2025 Preseason All-State: Defensive Line

We looked high and low to find the best defensive lineman for the 75-player All-State team, and we feel like after looking at numbers and film, we came up with a very stout group.   There are Power 4 players here and some more that might join in the mix before it's all said and done. The 11 players selected are going to be vocal points of their teams and a problem for opposing offenses.   Nine of these players are seniors so good luck with the postseason all-star games picking those teams. We have two juniors on the list as well.   Here is an in-depth look at the 11 players.   [player_tooltip player_id='1025774' first='Sawyer' last='Arnold']   School: Oceanside Collegiate   Class: 2026   Arnold is committed to Appalachian State University and there's a good reason why. He's a rush end and stands 6-foot-3, 185 pounds but his first step is quick, and he moves with a relentless motor. If we want to emphasize that point, look at the fact that he registered an eye-popping 24.5 sacks for the state champion Landsharks last season. He's going to be heavily counted on to at least duplicate those numbers as Oceanside looks to win a third straight state title.     [player_tooltip player_id='367827' first='Bristol' last='Biegenzahn']   School: West Ashley   Class:2026   Elon is getting a steal in the 6-foot-4, 240-pound rush end. There's a good chance he will add weight and move to the interior in college but for now, he's going to wreak havoc for the Wildcats. Biegenzahn finished last season with 68 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups and seven sacks. He's going to be given more opportunity to expand on these numbers in 2025. He could easily reach double figures in sacks and become the name everyone needs to know as they prepare to face West Ashley this season.    [player_tooltip player_id='755914' first='Jaiden' last='Bryant']   School: Irmo   Class: 2027   Bryant is a player that could add some weight and not lose a step and his effectiveness. He's coming off a breakout sophomore season in which he had 92 tackles. 26 tackles for loss and 18.5 sacks. He's 6-foot-2, 195 pounds and Power 4 schools are starting to take notice. He could add 20-25 pounds and become even more of a menace to the Yellow Jacket opponents. The good news is Bryant was usually his best against the better competition so he loves a challenge and rises to the occasion.   [player_tooltip player_id='1405166' first='Aiden' last='Jones']   School: Greer   Class: 2026   The first thing that stands out when looking at Jones is the incredible numbers he put up for an interior defensive player. He had 72 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 26 QB hurries and seven sacks. He sheds blocks well and uses leverage as well as anyone. He's powerful and packs it all in at 5-foot-8, 265 pounds. Teams are going to have to game plan on how to slow Jones if they're going to be successful against the Greer attack.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267215' first='Michael' last='Posey']   School: Eastside   Class: 2026   Posey moved from linebacker to defensive line and became a sponge of trying to learn everything he could. He had a great teacher last season in Jaquavious Dodd, who is at South Carolina now. Posey is 6-foot-1, 215 pounds and came away last season with 53 tackles, nine tackles for loss and six sacks. He's going to get the attention of opponents in 2025 and how he handles it will go a long way towards any success Eastside has.   [player_tooltip player_id='816734' first='Terry' last='Radford']   School: Chester   Class: 2026   As it stands right now, Radford has offers from Anderson and Concord, but an impressive senior season could see the offers come pouring in. He's 6-foot and 230 pounds but the defensive stats show he plays much larger than that. He had 116 tackles with 26 tackles for loss, 16 sacks and 18 QB hurries. He caused a fumble and recovered a fumble as well. He's an interior defender that more times than not occupies more than one blocker.   [player_tooltip player_id='1025808' first='Chris' last='Stewart']   School: Andrews   Class: 2026   Stewart is garnering plenty of interest in recruiting and that will continue into his senior season. He's 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and could easily add weight to be more effective at the next level. He's more than adequate in high school and that can be seen by his 93 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He's explosive with a quick first step and he at times has his blocker beaten right at the snap. One of the more impressive things is he can play with his hand in the dirt or on his feet so he can read and react.    [player_tooltip player_id='1591712' first='Seth' last='Tillman']   School: South Pointe   Class: 2027   Tillman is our top-ranked defensive lineman in the 2027 Class and the No. 4 overall player in our rankings. He's 6-foot-3, 240 pounds and comes off the edge with a vicious streak. He has interest from a lot of Power 4 schools, and we can see why. He's quick off the edge and can move away from blockers with ease. He had 76 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one caused fumble. Tillman is just another in a long line of Stallion defenders that has the attention of college recruiters.     [player_tooltip player_id='1395062' first='Damarea' last='Thurmond']   School: Loris   Class: 2026   Maybe the most impressive thing about Thurmond is his versatility. He can play on the edge or in the interior and make an impact at either position. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder racked up 67 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries and a sack despite facing a lot of double teams. The Lions allowed just over 12 points per game with three shutouts on the season. Thurmond is motivated due to the way last season ended and that could spell trouble for the Loris opponents this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1592529' first='Julian' last='Walker']   School: Dutch Fork   Class: 2026   Walker has numbers but if you look at what he did from the final game of the regular season against Irmo to the state championship game win over Summerville and it's easy to see why Power 4 schools were clamoring for Walker's services. He verbally committed to Michigan in July, and he could make an immediate impact in Ann Arbor. Walker is 6-foot-6, and 230 pounds, playing in one of the best defensive units in the state. The scary part – Walker and Dutch Fork might be better than they were a season ago.    [player_tooltip player_id='1662325' first='Dontrell' last='Wilson']   School: Camden   Class: 2026   Wilson is our highest rated defensive lineman in the 2026 Class and it's for a reason. He's 6-foot, 310 pounds and if he doesn't want to be moved, he's not going to be moved. Wilson plays with a low center of gravity and can make plays in the defensive backfield with the best of them. He had 64 total tackles, 20 tackles for loss, eight sacks, eight QB hurries, two blocked kicks and a pass break up. He's going to be a key to a revamped Camden defense but it's very likely he could be the X-factor they need.

We looked high and low to find the best defensive lineman for the 75-player All-State team, and we feel like after looking at numbers and film, we came up with a very stout group.