CFB Future 100: Top 11 Defensive Tackles in Class of 2016
After thorough study using specific scoring criteria, Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analysts Damon Sayles, Sanjay Kirpalani and Tyler Donohue have graded the top 100 players in the 247Sports composite rankings and provided in-depth analysis on each young athlete. Bleacher Report will run a position-by-position breakdown series of the best college football recruits in the class of 2016. Here we present the Top Defensive Tackles.
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The 2016 defensive line class has a tough act to follow in terms of depth; however, with eight interior defensive linemen rated among the nation's top 50 players overall in the 2016 class, this year's cycle may be equally as deep with quality and quantity.
Six players have already attained 5-star status, headlined by the No. 2 player overall in New Jersey native Rashan Gary.
We have evaluated the cream of the crop of interior defensive linemen, scoring them on their abilities in key metrics such as pass rush (15 points), tackling (15 points), strength (25 points), run support (25 points), hands (15 points) and motor (5 points). The cumulative scores from those characteristics resulted in our overall grade of each prospect.
How do the 2016 defensive tackles stack up against one another?
All analysis provided by B/R National Recruiting Analyst Sanjay Kirpalani. All rankings courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.
11. 4-Star Boss Tagaloa
1 of 11Height/Weight: 6'3", 250 lbs
High School: De La Salle (Concord, California)
247Sports Ranking: No. 11 DT, No. 63 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 88/100
Considering: UCLA, Stanford, Arizona State and California
Boss Tagaloa is the latest major prospect to emerge from California powerhouse De La Salle. According to MaxPreps, he tallied 31 tackles and 6.5 sacks during his junior season. Tagaloa, who has exceeded double-digit offers, is rated the 10th-best prospect from the Golden State in the 2016 class.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Tagaloa is a bit on the light side at 250 pounds, but he plays with great pad level and athleticism. He could stand to add some weight, but his greatest assets are his strength and power. He has a nice swim move that complements his bull rush, which makes him an asset as a pass-rusher from the interior.
10. 4-Star Antwuan Jackson
2 of 11Height/Weight: 6'2.5", 285 lbs
High School: Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, Georgia)
247Sports Ranking: No. 10 DT, No. 56 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 89/100
Considering: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia and South Carolina
Antwuan Jackson is part of a stacked group of defensive tackles in the 2016 class who hail from the state of Georgia. According to MaxPreps, Jackson tallied 41 tackles as a junior, including 15 for loss, and five sacks.
Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oregon and Wisconsin are a few of the teams outside of the SEC and the ACC programs that have already made offers to Jackson.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Jackson flashes great power at the point of attack. He uses his hands well to get off of blocks and penetrate into the backfield. He also has a quick first step he can use to shoot gaps at times.
Jackson can play some snaps at defensive end, which is a bonus; however, he needs to work on being more consistent with his pad level and taking the next step in becoming a more dominant force up-front.
9. 4-Star Benito Jones
3 of 11Height/Weight: 6'2", 260 lbs
High School: Wayne County (Waynesboro, Mississippi)
247Sports Ranking: No. 9 DT, No. 55 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 89/100
Committed to Ole Miss on Aug. 17, 2014
Benito Jones rates as the second-best prospect from the state of Mississippi in the 2016 cycle. He became the first pledge in Alabama's 2016 class when committed to the Tide in July; however, he flipped to Ole Miss one month later.
Jones selected the Rebels over offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia and Mississippi State, among others.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Speed is the name of the game with Jones. He excels at getting off the snap and into the backfield before his opponent knows what hit him. He needs to gain weight and add strength to his frame.
Overall, Jones has a nice skill set, and he has a chance to evolve into a force at defensive tackle.
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8. 4-Star Kendell Jones
4 of 11Height/Weight: 6'4.5", 315 lbs
High School: Shoemaker (Killeen, Texas)
247Sports Ranking: No. 8 DT, No. 47 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 90/100
Considering: Baylor, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M
Kendell Jones attended camps last summer at Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas. Over the last two seasons, he has racked up combined totals of 53 tackles and 18 tackles for loss. Jones rates as the eighth-best prospect from the state of Texas in the 2016 cycle.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Jones is a raw talent at this stage of his career. He needs to work on keeping his pad level low off the snap. He also shows the tendency to sidestep blocks instead of pushing his man into the backfield with his power.
That said, Jones has great size and strength. He just needs to continue to work on honing his craft and becoming more consistent in using his hands to get off blocks.
7. 4-Star Rashard Lawrence
5 of 11Height/Weight: 6'4", 300 lbs
High School: Neville (Monroe, Louisiana)
247Sports Ranking: No. 7 DT, No. 34 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 91/100
Considering: Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Washington
Rashard Lawrence's most recent two offers came from Auburn and Florida State. His last visit was to Alabama in November for the Tide's win over Mississippi State. Lawrence rates as the fifth-best prospect from the state of Louisiana in the 2016 class.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Lawrence has great agility for a 300-pounder. He shows good instincts in diagnosing plays, and he can beat linemen with power or quickness. Plus, he's a sound tackler when he gets his hands on the ball-carrier. He's the type of player who can command double-teams at the next level if he keeps improving.
