2026’s Biggest Defensive Recruiting Targets

With National Signing Day for the Class of 2025 mostly in the rearview, primetime for the current junior class is here.   Over the next few months, their recruiting cycles are going to ramp up - even for those who already have offers and interest. College programs will see what they need to start bolstering, and another year for them means another year of battling the constant attrition tied to today's football landscape.   Enter the Class of 2026.    These defensive targets are ones we believe will move the needle.   [player_tooltip player_id='1618012' first='Tony' last='O'Banner'] ATH, Thomas Heyward   Ok, yeah, O'Banner easily could have ended up on our offensive targets list. He's put up 6,755 total yards on offense and special teams in his first four years (SCISA eighth graders can play varsity ball). Yet, he's also being hamstrung slight in that colleges aren't sure where he ultimately lands in terms of position. At 6-foot and 205 pounds, he still very likely at tailback at the collegiate level, but outside linebacker or safety are certainly on the table, too. He's that good of an athlete, and he fills enough potential spots that we're having him start off this side of the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='473009' first='Jeremiah' last='Favorite'] DB, Boiling Springs   In a one-day span last month, Favorite picked up four offers from schools in three different states and from four different conferences. He's the best cover corner in the class and already has three years of starting experience between his freshman season at Myrtle Beach and the last two in the Upstate. He's got great measurables for the position and the type of film that convinces opposing teams to avoid throwing his direction.    [player_tooltip player_id='402497' first='Kentavion' last='Anderson'] DB, Dorman    Anderson rounded out his January with offers from Texas A&M, Tennessee, Missouri and Michigan. Such is life for the player with more recruiting action over the last seven months than anyone else in the Palmetto State over that span. The parade of attention isn't going to stop, we're guessing, after he eventually decides between his final six (Indiana, Clemson, South Carolina, Kentucky, South Carolina, Michigan and Virginia). Anderson's in demand.    [player_tooltip player_id='473021' first='Caden' last='Ramsey'] DB, Cross    Much like O'Banner, Ramsey's college position depends largely upon whom you're talking to. Some see the 6-foot-5, (now) 210-pounder as a safety, where he recorded a state-best 13 picks in 2024. Others see him as an edge rusher, where he can use the skills he's picked up on the hardwood to eviscerate quarterbacks. Still others want him as a tight end. He's already proved he can catch the ball and he's physical enough to block. We'll leave him as a defensive back. For now.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267200' first='Tamarion' last='Watkins'] LB, Northwestern   Speaking of semi-positional swaps, Watkins is as much linebacker as he is safety, and like Ramsey, his landing spot is as much up for debate as to which college he'll attend. Like Anderson, he's already got a splendid cluster of choices on his table. Look at his January offers (in order): Georgia, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Florida, Florida State, Alabama, North Carolina, East Carolina. That brought him to 17 total, and there's no telling what the first few weeks after signing day will bring for him.    [player_tooltip player_id='473010' first='Michael' last='Boulware'] LB, Gray Collegiate   Boulware blasted onto the scene as a freshman at Class 5A Spring Valley and immediately earned more than what anyone would describe as simple playing time. Then, before his sophomore year, he transferred to Gray, helped the Eagles to the Class 2A state title game and was an expected force for his junior year. Gray never got a chance to compete in the playoffs due to an ineligible player, but Boulware's football acumen is clearly there. He'll be all over the camp circuit this offseason and we're guessing the added exposure will do him some good.    [player_tooltip player_id='1592529' first='Julian' last='Walker'] DL, Dutch Fork and [player_tooltip player_id='1592194' first='Jaemin' last='Pinckney'] DL, Woodland   Maybe the two edge rushers with the highest a ceiling in the Class of 2026, both bring some serious height to the equation. Walker, at 6-foot-6, had five tackles for loss combined between the Silver Foxes' Upper State title victory (over Spartanburg) and the state championship win over Summerville. Pinckney, meanwhile, didn't get the luxury of such a high-profile environment but it's not as if Woodland is devoid of college eye balls. He's 6-foot-4 and while still considerably leaner than Walker has a great knack for beating offensive tackles to the first position.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267206' first='Dontrell' last='Wilson'] DL, Camden    Wilson shed a few excess pounds and then went to work as a junior. He finished the season with 64 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, eight sacks, eight quarterback hurries and a pass break-up. He also blocked two field goals, which isn't surprising given how adept he is at splitting blocks and getting into the backfield. He's the most polished defensive tackle in the class and if he was 6-foot-2 instead of an 6-foot his offer sheet would already be full. He's a top-10 overall player in 2026 who gave us every reason to include him on our 2024 Fab 50 squad.

With National Signing Day for the Class of 2025 mostly in the rearview, primetime for the current junior class is here.