2028 TOP DL RECRUITS
College Football Now 2028 top DL recruits features the top rising sophomore high school defensive line recruits in the world of CFB recruiting! (91)
Updated January 21st, 2026 at 6:56 p.m. EST
Updated January 21st, 2026 at 6:56 p.m. EST
2028 TOP DEFENSIVE LINE RECRUITS
College Football Now 2028 top defensive line recruits are featured below for college football recruiters, coaches & fans nationally! (91)
2028 TOP DL RECRUIT ZYLEN LITTLE
DL Zylen Little
6'2", 290
Carrollwood Day HS
(FL)
GPA - 3.5
TOP 2028 DL RECRUIT
Scouting notes - Top 2028 DL recruit Zylen Little is already establishing himself as one of the most dominant defensive line prospects in the 2028 recruiting class. At 6’2”, 290 pounds, he combines rare explosiveness with raw power, allowing him to wreck plays from multiple alignments across the defensive front. He is at his best as a disruptive interior pass rusher, but his versatility allows him to line up at nose, 3-tech, or even slide outside as a SDE in certain fronts. With 15 FBS offers early in his recruitment, Little projects as a national-level blue-chip prospect and one of the fiercest defensive disruptors in his class. Top 2028 DL recruit Zylen Little exhibits elite first-step quickness for an interior lineman & his burst off the snap puts immediate stress on offensive linemen, while his heavy hands and lower-body power make him extremely effective in the bull rush and in controlling gaps. Top 2028 DL recruit Zylen Little is one of the fiercest inside pass rushers in the 2028 football recruiting class as he utilizes a violent bull rush to get O-Linemen on their heels, but can also disengage with swim and rip moves and he plays with relentless effort when tracking down quarterbacks or collapsing the pocket. Top 2028 DL recruit Zylen Little maintains gap integrity while still being disruptive as he has the strength to anchor vs. double teams and the quickness to shoot gaps. He proves to have the versatility to play nose tackle, 3-tech, or defensive end in both odd and even fronts to create mismatches and his athleticism allows him to slide across the line depending on scheme and situation. 2028 top DL recruit Zylen Little is a relentless playmaker who doesn’t quit on reps and can be witnessed frequently making effort plays beyond the line of scrimmage. Zylen Little projects as a Power Five impact defensive lineman with immediate potential to be a multi-year starter with his combination of size, explosiveness, and versatility which makes him scheme-proof as he can thrive in both 4-3 and 3-4 systems. With continued refinement of his pass-rush arsenal and conditioning, he has the ceiling to become one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the 2028 football recruiting class. 2028 top DL recruit Zylen Little is a game-wrecking defensive lineman whose blend of explosiveness, power, and versatility make him one of the top defensive recruits in the 2028 football recruiting class. Zylen Little already boasts 15 FBS offers & his trajectory points toward being a nationally recognized blue-chip recruit with the tools to dominate at the college level and potentially project to the NFL down the line.
CFB offers - Colorado, Eastern Kentucky, FAU, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas State, Missouri, SMU, UNLV, Texas A&M, Syracuse, South Florida, Rhode Island, UConn & Miami
Follow Top 2028 DL recruit Zylen Little on X!
