Top DLs in the 2027 Rivals300: Blue-chippers impressing as seniors
· Yahoo Sports
The nation’s best defensive lineman prospects are wreaking havoc on Friday nights now that the high school football season is back. Many of those behemoths are featured throughout the top of the updated 2027 Rivals300 rankings.
Of Rivals’ top 300 prospects in the 2027 cycle, 32 are D-linemen and all of them are committed, as of Sept. 17. The Big Ten plucked 11 of those 32 pledges. The SEC is next with 10, while the ACC (five), Big 12 (three) and Notre Dame (three) have all also landed multiple.
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Rivals is taking a look at the top 10 DL prospects in the 2027 Rivals300, along with how well their high school programs have performed so far this fall, now that the season is at least a couple weeks old across most of the nation.
1. Jalen Brewster — Texas Tech
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 1 NATL.
School: Buford (Ga.)
Committed Since: Oct. 4, 2025
The longtime No. 1 prospect decided to leave Texas for his senior season and made his debut at Georgia powerhouse Buford last week. The Wolves are 4-0 and rank as the No. 3 team in the nation, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. At Cedar Hill (Texas), Brewster was dominant. He reminds Rivals’ Scouting and Rankings Team of Jalen Carter for a reason.
2. David Folorunsho — Notre Dame
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 8 NATL.
School: St. Patrick (Ill.)
Committed Since: May 15
St. Patrick is now 4-0 and checks in as the No. 55 team in Illinois, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. In three games, Folorunsho has stacked 10 total tackles, according to MaxPreps. As a junior last fall, he got in the backfield plenty and finished with five sacks. Folorunsho was a massive riser in the rankings this year.
3. Mitchell Turner — Ole Miss
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 40 NATL.
School: Louisville (Miss.)
Committed Since: June 23
Turner is off to a great start through three games for Louisville. The 6-foot-2, 285-pounder has 21 total tackles, a pair of pass deflections, a fumble recovery and 1.5 sacks. He finished with 103 tackles as a junior. Louisville is 2-1 and ranks as the No. 12 team in Mississippi, per the Rivals Composite Rankings.
4. Myels Smith — Texas A&M
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 45 NATL.
School: Inglewood (Calif.)
Committed Since: Dec. 20, 2025
Inglewood is now the No. 25 team in California, according to the Rivals Composite Rankings. The Sentinels are 3-1 and Smith has notched 23 total tackles, including eight for loss and 2.5 sacks thus far. Last fall, he ended with 90 tackles and 7.5 sacks.
5. Marcus Fakatou — Ohio State
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 54 NATL.
School: Sierra Canyon (Calif.)
Committed Since: June 29
The 6-foot-7 standout transferred to Sierra Canyon after spending the last three years at Orange Lutheran. Fakatou has 14 tackles, including five for loss and a pair of sacks through three games. The Trailblazers are 3-0 and rank as the No. 9 team in the nation and No. 2 team in the Golden State.
6. Ben’Jarvius Shumaker — Ole Miss
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 67 NATL.
School: Choctaw County (Miss.)
Committed Since: June 23
Currently 1-2 to begin the season, Choctaw County has a beast in the defensive trenches. Shumaker has managed 19 tackles thus far. Last fall, he finished with 113 tackles, 8.5 sacks and three pass deflections. The Chargers are currently the No. 76 team in Mississippi.
7. Karlos May — Ohio State
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 78 NATL.
School: Ramsay (Ala.)
Committed Since: July 18
May has led the charge on the defensive front for Ramsay, which is 3-1 thus far. He’s got 18 total tackles, including seven for loss. The Rams are now the No. 42 team in the Yellowhammer State, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. May began to blossom as a junior, collecting 43 tackles and two interceptions in 2025.
8. Xavier Muhammad — Michigan
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 88 NATL.
School: Shadow Creek (Texas)
Committed Since: May 14
Through two games, Muhammad has eight tackles. Shadow Creek enters this week at 1-1 and No. 55 in the Texas Rivals Composite Rankings. He transferred to the Sharks from South Houston and doubles as an impressive basketball prospect. Muhammad reminds Rivals’ Scouting and Rankings Team of Carlos Watkins.
9. Raiden Cook — Houston
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 99 NATL.
School: Barbers Hill (Texas)
Committed Since: Feb. 3
Barbers Hill is on the rise and Cook is at the center of its defensive efforts. The Eagles are 3-0 and now sit at No. 63 in the Texas Rivals Composite Rankings. The 6-foot-4.5, 270-pounder has 16 tackles thus far, quickly building off a 39-tackle junior campaign in 2025.
10. Stanley Montgomery — Penn State
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 104 NATL.
School: Archbishop Ryan (Pa.)
Committed Since: April 30
Stats are not readily available for Montgomery or Ryan, which is off to an 0-3 start this fall. Last fall, he finished with 19 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Montgomery, who checks in at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds, is also an impressive thrower in shot put and discus at the prep level.