Tristan Lyles Tristan Lyles 6'1" | 235 lbs | EDGE Central | 2026 State AL has been one of the most productive players in Alabama over the entire course of his high school career, regardless of position. I thought Lyles would end up P4 out of HS, making this pickup by Jacksonville State a massive steal. He is a smaller edge rusher, but you can’t argue against his ability to win. First step explosiveness, shoulder shimmy, bend, dips, hand fighting, power, Lyles has the most complete bag of pass rushing juice in Alabama, and that should be a compensator for his size. I am expecting his production to translate to the next level.

Tristan Lyles Tristan Lyles 6'1" | 235 lbs | EDGE Central | 2026 State AL has proven himself as a reliable finisher with 20 sacks on the year. He shows strong hand usage and understands how to disengage quickly from blocks. Lyles plays with excellent balance, rarely overcommitting and allowing quarterbacks to escape. His pursuit effort stands out, especially on extended plays. He also shows the versatility to rush from multiple alignments along the front. Lyles’ consistency makes him a valuable defensive piece at the next level.

Tristan Lyles Tristan Lyles 6'1" | 235 lbs | EDGE Central | 2026 State AL , one of the top pass rushers in the state, dropped some huge news a few days back.

“Lyles is a dominant defender who can play the run and pass extremely well. He explodes off the snap, plays with great speed and leverage, and can easily work his way around offensive linemen to get into the backfield and make plays.

I’m most impressed with Lyles’ pass rushing. He has an impressive blend of speed and power and a wide variety of moves he uses to quickly get to the quarterback and generate pressure/rack up sacks.”

Lyles has garnered a lot of collegiate interest over his dominant career at Central. Earlier this week, he pledged his commitment to Jacksonville State- giving them a dominant addition in their 2025 class.

Lyles put together a legendary career at Central, make sure you watch some of his film below:

Tristan Lyles Tristan Lyles 6'1" | 235 lbs | EDGE Central | 2026 State AL had yet another dominant performance for Central’s defensive front.

“Lyles is a dominant defender who can play the run and pass extremely well. He explodes off the snap, plays with great speed and leverage, and can easily work his way around offensive linemen to get into the backfield and make plays.

I’m most impressed with Lyles’ pass rushing. He has an impressive blend of speed and power and a wide variety of moves he uses to quickly get to the quarterback and generate pressure/rack up sacks.”

Lyles was unstoppable against Hoover. He recorded 9 total tackles (3 for loss), one sack, and multiple pressures.

Be sure to watch some of Lyles’ tape below:

Tristan Lyles Tristan Lyles 6'1" | 235 lbs | EDGE Central | 2026 State AL has been the best pass rusher in the state this season- we’ll all have to watch for him this week.

“Lyles is a dominant defender who can play the run and pass extremely well. He explodes off the snap, plays with great speed and leverage, and can easily work his way around offensive linemen to get into the backfield and make plays.

I’m most impressed with Lyles’ pass rushing. He has an impressive blend of speed and power and a wide variety of moves he uses to quickly get to the quarterback and generate pressure/rack up sacks.”

Lyles has been unstoppable this season- no one in the state has been able to keep him away from the quarterback. Be sure to watch him this week, and check out his senior tape below>

Tristan Lyles Tristan Lyles 6'1" | 235 lbs | EDGE Central | 2026 State AL had another unbelievable perforamcne against Opelika last Friday, further cementing himself as the top pass rusher in the state.

“Lyles is a dominant defender who can play the run and pass extremely well. He explodes off the snap, plays with great speed and leverage, and can easily work his way around offensive linemen to get into the backfield and make plays.

I’m most impressed with Lyles’ pass rushing. He has an impressive blend of speed and power and a wide variety of moves he uses to quickly get to the quarterback and generate pressure/rack up sacks.”

Lyles was unstoppable yet again this week. He ended the game with 9 total tackles, 5 sacks, and one forced fumble, wrecking the entire gameplan for Opelika’s offfense.

Be sure to check out some of Lyles tape from this week. He’s a dominant prospect we’re all going to miss once he heads off to the next level.

Lyles was nearly unblockable this week — posting 3 sacks, a TFL, and a fumble recovery in a dominant shutout win over Auburn. His tape shows an elite first step and the ability to convert speed to power instantly, keeping offensive tackles off balance.

His hand work is polished for his age, and his ability to bend and close at the top of his rush makes him a nightmare on the edge. He shows excellent hand timing and placement, mixing swipes, pulls, and rips to stay clean through contact. Once he’s in the backfield he consistently finishes with explosive burst.

Lyles plays with a natural edge presence, understands leverage, and rarely wastes movement. And continues to establish himself as one of the premier pass rushers in the state’s 2026 class.

Tristan Lyles Tristan Lyles 6'1" | 235 lbs | EDGE Central | 2026 State AL is one of the best pass rushers in the state, and he proved it again this week against Auburn.

“Lyles is a dominant defender who can play the run and pass extremely well. He explodes off the snap, plays with great speed and leverage, and can easily work his way around offensive linemen to get into the backfield and make plays.

I’m most impressed with Lyles’ pass rushing. He has an impressive blend of speed and power and a wide variety of moves he uses to quickly get to the quarterback and generate pressure/rack up sacks.”

Lyles was unstoppable against Auburn this week, racking up 5 total tackles (3 for loss), 3 sacks, one FF, and one hurry.

Lyles is a rare talent we need to appreciate before he heads off to the next level. He’s been having an unbelievable season. Be sure to check out some of his film below:

Tristan Lyles Tristan Lyles 6'1" | 235 lbs | EDGE Central | 2026 State AL is one of the best pass rushers in the state. It’ll be exciting watching him and this Auburn OL meet up this week.

“Lyles is a dominant defender who can play the run and pass extremely well. He explodes off the snap, plays with great speed and leverage, and can easily work his way around offensive linemen to get into the backfield and make plays.

I’m most impressed with Lyles’ pass rushing. He has an impressive blend of speed and power and a wide variety of moves he uses to quickly get to the quarterback and generate pressure/rack up sacks.”

Through the first 6 games, Lyles has racked up 38 total tackles (16 for loss), 7 sacks, and one forced fumble.

Lyles has consistently been one of the top EDGE/DL talents in the state over the last few years. We all need to be watching the trenches this week; we have some awesome matchups in store.

Tristan Lyles Tristan Lyles 6'1" | 235 lbs | EDGE Central | 2026 State AL made his presence felt in the trenches, recording 8 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack against Enterprise. He showed excellent strength at the point of attack, collapsing pockets and disrupting the run game throughout the night. Lyles’ quick first step allowed him to gain leverage and create pressure that forced hurried decisions by the quarterback. His ability to both plug gaps and generate pass rush proved crucial in limiting Enterprise’s offensive rhythm. Lyles continues to be a cornerstone of Central-PC’s defensive front.