Top defensive line/edge rusher classes in the 2026 cycle

With September underway, we’re at an unprecedented moment in the recruiting world where 99 of the nation’s top 100 prospects at the defensive line and EDGE positions are all committed. Both are ‘premium’ position in the football lexicon, making them some of the most sought-after players every cycle.

With nearly all of them off the board, we can look at some of the top classes across the country along the defensive front four (or three). And these five programs in particular have made that a top priority in the 2026 class:

(Note: Rankings included are based on the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.)

LSU

5-star ATH Lamar Brown (No. 2 NATL.)
4-star EDGE Trenton Henderson (No. 36 NATL.)
4-star DL Richard Anderson (No. 49 NATL.)
4-star DL Deuce Geralds (No. 93 NATL.)
4-star EDGE DeAnthony Lafayette (No. 358 NATL.)

The defensive front has been a revolving door of transfers under Brian Kelly at LSU, and the Tigers’ unit as a whole hasn’t lived up to its historic standards. Two cycles ago, they added some much-needed talent to the group, but struggled to get any big-name prospects to bite in 2025. A big part of that has been their turnover at the position coach level. New coach Kyle Williams replaced Bo Davis, who left for the NFL. He and the rest of LSU’s defensive staff have made the front four a major priority, and have the results to show for it — including their first game against Clemson over the weekend.

But instead of relying so heavily on transfers, they’ve gone deep on high school defensive linemen and pass-rushers in this class, led by Brown. The No. 2 overall player in the class, he could play on either side of the ball at the next level but projects as a disruptive interior D-lineman.

USC

4-star EDGE Luke Wafle (No. 45 NATL.)
4-star DL Jaimeon Winfield (No. 73 NATL.)
4-star EDGE Simote Katoanga (No. 77 NATL.)
4-star DL Tomuhini Topui (No. 145 NATL.)
4-star DL Braeden Jones (No. 265 NATL.)
4-star EDGE Shaun Scott (No. 340 NATL.)

If USC’s move to the Big Ten ahead of last season proved anything, it was that the Trojans needed to improve up front — and quickly. They attacked the position in the transfer portal this offseason, but have also done so on the recruiting trail. And they’ve beaten out some heavy hitters to land their top targets. Landing Wafle was a huge victory over Penn State and Ohio State, giving the Trojans a ready-made contributor coming to campus in January. They also beat out Texas for Winfield and flipped Topui, an early Oregon commit, away from the Ducks back in April.

Three of the six hail from the Trojans’ backyard in L.A., but they also went into New Jersey (Wafle), Texas (Winfield) and Illinois (Jones) to land the others.

Texas

5-star EDGE Richard Wesley (No. 19 NATL.)
4-star DL James Johnson (No. 42 NATL.)
4-star DL Vodney Cleveland (No. 142 NATL.)
4-star DL Dylan Berymon (No. 208 NATL.)
4-star DL Corey Wells (No. 270 NATL.)

Since joining the SEC, building elite lines on the offensive and defensive side of the ball has been a huge point of emphasis for the Longhorns. In 2024, they were a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, which goes to the nation’s best offensive line group. They also saw three front-seven defenders drafted into the NFL. And this cycle, it’s hard to argue there’s been anyone more successful this cycle than the Longhorns. Their crop currently includes a five-star edge rusher in Wesley, Rivals’ No. 1 defensive lineman (Johnson), and trio of big bodies on the inside with Cleveland, Berymon and Wells.

Add that to last year’s group, which included five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry, and the ‘Horns are built to last.

Michigan

5-star EDGE Carter Meadows (No. 30 NATL.)
4-star DL Titan Davis (No. 102 NATL.)
4-star EDGE Julian Walker (No. 153 NATL.)
4-star EDGE McHale Blade (No. 209 NATL.)
4-star DL Alister Vallejo (No. 227 NATL.)
3-star EDGE Tariq Boney (No. 609 NATL.)

Sherrone Moore and his staff have kept that momentum going on the recruiting trail that began under Jim Harbaugh — both in last year’s class and this one. Michigan’s front-seven has been its calling card, and will continue to be with the way they’re recruiting at the position.

The Wolverines boast an extremely talented group in the 2026 cycle, which is headlined by five-star EDGE Carter Meadows, a top-10 prospect according to Rivals. But he is just the tip of the iceberg. Four-star interior linemen Davis and Vallejo are major stock-up prospects, and they battled numerous programs to land four-star edge rushers Julian Walker and McHale Blade to pair with Meadows.

Notre Dame

5-star EDGE Rodney Dunham (No. 13 NATL.)
4-star EDGE Ebenezer Ewetade (No. 107 NATL.)
4-star DL Elijah Golden (No. 191 NATL.)
4-star DL Tiki Hola (No. 368 NATL.)

The Fighting Irish’s 2026 class is a prime example of the buzz that can be built around a program after a deep run in the College Football Playoff. Marcus Freeman and Co. have a top-5 class at this point in the cycle, which seemed unimaginable just a few years ago. And not surprisingly, a big part of that stems from the commitments they’ve pulled in on the defensive line.

Dunham is one of the premier players in the country, regardless of position, and was an early outlier for Rivals. Ewetade is taking that same path, checking in as the No. 20 overall prospect in the Rivals300 — with potential to climb even further. They’re flanked by a pair of productive blue-chip interior linemen in Golden and Hola.

Notable other top defensive line classes

Texas A&M
4-star EDGE Bryce Perry-Wright (No. 39 NATL.)
4-star EDGE Tristian Givens (No. 59 NATL.)
4-star EDGE Jordan Carter (No. 150 NATL.)
4-star DL Jermaine Kinsler (No. 196 NATL.)

Georgia
4-star DL PJ Dean (No. 81 NATL.)
4-star DL Valdin Sone (No. 129 NATL.)
4-star EDGE Khamari Brooks (No. 137 NATL.)
4-star DL Anthony Lonon (No. 263 NATL.)
4-star DL Carter Luckie (No. 360 NATL.)