6'2", 290
Carrollwood Day HS
(FL)
GPA - 3.5
TOP 2028 DL RECRUIT
Scouting notes - Top 2028 DL recruit Zylen Little is already establishing himself as one of the most dominant defensive line prospects in the 2028 recruiting class. At 6’2”, 290 pounds, he combines rare explosiveness with raw power, allowing him to wreck plays from multiple alignments across the defensive front. He is at his best as a disruptive interior pass rusher, but his versatility allows him to line up at nose, 3-tech, or even slide outside as a SDE in certain fronts. With 15 FBS offers early in his recruitment, Little projects as a national-level blue-chip prospect and one of the fiercest defensive disruptors in his class. Top 2028 DL recruit Zylen Little exhibits elite first-step quickness for an interior lineman & his burst off the snap puts immediate stress on offensive linemen, while his heavy hands and lower-body power make him extremely effective in the bull rush and in controlling gaps. Top 2028 DL recruit Zylen Little is one of the fiercest inside pass rushers in the 2028 football recruiting class as he utilizes a violent bull rush to get O-Linemen on their heels, but can also disengage with swim and rip moves and he plays with relentless effort when tracking down quarterbacks or collapsing the pocket. Top 2028 DL recruit Zylen Little maintains gap integrity while still being disruptive as he has the strength to anchor vs. double teams and the quickness to shoot gaps. He proves to have the versatility to play nose tackle, 3-tech, or defensive end in both odd and even fronts to create mismatches and his athleticism allows him to slide across the line depending on scheme and situation. 2028 top DL recruit Zylen Little is a relentless playmaker who doesn’t quit on reps and can be witnessed frequently making effort plays beyond the line of scrimmage. Zylen Little projects as a Power Five impact defensive lineman with immediate potential to be a multi-year starter with his combination of size, explosiveness, and versatility which makes him scheme-proof as he can thrive in both 4-3 and 3-4 systems. With continued refinement of his pass-rush arsenal and conditioning, he has the ceiling to become one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the 2028 football recruiting class. 2028 top DL recruit Zylen Little is a game-wrecking defensive lineman whose blend of explosiveness, power, and versatility make him one of the top defensive recruits in the 2028 football recruiting class. Zylen Little already boasts 15 FBS offers & his trajectory points toward being a nationally recognized blue-chip recruit with the tools to dominate at the college level and potentially project to the NFL down the line.
CFB offers - Colorado, Eastern Kentucky, FAU, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas State, Missouri, SMU, UNLV, Texas A&M, Syracuse, South Florida, Rhode Island, UConn & Miami
Follow Top 2028 DL recruit Zylen Little on X!
2028 TOP DL RECRUIT TORY CLARK
DL Tory Clark
6'4", 260
Woodward Academy
(GA)
GPA - 3.8
TOP 2028 DL RECRUIT
Scouting notes - 2028 top DL recruit Tory Clark is one of the most physically dominating 2028 football recruits in the trenches nationally and at 6’4”, 260 pounds, Clark has the frame, power & explosiveness to impact games from multiple alignments across the defensive front. Clark is already a dominant presence against the run, plugging gaps and controlling the interior, while also possessing the raw athleticism and violent hands to collapse pockets as a brutalizing pass rusher. After garnering an offer from South Carolina early in his career, Clark has established himself as one of the premier defensive line recruits in Georgia and nationally. 2028 top DL recruit Tory Clark is extremely powerful at the point of attack & possesses the core strength to win one-on-one battles consistently when battling in the trenches. 2028 top DL recruit Tory Clark is very stout against the run as he plugs gaps with power and leverage, forcing running backs to redirect & he plays with awareness while maintaining positioning and rarely gets moved off the ball. Top 2028 DL recruit Tory Clark is very explosive off the line & is able to gain immediate leverage on interior blockers, while proving to have a devastating bull rush that drives offensive linemen backward into the pocket. 2028 top DL recruit Tory Clark is a dominant two-way defensive lineman who can control the trenches against the run while collapsing pockets as a devastating pass-rush force & is an elite-level recruit with the upside to become one of the top defensive linemen in the 2028 football recruiting class. Clark's blend of size, explosiveness, and physicality makes him a cornerstone prospect for any defense in the world of college football now!
COMBINE STATS
Squat - 340 (MAX)
Deadlift - 425 (MAX)
CFB offers- South Carolina
Follow Top 2028 DL recruit Tory Clark on X!
