The Film Room: #TN2026 Def. Linemen

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Back in the lab, breaking down more film, here we dive deep into five defensive linemen that have the ability to compete on the big stage of college football and five guys you may see inside our Top 100 upcoming rankings. </h2>   <p><strong>#TN2026 D-line Prospects</strong></p>   <p><strong>(DL/OL) [player_tooltip player_id='866788' first='Nate' last='Fleming'] - BGA </strong></p>   <p>- Fleming is coming off a breakout junior season where he led the D2-Class AA ranks in sacks and the great thing is that this Mid-TN lineman is still far from a finished product. Standing 6 '3 260 pounds and growing, Fleming has good size for the trenches along with nice arm length and the athletic skill set to be disruptive against the pass. The Wildcats senior does a nice job of getting off the snap fast then bursting towards the quarterback and finishing with violence. He tends to take the correct angles into the backfield then closes fast without allowing his man to break loose. His athleticism is something that is attracting college coaches but I also think it's his mature approach, meaning Fleming knows how to use his hands to get off blocks while using a low pad level. He also has a nice body/frame to pack on more size, so I can definitely see Fleming looking bigger once he reaches the college stage. </p>   <p>Another trait about the Cats lineman that stands out is his line versatility. Fleming could work well inside a 4-3 or 3-4 defense due to his athletic skill set and intelligence. If he needs to work on the end, Fleming can do it or you can slide him inside to play 3-tech and disrupt the interior. This Williamson County native is one of the more athletic linemen we have from the #TN2026 class and it shows in his current offers as several schools have offered Fleming for offensive line. He is talented enough to develop on either side of the line but for me, I like him best on defense where I think his upside resides the best. It will be interesting to see how he continues to develop his body and overall game because I feel Fleming is on the verge of breaking into Power Four status.</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/nateflemingBGA/status/1842668029685223771 </div></figure>    <p>- - - - - </p>   <p><strong>(DL) [player_tooltip player_id='927765' first='A.J.' last='Westfield'] - Cleveland</strong></p>   <p>- One of the better interior pass rushers from our #TN2026 defensive line is this East Tennessee product that is starting to see a surge with his recruitment. Westfield is a highly active young man that gets off the snap fast and into the backfield disrupting the opposition's plans before the play gets going. This guy has one of the better motors I've seen on film during this cycle. Westfield competes hard but it's his athleticism and get-off that makes him some appealing for the next level. The Blue Raiders senior D-lineman does a good job of getting into the creases between blockers due to his speed and strength then closing fast towards the quarterback and bringing him down with violence. Westfield is also well built with broad shoulders that helps when going against bigger O-linemen. He has no problem with playing physical and using the finesse game to get the job done. </p>   <p>Another strong trait about Westfield is his work stopping the run. He does well at stacking blocks then releasing towards the ball and stopping the rusher before he is able to get down field. His recognition abilities are on point. He doesn't just play fast and hard but Westfield shows good football intelligence reading plays and making stops behind or near the line of scrimmage. This East TN talent has nice range too, meaning he chases the ball well from sideline to sideline while having the speed and want-to getting after the ball carrier when in positive territory. I like Westfield best as a 3-tech pass rushing D-lineman on the college level and I believe that's where coaches are recruiting at. While he is disruptive now on the high school stage, I believe Westfield has another level to his game that should come out once he gets coached on the collegiate gridiron.</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/jlsimsy/status/1832248084182790657 </div></figure>    <p>- - - - - </p>   <p><strong>(DT) [player_tooltip player_id='851948' first='Zorian' last='Harris'] - Greeneville</strong></p>   <p>- If there is one guy from our #TN2026 defensive line crop that is currently under the radar but has a chance to eventually be recruited by Power Four programs, I believe it's this East Tennessee big man. Harris is a two-way lineman that could be looked at for either side of the ball but for me, I personally like his game and upside best as a run stuffing defensive tackle that can also provide a pass rush. The first thing you notice about the Green Devils big man is his well put together body and natural power and strength. Harris is a rock from the interior that offensive linemen have a hard time moving off his spot. He does a great job of stacking blockers and shedding towards the ball or changing the line of scrimmage, pushing O-linemen into their backfield. Harris can also shed those blocks and chase