2027 Rankings - Top Eight Defensive Linemen

Get 25% Off Your Subscription By Entering Knight25 In The Coupon Code Area. Enjoy!   Our latest ranking update for the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/oklahoma/rankings/2027-rankings/">state's 2027 class came out last week</a>. The latest ranking update now features the top 100 players in the state's 2027 class. Every time we do a ranking update, we dive into prospect breakdowns following each release. In this breakdown, we're putting the spotlight on the top eight defensive linemen in the state's 2027 class. This is a position group that has elite guys at the top and absolute game wreckers sprinkled throughout position. Keep it locked in to Prep Redzone Oklahoma for more 2027 breakdowns and our final ranking update, featuring the state's 2028 class.    If you're an offensive lineman going against Booker T Washington defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='473952' first='Joseph' last='Graves'] you have two choices. You either hold him and risk getting a flag or you simply get beat. We've watched Graves in person a handful of times over the last year and each time, he stands out as a guy that can consistently beat his man from the interior of the defensive line. It doesn't matter what you throw at him, in a one on one situation, Graves is going to either find a way into the backfield or he's going to be held. And because of that, opposing teams have to throw double teams his way and what's scary is the fact that he's starting to beat those with ease as well. It didn't take long for Graves to establish himself as one of the best overall guys in this class. It happened very early in his freshman year.     Down in southeastern Oklahoma, we have another monster prospect growing along the line of scrimmage. Valliant's [player_tooltip player_id='1171159' first='Kyng' last='Golston'] is starting to really blow up on the recruiting trail and that's not entirely surprising after watching him in person a handful of times. The first thing that stands out when you catch Golston in person is the overall athleticism, combined with his size. A guy Golston's size shouldn't be able to move with the fluidity and explosiveness that Golston has showcased over the last two years. And like we've mentioned, he's starting to blow up on the recruiting trail and because of that shouldn't come as a surprise considering those main traits. We've seen Golston in person a handful of times and coincidentally, the majority of those times, he's been a "tight end" in various 7v7 tournaments. His upside is off the charts and is on the shortlist for the overall class.     Booker T Washington has not one, but two elite defensive linemen in the state's 2027 class. Prior to the 2024 season kicking off, [player_tooltip player_id='1035135' first='DaWayne' last='Jones'] moved over to Booker T Washington from Owasso and immediately gave the Hornets arguably the top DL duo in the state, regardless of class. Alongside Graves, Jones was in a similar situation where he was either beating the man in front of him or he was being held. And the more these two dominated, the more they worked off each other. When Graves would get double teamed, that opened the door for Jones to create mayhem in the backfield and he would fully take advantage of those limited opportunities. Jones checks a lot of the boxes from a physical standpoint and college coaches are agreeing. From his wingspan to his quick first step, Jones has a lot of the tools that those coaches are looking for from a prospect.     When we threw on the film from the 2024 season, Jenks defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1297665' first='Luke' last='McInelly'] ended up being one of our favorite players to watch from the 2027 class. McInelly isn't the biggest guy on the line of scrimmage and that didn't matter at all. McInelly was an absolute fighter every single week and he brought an intensity that allowed him to routinely get into the backfield and cause absolute chaos up front. McInelly also had the benefit of lining up with a USC signee along that Jenks defensive line. So one thing that we'll be watching this fall is how McInelly looks when he's one of the main threats on that Jenks defensive line. But based on what we've already seen from him, it shouldn't be a problem. McInelly was a menace on the line of scrimmage in 2024 and that should continue in 2025.     We first started writing about [player_tooltip player_id='1171162' first='Cadriann' last='Olds'] around this time last year. We got a chance to watch his freshman film when he was at Star Spencer and he immediately stood out as a disruptive edge rusher that caused plenty of problems for opposing offensive linemen. We saw Olds in person at a team camp in May and once again, he immediately stood out to us as a guy who brought the same energy on every single snap and that was in a practice setting. Last summer, Olds would move over to Edmond North so the competition level certainly leveled up as he was dealing with some of the best teams in the state. Olds still held his own and he's still a name that has a lot of upside moving forward. We're looking forward to seeing him in person again in the spring or later on this fall.     Lincoln Christian defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1035134' first='Rain' last='Ragland'] has been a player that we've liked since very early on in his high school career. It was the second or third game of his freshman season that we caught in person and he's been an absolute terror ever since. Ragland took his game up a level during his sophomore season, becoming one of the top pass rushers in Class 3A. The Lincoln Christian sophomore was a player that the Bulldog coaches were excited about early on in his career and he's certainly lived up to the early hype. And when you look at Ragland's sophomore season, it's easy to be impressed. Ragland produced at a high level, helped lead Lincoln Christian to another state championship and he was one part of a front seven that was absolutely devastating against 3A competition. Ragland's ceiling moving forward continues to get higher.     Hilldale defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='933579' first='Kaiden' last='Ford'] doesn't have some of the measurables that the other guys on this breakdown have but he's definitely a name you need to know about moving forward. We've had the benefit of having Ford camp with us multiple times over the last 18 months and each time, he's one of the very best at his position. We got another chance to see him in person, this time with the pads on, at a team camp last May and once again, he was one of the best guys at his position. He can't just overpower guys with his size but he makes up for it with brute strength and technique. He has a deep bag of moves to get through or by an opposing offensive lineman. Ford might not be getting as much attention as some of the elite guys but he shouldn't be flying under the radar. He's an absolute monster.     Lincoln Christian defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1101282' first='Lincoln' last='Torres'] is another Bulldog to keep an eye on along the line of scrimmage. Like we mentioned with Ragland, Torres was a big part of a Lincoln Christian front seven that was among the best in the state, regardless of class. For Torres, he's more of a traditional interior defensive lineman and similar to other guys at that position, their impact on the game goes further than your typical stats like tackles and sacks. If Torres is doing his job, and he did it very well in 2024, opposing offenses will look to avoid the middle of the line of scrimmage because Torres will bottle all of that up and cause absolute chaos on the line of scrimmage. Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Lincoln Christian will be very fun to watch on the defensive line.

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