Football is won in the trenches, which means that each of these teams should be on the winning side of most games they play this season. 

Here's a look at the top defensive lines in TXHSFB for 2025.

6A

5. Cibolo Steele

Cibolo Steele expects to contend for a District 29-6A Championship and deep playoff run behind its stellar defensive line. 

2026 defensive end Julian Hugo, the district’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is the headliner. The 6-4, 240-pound prospect totaled 83 tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in 2024. The Arizona State commit is ranked No. 70 in the DCTF Hot 100. 

While Hugo gets the bulk of college recruiters’ attention, 2026 defensive lineman Kenyon Watkins flies under the radar. The 6-3, 255-pound prospect is a two-year starter and has a tight end background.  

2027 defensive lineman Jerry Robinson is the young bull of the group, both because he’s a rising junior and because he’s only played football since eighth grade. The 6-4, 245-pound prospect, who runs a 4.6 40-yard dash, earned a starting spot by Week 3 of his sophomore year and took home First Team All-District honors.

4. Pearland

Of Pearland’s front seven (four linebackers and three defensive linemen), six are returning starters. That includes all of the defensive line.

Senior defensive end Jaylen Stewart (6-2, 230) was a First Team All-District 22-6A selection with 65 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. An Oklahoma State commit who ranks No. 65 in the DCTF Hot 100, Stewart wins with his athleticism, bend and twitch. 

Junior defensive tackle DeMarco Jenkins (6-3, 265) broke out in 2024, earning District Defensive Newcomer of the Year with 33 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks. Coach BJ Gotte says Jenkins is a gentle giant who realized how impactful he could be as the season went on, and the coaches expect an even bigger year in 2025. He holds 19 offers.

Senior defensive end Amari Wilks (6-2, 240) often gets overlooked playing beside Stewart and Jenkins, but he is a physical player with a high motor. The former running back/linebacker has embraced his future at edge and picked up offers from San Diego State, UTEP and La Tech.

3. Lake Travis

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more physically imposing duo than Lake Travis’ Carter Buck (6-6, 245) and Ben Duncum (6-6, 250).

Coach Hank Carter says Buck, “will tackle a freaking dump truck if you asked him to.” The senior defensive end ranks No. 52 in the DCTF Hot 100 and earned District 26-6A Defensive Lineman of the Year after making 80 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Buck is committed to TCU. 

Duncum has grown into his body and will play as an edge and defensive tackle after lining up exclusively inside last season. Coaches believe he’ll flash his elite bend and 4.7 40-yard dash speed on the outside. He posted 65 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and four sacks last year. 

At tackle, 2026 prospect Pierce Atkins (6-1, 240) is incredibly smart and physical. Daniel Aganbi (6-3, 230) is the fourth returnee who saw extensive action in 2024.

2. Denton Guyer

Guyer head coach Reed Heim says Guyer is a special culture because their best players are often their best kids, and that’s the case with 2027 DT Khyren Haywood. The DCTF four-star was a First Team All-District 5-6A selection after posting 75 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and five sacks. Some college recruiters knock him because he’s not 6-4, but there’s no one who wants to block him all game. 

2027 edge Zane Rowe is 6-4, 250 pounds, however, and is dynamic as both a tight end and defensive end. Playing both ways gives him a leg-up in football IQ over other prospects. Rowe and Haywood are both unique because they made instant impacts on the varsity as underclassmen linemen, whereas TXHSFB fans normally see younger skill position players. 

Guyer’s loaded 2027 defensive line class continues with Darrien Neal. Neal played behind graduated senior Xavier Ukponu (Wisconsin) last season but should be in for a breakout year. He’s a key player on Guyer’s state championship basketball team at 6-3, 285. His basketball background shows with his twitchiness on the football field. Heim believes he has the ability to be an SEC-level player. He expects Neal to play at 290 pounds and move like he’s 240.

