Building the Perfect Player: WV’s Ultimate ’26 Interior DL

<p><strong><em>The Combine Series Camp is returning to WV on May 3rd at the Highlands Sports Complex in Triadelphia, WV! Code PRZWVCombine25 will give you a discount when you registe</em>r <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/1484/register/combine-series-west-virginia">HERE</a><em>!</em></strong></p>   <p>Nobody can reach perfection, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't chase it. A lineman with elite size, length, strength, get-off/burst, hand use, flexibility, and rush moves. The athletes in today's article are special and need to be on the radar and high up on the recruiting boards of college programs. Let's get into the lab and build our recruit!</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>SIZE AND FRAME</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">You aren't likely to find a bigger athlete in the state of West Virginia than 2026 Princeton DL [player_tooltip player_id='1237592' first='Riley' last='Bell']. Listed as 6'6 390 on his HUDL and 6'7 on his X account, Bell is a massive space eater along the interior of the Tigers' defensive line. He's someone who will demand double teams often based on size and power alone to create any space up the middle. Bell's large wingspan also disrupts quarterbacks attempting to throw over him causing tipped passes and inaccurate throws. Further developing his body at the next level will be crucial for Bell, but you can't teach size and he has plenty of it. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>EXPLOSIVENESS</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">We are very high on 2026 Morgantown defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1138540' first='Zevon' last='Shipman'] who will likely continue to be a stock riser in our rankings. He earned a spot on our Perfect Interior DL Build for his explosiveness as an athlete with a great mix of power, strength, and athleticism for his size. Shipman has an ideal build for an interior defensive lineman at 6'1 280 allowing him to get under opposing offensive linemen and letting his physical tools generate success on the field. He fires off the line of scrimmage with a lot of force and has the short-area quickness to create havoc in the backfield as a pass rusher and run-stopper. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>ATHLETICISM</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Woodrow Wilson's [player_tooltip player_id='897574' first='Jamarques' last='Manns'] could fit in at a few spots on this list but settled in under athleticism for our Perfect Interior DL Build. If you watch his junior tape, Manns primarily plays strong-side defensive end but with his 6'4 270 size has the potential to slide inside at the next level. He has a high ceiling regardless of which spot he eventually ends up in at the next level and will likely be a future stock riser in our rankings. His length, size, and athleticism will allow him to develop into a high-level player at the next level with some D1 potential if he has a strong senior year.</p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>STRENGTH</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">The move from linebacker to defensive tackle was great for Nitro's [player_tooltip player_id='894931' first='Bryce' last='Snyder'] who settled in nicely for the Wildcats as a junior in 2024. That's a more natural position for him given his skillset and he produced last season with 42 tackles and 8 TFLs. Snyder has impressive raw strength which earned him a spot on this list and that trait shows up on film. He's a stocky interior defensive lineman who's able to play with good leverage and fully utilize his time spent in the weight room. A bulldog would be a great description of Snyder's game and play style as a low-center-of-gravity and tenacious athlete. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>POWER</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Logan's [player_tooltip player_id='1138542' first='Rob' last='Ball'] is an underrated prospect in the 2026 class and is someone we've been high on for a while now. He's a force along the interior of the Wildcats' defensive line and earned a spot on our Perfect Interior DL Build for his power. Ball has good size for the position at 6'2 285 and he fully utilizes that frame to his advantage. He can play as a 3-4 nose tackle and is a difficult 1-on-1 matchup for center given his size, power, and quickness off the line. Ball has very good short-area quickness for his size and is a physically strong athlete who use his hands well as a bull rusher. In 7 games as a junior, Ball totaled 46 tackles, 8 TFLs, and 2 sacks as the third-leading tackler on the team. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>RUN STOPPER</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='989040' first='Bradley' last='Edens'] had a very productive season for the Cabell Midland Knights as an interior defensive lineman. He earns a spot on our Perfect Interior DL Build for his run-stopping ability and a force in the middle of the defense. Edens is a quality wrestler for the Knights as well and uses that background to his advantage on the football field with a good understanding of leverage and using his hands well to defeat blocks. He can demand double teams as a stocky but stout athlete with physical strength that makes it difficult to move him off the line of scrimmage allowing him to make stops at the LOS and in the backfield. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>LEVERAGE</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">2026 Spring Mills defensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='1138543' first='Abelardo' last='Meza'] uses leverage well to make stops for the 2024 state runner-up Cardinals. He's an underrated prospect in this class and has been a steady player since his sophomore season. Meza is a two-way player for Spring Mills but projects as an interior defensive lineman at the next level. He's low in his stance and fires off the line with ferocity and is strong at the point of attack. At 6'1, Meza can maintain that low leverage coming out of his stance and get under opposing offensive linemen to control and shed them. He's also a quality athlete for his size and should develop nicely in college once he adds further size. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>QUICKNESS</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='894730' first='Adam' last='Elder']'s junior season got cut short after just four games in 2024 but he's someone to not overlook as a 2026 prospect. He's another undersized interior defensive lineman who could possibly play DE or EDGE at the next level based on the quickness he's shown on film. That trait is what earned Elder a spot on our Perfect Interior DL Build and makes it difficult for high school offensive linemen to cleanly block him. His stature and leverage also benefit him when playing along the interior easily getting under opposing offensive linemen after a quick first step. Elder can sneak past and split guards and center to consistently penetrate into the backfield as a productive TFL generator. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>MOTOR</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1138227' first='Jordan' last='Kovacs'] was another quality addition to the Martinsburg program last season and showed a lot of potential as a defensive line prospect. He earns a spot on our Perfect Interior DL Build for his motor and effort that he showed as a junior for the Bulldogs. Kovacs is a bit undersized for an interior defensive lineman, but his heart and hustle are what allow him to overcome those physical limitations and make plays. He gives full effort for four quarters and the entirety of the play doing a nice job of tracking down quarterbacks and ball carriers regardless of where they are on the field. </p>     <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>UPSIDE</strong></h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Currently ranked as an offensive lineman but will move to DL in our 2026 rankings in the next update, George Washington's [player_tooltip player_id='894640' first='Johvon' last='Davis'] takes our upside spot on the list. Davis' body has changed a lot through the years since first getting eyes on him as a freshman. He's trimmed off his bad weight and is now down to 6'4 230 which better translates to the defensive line. Davis will bulk back up at the next level and has the frame to do so easily. He's a quality athlete with a ton of potential as a big man prospect whose best days are ahead of him on the football field. </p>

The Combine Series Camp is returning to WV on May 3rd at the Highlands Sports Complex in Triadelphia, WV! Code PRZWVCombine25 will give you a discount when you register HERE!