6. 4-Star Ed Oliver
6 of 11
Height/Weight: 6'2", 285 lbs
High School: Westfield (Houston, Texas)
247Sports Ranking: No. 6 DT, No. 33 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 94/100
Considering: Alabama, Baylor, LSU, Oklahoma and TCU
Ed Oliver is the younger brother of current University of Houston offensive lineman Marcus Oliver. The younger Oliver has become one of the Lone Star State's top 2016 prospects after recording 84 tackles and seven sacks last year as a junior.
His teammate at Westfield, 4-star receiver and current Texas A&M commitment Tyrie Cleveland, is one of the top pass-catchers in the 2016 class.
According to Sonny Shipp of Geaux247, LSU is the team to beat for the nation's sixth-best defensive tackle prospect.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Oliver's quickness jumps out on film. He's a polished athlete who moves very well for his size. His lethal first step helps him shoot gaps, but he also has the strength to bull rush and use his power to create havoc in the backfield.
He does a good job of stripping ball-carriers as well. Because of how athletic he is, he's still only scratching the surface of the player he's capable of becoming.
5. 5-Star Julian Rochester
7 of 11Height/Weight: 6'5.5", 300 lbs
High School: McEachern (Powder Springs, Georgia)
247Sports Ranking: No. 5 DT, No. 21 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 95/100
Considering: Auburn, Florida State and Georgia
Julian Rochester is perhaps the alpha male on a McEachern High School team loaded with top college talent. He was flat-out dominant as a junior, registering 116 tackles, including 25 for loss, and 12 sacks. Michigan State is his newest high-profile offer, but his offer list should swell in the coming months.
Bleacher Report Analysis
I saw Rochester live twice last season and was blown away by his athleticism and power. I viewed Rochester one week after I saw Trent Thompson and came away with similar impressions of both players.
Rochester may not be as big or powerful as Thompson, but his athleticism and ability to play multiple spots on the line makes him one of the elite prospects in this cycle. At one of the games I attended, coaches from Auburn and Florida State were paying close attention to Rochester all night.
4. 5-Star Derrick Brown
8 of 11Height/Weight: 6'4", 309 lbs
High School: Lanier (Buford, Georgia)
247Sports Ranking: No. 4 DT, No. 18 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 95/100
Considering: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia and Mississippi State
Derrick Brown's most recent visit came late last month when he attended a junior day at Alabama, as detailed by Shane Youngblood of BamaOnLine. As noted by Jake Rowe of Dawgs247, Brown turned in a dominant junior season by registering 101 tackles, including 26 for loss, with 17.5 sacks.
He's also accumulated more than 20 offers, per Rowe.
Bleacher Report Analysis
The first thing that stands out with Brown is how well he moves for being 300-plus pounds. He can make plays sideline to sideline and has great power at the point of attack.
Brown is also quick off the ball, which makes him almost unfair to block at the prep level. He packs a punch when he tackles as well. Overall, Brown appears to be one of the most dominant players in the 2016 class, regardless of position.
3. 5-Star Dexter Lawrence
9 of 11Height/Weight: 6'5", 310 lbs
High School: Wake Forest-Rolesville (Wake Forest, North Carolina)
247Sports Ranking: No. 3 DT, No. 16 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 92/100
Considering: Florida, Arkansas, Clemson, Florida State and NC State
Dexter Lawrence is rated as the second-best prospect from North Carolina in the 2016 class. As a junior, he tallied 55 tackles, with 25 coming for loss, and 10 sacks, per MaxPreps. Lawrence took visits to North Carolina and Clemson in late January.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Lawrence is an imposing figure whose strength makes him tough to block without using double-teams. His game is mostly about power now, but he has the athleticism to develop into a well-rounded interior prospect who can play three downs.
His potential at the next level remains very high if he continues to develop his game.
2. 5-Star Edwin Alexander
10 of 11Height/Weight: 6'2", 310 lbs
High School: St. Thomas Aquinas (Hammond, Louisiana)
247Sports Ranking: No. 2 DT, No. 11 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 94/100
Considering: LSU, Florida, Florida State, Miami and Mississippi State
Edwin Alexander has been a fixture on LSU's campus dating back to last summer, and his most recent trip was Feb. 7 for junior day.
He originally committed to head coach Les Miles and his staff in November 2013 before dropping that pledge last spring; however, the Tigers still appear to be the front-runner for the top 2016 prospect from the Pelican State.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Alexander is strong enough to push double-teams into the backfield at the prep level, which is an indicator of the type of power he has. He also has the quickness to blow past blockers off the snap and the agility to beat cut blocks.
Alexander is a man among boys, and he has the skill set to be a dominant force at the collegiate level.
1. 5-Star Rashan Gary
11 of 11Height/Weight: 6'4", 285 lbs
High School: Paramus Catholic (Scotch Plains, New Jersey)
247Sports Ranking: No. 1 DT, No. 2 overall
Bleacher Report Score: 95/100
Considering: Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State
Rashan Gary has offers from a number of top programs, and he visited Rutgers, Maryland and Penn State for games last season. According to Evan G. Watkins of VTScoop, Gary's most recent trip was to Virginia Tech for a junior day earlier this month.
Bleacher Report Analysis
Gary is a freakish athlete who has the ability to play defensive end. He does an excellent job of keeping a low pad level off the snap and then using his hands and power to knock his opponent off balance.
Gary has the speed and the quickness to chase plays laterally, and his ability as a pass-rusher from the interior is what separates him in a loaded class at defensive tackle. He is a powerful force whose game translates favorably to the next level.
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