Heim also says the sky's the limit for 2028 defensive lineman Logan Lokey. Lokey’s father, Derek, won a national championship with Texas and played for the Kansas City Chiefs. Logan is 6-3, 240 pounds, and will be the primary backup for 2026 prospect Jaylen Lawson (6-2, 230) to start the season. 

Guyer has excellent depth with defensive tackle Xavier Diggs and Gianni Colletto.

1. Duncanville

Duncanville’s top three are as talented as anyone in Class 6A.

Duncanville has two senior defensive ends ranked within the Top 20 of DCTF’s Hot 100. The coaches have to tell KJ Ford (6-3, 240) to slow down in practice so the offense can get a clean look. He’s always moving 100 mph. While Ford wins with quickness and finesse, Landon Barnes (6-4, 245) wins with power. His bull rush is a signature move. 

On the interior, 2026 defensive tackle Dylan Williams (6-2, 295) plays with the same high energy level every down. He started his varsity career his sophomore year as an offensive lineman, but he transitioned to defense to fill a team need. Williams has excelled in the role and has offers from Delaware State, Pittsburg State and Charleston, among others.

“I wouldn’t want to be the other team’s quarterback,” head coach Reginald Samples said.

5A

5. College Station

The Cougars base out of a 3-4 front, but defensive coordinator Chance Locklear has worked more four-down defensive linemen formations this spring because they are so loaded along the line of scrimmage. 

2026 defensive end Davis Gardner is the group’s anchor, the one coaches can always count on to be where he’s supposed to be. He earned Second Team All-State last season with 70 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks. The 6-1, 220-pound prospect bases out of a 4i (inside shoulder of the offensive tackle) but still generates a pass rush. He can line up on the outside shoulder of the tackle as an edge rusher. 

2027 prospect Zahron Benford has elite length and athleticism at 6-3, 245 pounds, evidenced by his 4.8 40-yard dash. The coaches say he’s worked extremely hard in the weight room to add good weight. He had 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss and two sacks as a sophomore. Senior Darrell Hopkins has a similar build to Benford with long arms. Turner Sampson will play nose guard.

4. Smithson Valley

Smithson Valley has a lot of firepower to replace from its first state championship in program history, but the defensive front should be just as strong from the get-go.

2026 defensive end Hudson Woods, an SMU commit, is an instinctual player who recognizes a play before it happens by backfield alignments and offensive tackle stances. Woods was the District 13-5A DI Defensive Player of the Year with 66 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.

2026 defensive tackle Justin Roberts will make opposing offenses feel like fools if they focus too much on Woods. At 6-2, 275 pounds, Coach Larry Hill says he has surprisingly good feet and uses his hands well. The First Team All-District selection had 79 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and four sacks. 

Senior Kyle Bierman is the other tackle, whom Hill calls a technician. Bierman is both football smart and book smart, ranking in the top five of his graduating class. He is strong for his size at 6-2, 215 pounds, tallying 47 tackles and 12 tackles for loss. 

At the defensive end across from Woods, senior Caleb Barrow has had a tremendous offseason, growing to 6-3, 220 pounds. He’s a ‘by the book’ player, always in the right gap and playing assignment sound.  

Hill says 2027 lineman Truth Duvall-el (6-0, 220) will play as much as anyone along the defensive front after seeing action in every game as a sophomore. He can play both defensive end and defensive tackle.

3. Aledo

Aledo returns all four starters from its defensive line last season, and coach Robby Jones expects that unit to lead a strong defense.

2026 defensive end Carson Dempsey (6-3, 245) is a four-year varsity player and three-year starter who earned First Team All-District 3-5A DI last season. Jones says Dempsey has one of the best first steps of any player Aledo has ever had. He is a Tulsa commit.

Fellow senior defensive end Cooper Cyphers is a carbon copy of Dempsey, just with a different body type at 6-1, 230 pounds. He is a high-motor player who stuffs the run and pins his ears back on clear passing downs.