6'4", 260
Woodward Academy
(GA)
GPA - 3.8
TOP 2028 DL RECRUIT
Scouting notes - 2028 top DL recruit Tory Clark is one of the most physically dominating 2028 football recruits in the trenches nationally and at 6’4”, 260 pounds, Clark has the frame, power & explosiveness to impact games from multiple alignments across the defensive front. Clark is already a dominant presence against the run, plugging gaps and controlling the interior, while also possessing the raw athleticism and violent hands to collapse pockets as a brutalizing pass rusher. After garnering an offer from South Carolina early in his career, Clark has established himself as one of the premier defensive line recruits in Georgia and nationally. 2028 top DL recruit Tory Clark is extremely powerful at the point of attack & possesses the core strength to win one-on-one battles consistently when battling in the trenches. 2028 top DL recruit Tory Clark is very stout against the run as he plugs gaps with power and leverage, forcing running backs to redirect & he plays with awareness while maintaining positioning and rarely gets moved off the ball. Top 2028 DL recruit Tory Clark is very explosive off the line & is able to gain immediate leverage on interior blockers, while proving to have a devastating bull rush that drives offensive linemen backward into the pocket. 2028 top DL recruit Tory Clark is a dominant two-way defensive lineman who can control the trenches against the run while collapsing pockets as a devastating pass-rush force & is an elite-level recruit with the upside to become one of the top defensive linemen in the 2028 football recruiting class. Clark's blend of size, explosiveness, and physicality makes him a cornerstone prospect for any defense in the world of college football now!
COMBINE STATS
Squat - 340 (MAX)
Deadlift - 425 (MAX)
CFB offers- South Carolina
Follow Top 2028 DL recruit Tory Clark on X!
2028 TOP DL RECRUIT KRISTOPHER WILLIAMS
DL Kristopher Williams
6'0", 295
Walnut Grove HS
(TX)
TOP 2028 DL RECRUIT
Scouting notes - Kristopher Williams has already made a name for himself as one of the most dominant interior defensive line prospects in the 2028 recruiting class. Lining up at both defensive tackle and nose guard, Williams is an immovable force in the trenches, anchoring the line of scrimmage with sheer power and leverage. He consistently draws and withstands double and even triple teams, yet still finds ways to collapse the pocket or stonewall rushing lanes. What makes Williams so special at a young age is his ability to shed blocks quickly with active, violent hands and re-direct his strength into disrupting plays in the backfield. Against the run, he is a true hole stuffer, plugging gaps and eliminating interior rushing lanes with his size, strength, and relentless motor. His physical presence not only neutralizes opposing offensive lines but also frees up linebackers to flow freely to the football. Already a brutalizing force up front, Williams projects as a national-level recruit with the potential to become a multi-year starter and impact defender at the Power Five level, particularly in schemes that require a dominant anchor at nose guard or defensive tackle.
COMBINE STATS
40 yard dash - 5.4
5-10-5 shuttle - 4.9
Bench press - 185x35, 355 (MAX)
Squat - 600 (MAX)
Deadlift - 450
Clean - 275
Follow Top 2028 DL recruit Kristopher Williams on X!
6'0", 295
Walnut Grove HS
(TX)
TOP 2028 DL RECRUIT
Scouting notes - Kristopher Williams has already made a name for himself as one of the most dominant interior defensive line prospects in the 2028 recruiting class. Lining up at both defensive tackle and nose guard, Williams is an immovable force in the trenches, anchoring the line of scrimmage with sheer power and leverage. He consistently draws and withstands double and even triple teams, yet still finds ways to collapse the pocket or stonewall rushing lanes. What makes Williams so special at a young age is his ability to shed blocks quickly with active, violent hands and re-direct his strength into disrupting plays in the backfield. Against the run, he is a true hole stuffer, plugging gaps and eliminating interior rushing lanes with his size, strength, and relentless motor. His physical presence not only neutralizes opposing offensive lines but also frees up linebackers to flow freely to the football. Already a brutalizing force up front, Williams projects as a national-level recruit with the potential to become a multi-year starter and impact defender at the Power Five level, particularly in schemes that require a dominant anchor at nose guard or defensive tackle.
COMBINE STATS
40 yard dash - 5.4
5-10-5 shuttle - 4.9
Bench press - 185x35, 355 (MAX)
Squat - 600 (MAX)
Deadlift - 450
Clean - 275
Follow Top 2028 DL recruit Kristopher Williams on X!
TOP 2028 DEFENSIVE LINE RECRUITS
College Football Now top 2028 defensive line recruits is an evolving list of top rising sophomores in the world of College Football recruiting. Complete a top football recruit evaluation if you believe you have the skill-set to play at the collegiate level and get recruited into the world of college football today!
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