Moving to the defensive side of the ball in our Florida high school preseason top players series, we present the Top 10 defensive linemen in a list that combines tackles and edge rushers. (Recruiting rankings according to 247Sports Composite.)
Kendall Jackson (Buchholz)
We begin with Jackson, one of the biggest names returning for Buchholz, which reached the Class 4S state semifinals last season. Jackson, a three-star Florida commit in the 2024 class, had 65 tackles, 22 TFL, and 12.5 sacks in 2022.
D’antre Robinson (Jones)
Robinson enters his senior season at Class 3M’s Jones, where the four-star Texas commit had 89 tackles for the Fightin’ Tigers last season, along with 18 TFL and 9 sacks.
Dylan Stephenson (Miami Columbus)
One of the biggest returning contributors at defending Class 4M state champion Miami Columbus is Stephenson, a four-star senior Stanford commit who had 22 tackles with 4 TFL and 5 sacks for the 2022 Explorers.
Solomon Williams (Carrollwood Day)
Williams, a four-star senior prospect, is among the biggest names returning for Class 1M’s Carrollwood Day. He amassed 61 tackles with 32 TFL and 15.5 sacks a year ago.
T.A. Cunningham (Miami Central)
Despite having lost one of the state’s top pass rushers in Reuben Bain, defending Class 2M state champion Miami Central has reloaded to land two players on this list, the first of whom is Cunningham. The four-star Penn State commit (2024 class) transfers from Los Alamitos (CA), where he had 17 tackles and 2 TFL in limited action a year ago.
Artavius Jones (Blountstown)
We begin the top five of our Florida high school defensive linemen rankings with the lone selection from Class 1R, Jones, who is entering his senior season at Blountstown. A four-star Miami commit, he played both ways for the Tigers a year ago, amassing 58 tackles, 14 TFL, and 3.5 sacks and catching 8 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown.
LJ McCray (Mainland)
McCray, a two-way player who enters his senior season for 2022 Class 3S runner-up Mainland, is a four-star prospect who had 44 tackles with 17 TFL and 3 sacks last season. He also recorded 14 receptions for 159 yards and 2 touchdowns as a receiver.
Booker Pickett Jr. (Wharton)
One of the state’s leaders in sacks a year ago, Pickett enters his senior season as a four-star prospect at Class 3M’s Wharton. He is coming off a massive 2022 season in which he compiled 56 tackles, 16 TFL, and 30 sacks for the Wildcats.
Armondo Blount (Miami Central)
Blount easily could hold the top spot entering his junior season, but he comes in at No. 2 on our list of best Florida high school defensive linemen. The five-star prospect is one of Florida’s most prominent offseason transfers, as he joins defending Class 2M state champion Miami Central from 3M’s Dillard, where he had 30 TFL and 16 sacks a year ago.
David Stone (IMG Academy)
No. 1 among Florida high school football’s top defensive linemen is Stone, one of the biggest names on a team loaded with talent, IMG Academy. A five-star prospect in the 2024 class, Stone transferred to the Ascenders from Del City (OK) prior to last season, and he was a major factor in the trenches for an IMG Academy defense that allowed only 81 points in 9 games.
Honorable Mention
- Daylen Russell (Miami Columbus)
- Elias Rudolph (Deerfield Beach)
- TJ Lindsey (IMG Academy)
- Jayden Jackson (IMG Academy)
- Sean Sevillano Jr. (Clearwater Academy International)
- Sincere Edwards (Wekiva)
- Javion Hilson (Cocoa)
- Zachary Crothers (Chaminade-Madonna)
- Preston Watson (Seminole)
- Jamorie Flagg (Booker T. Washington-Miami)
