooltip player_id='823165' first='Dominic' last='Canzano'] might be your guy. Canzano absolutely hugs the line of scrimmage so that only a credit card can pass by. This allows him gain a great get off. From there, we see that Canzano is able to swim or rip inside to get free. With a workman-like feet, Canzano is constantly moving and fighting in order to spring loose. He slants across his opponent's face really well, often untouched, allowing him to follow pulling guards at times. Basic gap discipline is something else we see him do well, as Canzano will work to separate and get his head into his gap while playing half-man leverage, only to rip across the face to make a stop in the gap adjacent to him. Lastly, Canzano has the strength to turn a weak shoulder when lined up inside and is a very good gap penetrator. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/dcanzano99/status/1734213991398871061 </div></figure>     <p><strong>Top Attribute: </strong>Enjoys physicality and contact</p>   <p>Montgomery appears to have another good one in the trenches with [player_tooltip player_id='1294564' first='Mike' last='Bellamy']. Bellamy's tape just screams "physicality." First, he keeps his feet through contact when trapped or tackling. He has the requisite upper body strength to toss somebody to the side. Matched with his motor, Bellamy reminds me of a predator off the edge when he chases sideline-to-sideline. Structurally sound, he has a sturdy base that prevents him from getting moved and allows him to keep balance. Bellamy can surf the edge well and also has a very good hump move at his disposal. When facing a double team, his motoring feet and strength allow him to split it by attacking half-a-man. Reading his keys, Bellamy will swim a low hat when appropriate. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/MikeBellamy50/status/1783981450104127856 </div></figure>     <p><strong>Top Attribute: </strong>Half-man, all the time</p>   <p>Heading down to South Jersey for this next prospect, Triton's [player_tooltip player_id='1257662' first='Jaiden' last='Moore'] is a sleeper down south. The interior defensive lineman does a great job of getting hands on the man in front of him while maintaining his gap leverage on reach blocks. He is hard to move when doubled, as he maintains and keeps half-man leverage. As a result, he will keep his off-arm free to make a tackle in the hole. At moments we see Moore has the ability to walk back blockers, specifically by attacking the weak shoulder of a 3-tech. Not without awareness, he will work back towards his rush lane by stacking the heels of the offensive linemen once he gets through. A 6th sense of playing the screen is inherent in Moore, as he is hard to bait and will follow blockers into space. I really appreciate how Moore works his rip, exaggerating it, and keeps working. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/jaidenmoore50/status/1813962818481524775 </div></figure>     <p><strong>Top Attribute: </strong>Well-rounded game</p>   <p>We close out with a prospect we covered early on a few times in our 2026 rankings release, Glassboro's [player_tooltip player_id='284064' first='Jerome' last='Foster']. Foster does a great job of resisting the pressure of down blocks, making him difficult to displace horizontally. Understanding how to use his arms, we see him extend and create separation to the point he is able to defeat, most notably, reach blocks. When unblocked he knows someone is coming and will squeeze appropriately. As a pass rusher, the big man works his matchup backwards until he can disengage and make a play. A low tackler, Foster wraps well when doing so. Another thing he does well is pursue, hustle, and flow to the play - indicative of strong block recognition. With Foster lining up next to teammate [player_tooltip player_id='402196' first='Brandon' last='Simmons Jr.'], you would be hard-pressed to find a better defensive line pairing them these two. </p>    <p></p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/JeromeF24511996/status/1637609415040724995 </div></figure>

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