Independence’s Aaron Blankenship Aaron Blankenship 6'2" | 230 lbs | DL Independence | 2026 State WV showed us why he’s currently ranked the #1 DL in the 2026 class after a very strong showing at the Combine. His quickness off the edge was impressive in person and was a trait of his that we weren’t as familiar with from only watching his film. Before the event, we thought of him as more of a power and strength athlete but having both of those athletic traits makes him even more of a well-rounded DL prospect. It’s going to be fun to watch how his body develops over the next two years as he further increases in size to give us a better idea if he’s an inside or outside DL prospect at the next level.

If he maintains the athleticism he currently has and adds mass, Blankenship can develop into a versatile pass-rushing and run-stopping interior lineman with a very high ceiling who has already shown flashes of it.

The highest-ranked defensive prospect set to attend the combine is Independence DL Aaron Blankenship Aaron Blankenship 6'2" | 230 lbs | DL Independence | 2026 State WV . Blankenship currently ranks as our #1 defensive lineman in the 2026 class and rounds out our Top 15 overall at this time. He’s also a talented offensive lineman and a two-way player for the Patriots, so it will be interesting to see how he performs on both sides of the line in person. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Blankenship at the combine given his high ranking and are expecting him to be a top performer and showcase the ability and ceiling we believe he has. Our two questions for him to answer at the event are how he looks from a size standpoint and whether he can go out and dominate in 1-on-1s on both sides of the line. Anytime you have an athlete ranked inside the Top 15 and #1 at his position you’re going to want those high praises confirmed live and in person, and our expectation from Blankenship is that he will.

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• New Ranking: 14
• Previous Ranking: 35
• Spots Raised: +21

The highest stock riser since our last 2026 Rankings update was Independence OL/DL Aaron Blankenship Aaron Blankenship 6'2" | 230 lbs | DL Independence | 2026 State WV . The 6’1 240 big man had a huge sophomore season for the Patriots after transferring over from Woodrow Wilson where he saw some varsity time as a freshman. Blankenship totaled 108.5 tackles, 12 TFLs, and 5.5 sacks during his sophomore campaign and was named a First Team All-State performer by the WVSWA in Class AA. He was a two-way starter this season on both sides of the line, but his ceiling may be highest as a defensive lineman. Blankenship could be ranked highly at OL or DL, and it will depend on how much he continues to grow physically to determine which position he translates best to at the next level. He recently competed at the National Combine in San Antonio, TX alongside some of the top underclassmen around the country and is beginning to work himself into the national conversation for 2026 big men. If he continues to add size and length his ceiling and upside will rise even further, and he may potentially be another D1 lineman out of WV.