Who are the top defensive linemen returning for the 2022 high school football season? Following are our picks for the nation’s 10 best defensive tackles and edge rushers.
1. David Hicks (Paetow, TX)
While the gap at the top is slim among the best defensive linemen in 2022, the No. 1 high school lineman nationally is Hicks, a five-star prospect out of Paetow High School in Texas. Hicks is coming off a junior season that included 88 total tackles, 22 TFL, and 13 sacks at in-state Allen High School.
2. Keon Keeley (Berkeley Prep, FL)
Keeley is the top returning defensive lineman in Florida, and you could make the argument that he’s also the top edge rusher nationally. A five-star prospect and Top 10 player nationally in the 2023 class, the Notre Dame commit attends Berkeley Prep High School, where he totaled 65 tackles, 35 TFL, and 16.5 sacks a year ago.
3. James Smith (Carver-Montgomery, AL)
Smith, Alabama’s No. 1 player in the 2023 class, transferred back to Carver-Montgomery High School from IMG Academy in Florida during the offseason. At 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, the five-star prospect is one-half of Alabama’s top pass rushing duo alongside fellow five-star Jaquavious Russaw.
4. Nyckoles Harbor (Archbishop Carroll, DC)
The versatile Harbor, who at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds is also a track star, is one of the top overall athletes in the 2023 class. Playing both sides of the ball last season at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington D.C., the five-star prospect racked up 44 tackles, 17 sacks, and six forced fumbles.
5. Matayo Uiagalelei (St. John Bosco, CA)
A five-star prospect in the 2023 class, Uiagalelei is another name in the conversation for the top edge rusher nationally. Playing both ways for national powerhouse St. John Bosco in California, Uiagalelei collected 21 tackles, six TFL, and three sacks across 11 games last season, while also catching six touchdown passes on offense.
6. Peter Woods (Thompson, AL)
Woods returns for his senior season as one of two five-star prospects for Thompson, the three-time defending Alabama Class 7A state champions. Woods collected 92 tackles last season for the Warriors, along with 26 TFL and 11 sacks.
7. Jayden Wayne (IMG Academy, FL)
The five-star Wayne is also among the top edge rushers in the 2023 class. One of the top players in Florida, he recently transferred to national powerhouse IMG Academy from Lincoln High School in Washington.
8. Vic Burley (Warner Robins, GA)
Burley, one of the top players in Georgia, returns in 2022 for a Warner Robins team that is chasing its third consecutive state title. The four-star Clemson commit collected 54 tackles, 14 TFL, and five sacks a year ago.
9. Reuben Bain (Miami Central, FL)
A four-star prospect from Miami Central High School in Florida, Bain might be the most underrated defensive lineman in the country. Bain is coming off a monster junior season in which he collected 60 tackles, 48.5 TFL, and 29.5 sacks.
10. TA Cunningham (Johns Creek, GA)
Our Top 10 list of best high school defensive linemen in 2022 concludes with Cunningham, arguably the No. 1 lineman in the 2024 class. The five-star prospect attends Georgia’s Johns Creek High School, where he collected 66 tackles, 22 TFL, and seven sacks as a sophomore a year ago.
Honorable Mention:
Derrick LeBlanc (Osceola, FL), Samuel M’Pemba (IMG Academy, FL), Tausili Akana (Skyridge, UT), Jonathan Echols (IMG Academy, FL), Chandavian Bradley (Platte County, MO), Tomarrion Parker (Central-Phenix City, AL), Jaquavious Russaw (Carver-Montgomery, AL), Elijah Rushing (Salpointe Catholic, AZ), David Stone (IMG Academy, FL), Caleb Herring (Riverdale, TN)