2027 defensive tackle Tymon Meeks (6-0, 255) is Aledo’s hottest recruit, picking up an offer almost every week during spring football. One of the college recruiters showed Jones his notebook on Meeks, and the first word he had written down was “Freaky.” Meeks was the district’s Defensive Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore. He has a quick first step that makes it hard for interior offensive linemen to get their hands on him, violent hands and does not stop until the whistle blows. 

Next to Meeks on the interior, senior Decker Sanders is a two-time First Team All-District performer. At 5-11, 280 pounds, he clogs holes while Meeks moves around the formation.

2. Bastrop

Seniors Tiki Hola and Val Regalado have started on Bastrop’s defensive line since their freshman year. That year, the Bears went 2-8. But come junior year, Hola and Regalado were the defensive linchpins on a 9-3 squad.

DT Hola, a Notre Dame commit, earned Second Team All-State in the Padilla Poll after totaling 102 tackles and 10 TFL. At 6-3, 305 pounds, his 86-inch wingspan allows him to lock offensive linemen out, keeping them away from his body. Hola slides across the formation, from a true end to a three-technique (between the OG and OT) to a one-technique (nose tackle). 

Regalado, a First Team All-District 11-5A DII selection, plays with what coach Jake Griedl describes as a “stupid motor.” The edge defender makes plays in the backfield and 30 yards down the field, too. At 6-1, 270 pounds, he’s able to get under offensive tackles’ pad level with superior bend. 

On the opposite edge, 2027 prospect Austin Moilan earned District Co-Defensive Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore with 58 tackles and nine sacks. His football intelligence allows him to recognize run patterns (power, counter, full-flow zone) within the first step or two, then play fast with his 6-2 1/2, 215-pound frame. Moilan has offers to Arizona State and Central Michigan.

2026 DT Kenyon Moore had a breakout junior season with 42 tackles and eight tackles for loss. Two years ago, he dropped roughly 60 pounds and now plays at 6-1, 275 pounds. His presence on the interior prevents teams from focusing all their resources on Hola. 

A name that you won’t see in the magazine but must know: Case Benoit. The 6-2 1/2, 215-pound pound athlete was primarily a tight end until this spring when coaches tried to create more depth at defensive end. Benoit’s route-running background gives him a quick first two steps, and Griedl says he was unblockable in the spring.

1. Denton Ryan

DCTF Director of Recruiting Greg Powers calls 2026 DT Uzziah “Cookie” Warmate and 2026 DE Errol West two of the best players regardless of position in 5A as far as production is concerned. 

Warmate is a three-year starter who earned District 3-5A DI Defensive MVP as an interior tackle, which is practically unheard of. At 6-0, 250 pounds, he’s undersized for what most Division I schools look for, but he flat-out produces. He had 90 tackles, 36 tackles for loss and nine sacks in 2024. Houston and UTSA have offered. 

West is a four-year varsity starter, an anomaly for Ryan’s powerhouse program. West is not overly tall at 6-0, 270 pounds, but he squats 600 pounds and power cleans 350 pounds. Oh, he can also do a backflip. North Texas and Texas State have offered, among others.

On the edge opposite West, senior Kha’Ron Freeman-Wade is a high-motor physical specimen at 6-2, 225 pounds. Wade emerged during the playoff run last season, and coach Dave Henigan said some college program will get a steal. He projects as a stand-up defensive end in college and ran an 11.4 100-meter dash this spring. 

2027 DT Kerri Maddox is the only junior of the bunch. Maddox rotated with graduated senior Trevon Bates (Midwestern State) and Warmate as a sophomore. At 5-11, 270 pounds, Maddox has elite strength and commands double teams so Ryan’s speedy linebackers can run to the ball.

Henigan describes 2028 DT Tavion Walker as, “the next great one.” At 6-3, 225 pounds, he’s developed a high motor following the older guys’ example. While he still needs to play at a lower pad level, there’s no telling how high his ceiling is.

Ryan also runs a ‘Bear’ front roughly 40 percent of the time and will bring 2027 linebacker Demari Ruth (6-0, 235) down as a defensive end.