down the ball due to his athleticism and lower base agility. This guy is a good athlete that I feel can increase his game in this area with continued development this off-season and into the college ranks. </p>   <p>Harris could be one of the more powerful defensive tackle prospects we have in our rising senior class. Even though he stands 6'2 290 pounds, Harris plays much bigger and a lot of that is due to how powerful his upper body and lower base is. I do think he provides interior versatility as I can see different scenarios where he works the 3-tech, because he can rush the passer or play the nose and take up blockers. The Green Devils big man also plays with a high motor, so if you combine his active game play along with his power, it makes this guy very difficult to deal with. I believe over these next few off-season months, Harris could see a spike with his recruitment but if not, he will need to camp this summer to prove his abilities, where I think he will do so and become a hotly pursued prospect that could peak the interest of plenty of Power Four programs.</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/GreeneDevilsFB/status/1885120533462720964 </div></figure>    <p>- - - - - </p>   <p><strong>(DE) [player_tooltip player_id='1512350' first='Avery' last='Hughes'] - Portland</strong></p>   <p>- Picking up his first offer recently from Air Force, Hughes is someone college coaches need to start taking a deeper dive on because this guy may have some of the best pass rushing upside as anyone from our #TN2026 recruiting class. The first thing you notice when you turn on his junior film is his burst and closing speed off the edge. Hughes is an athletic guy with good size (6'3 230) and long arms that does well at staying low with a good bend that opposing offensive linemen have a hard time dealing with. His burst off the snap is excellent but Hughes also shows nice closing speed too when chasing down the ball. The Panthers senior has a nice combination of athleticism, speed and strength that translates well to the college game and he is still far from a finished product, so the future could be very bright for this Mid-Tennessee product. </p>   <p>Hughes is an intriguing talent due to his natural abilities at getting into the backfield. Right now, the Panthers big man is better suited at getting after the passer compared to stopping the run but I believe in time, that area of his game can dramatically improve, especially if he hits the weight room and packs on more weight. He does have the frame to add more size over time and if he does that, Hughes could develop into a devastating pass rusher. Competing on the 4A level, Hughes doesn't have the ability to contend too often against college level tackles, so hitting the camp scene this summer is something he must do to prove his worth. I think if he takes these next few off-season months to dedicate his time in the weight room and developing his game on the playing field, Hughes could sneak his way into Power Four status but the work must be done. This is a hidden gem with tons of upside and guy you may be hearing more about as the year goes on.</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/AveryHughes_56/status/1892582126580552146 </div></figure>    <p>- - - - - </p>   <p><strong>(DE) [player_tooltip player_id='1275120' first='Jysen' last='Grant'] - Dyersburg</strong></p>   <p>- If Grant didn't get injured last Fall and put an end to his junior season, you may be hearing more about this West Tennessee talent because the Trojans defensive end has and shows college upside getting into the backfield. Strong off the snap with violent hands, Grant does a good job of getting skinny between the creases and darting his way into the backfield towards the quarterback and moving him off his spot. The Trojans senior defensive end competes and plays hard on a consistent basis, which is something college coaches would love having on their line. His motor always stays on high and when you combine that with his athleticism, his lower base agility and long arms, you have yourself a pass rusher with excellent upside. </p>   <p>The one area to certainly improve upon this off-season would be his body weight. Grant stands about 6'3 225 pounds but sports the frame to certainly pack on more weight and become even more disruptive. He is a good enough athlete where I could see him playing some edge linebacker on the next level but to do so, Grant would need to enhance his strength and overall athleticism. Besides having the ability to rush the backfield, Grant also does solid work at stopping the run. He uses his arm length and natural power to stack blockers then burst towards the ball with full out effort. If this West Tennessee product can bounce back from his injury while continuing to gain weight and enhance his skill set, I could see some D1 schools getting involved but Grant is definitely an FCS type guy that has levels to his game that has yet to be unfolded.</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/jg_jg31/status/1831764257987600729 </div></figure>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/03/ahughes.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1636045" style="width:380px;height:auto" /></figure>