Rivals Rankings Week: Breaking down the 2025 DL

This rankings update brought two new, long-awaited five-star moves. Georgia commit Isaiah Gibson is one of the most gifted athletes in this class. He is just as tall as Dexter Lawrence but with longer arms and a wingspan longer than Montez Sweat and Travon Walker. Now weighing more than 260 pounds, Gibson has posted a 4.7-second 40-yard dash. That kind of size and speed is rare but combined with what he can do on the field makes him a truly special prospect.

Auburn commit Nathaniel Marshall is a rare breed as well. At 6-foot-4 and close to 270 pounds, Marshall has shown the type of athleticism only few defensive linemen possess. A basketball player in the offseason, Marshall has outstanding burst off the edge and can completely overwhelm offensive linemen who try to slow him down. On top of that, he can line up as a receiver and outrun defensive backs on his way to making leaping catches down the field.

Gibson and Marshall weren’t the only two defensive linemen to make big jumps in the Rivals250. Auburn commit Jared Smith vaulted up 89 spots to No. 30 overall. The Alabama native had a tremendous senior season, racking up 78 tackles, 18 for a loss, 7.5 sacks, 20 quarterback hurries and an interception. Smith now ranks as the second-highest four-star in the Rivals250.

Jeremiah McCloud also saw a massive move up the rankings. He now sits at No. 143, 86 spots higher than the previous Rivals250. The Florida commit measures in close to 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds but plays with a level of aggressiveness and athleticism often seen in much smaller defensive linemen. McCloud’s size and skillset help him bring versatility to the defensive front.

A total of nine defensive linemen were added to the Rivals250 in this rankings update, more than any other position. Chase Linton and Kevin Wynn have been making headlines lately and their play on the field justifies the increasing hype around their final decisions.

Hayden Lowe, Jaquavious Dodd and Tobi Haastrup each sit in the 160s of the Rivals250. Nicolas Clayton, Christian Garrett and Braxton Kyle are just inside the top 200 while Joseph Mbatchou was slotted at No. 248.

There are 42 defensive linemen in the Rivals250 and only seven are currently uncommitted. Interestingly enough, three of those seven players are five-star prospects in Justus Terry, Jahkeem Stewart and Javion Hilson. Terry has been committed to Georgia and USC at different times in his recruitment but it appears he is on track to land at Georgia. Stewart, a Louisiana native, is deciding among LSU, USC, Oregon and Ohio State. Alabama and Florida State held a commitment from Hilson earlier in the recruiting process but now he seems to be focused on Texas, Texas A&M, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

Zahir Mathis, No. 55 in the Rivals250, backed off his lengthy Ohio State commitment a few days ago. What’s next for him is still a bit murky but expect Penn State, Florida State, Michigan, Miami, Georgia, USC and Oregon to be among the programs he considers.

Isaiah Campbell, a former Clemson commit, appears to be deciding between Tennessee and North Carolina. Joseph Mbatchou used to be committed to Florida and the Gators are still contenders for him but Texas and Auburn seem to be trending. Just finishing his first year of football, the uber talented Tobi Haastrup just took an official visit to Texas Tech and has trips to USC, Michigan and Oregon in the works.

There are a handful of committed Rivals250 defensive linemen who are considering flipping their commitment to another school as signing day gets closer. Jared Smith committed to Auburn in August but Ole Miss and South Carolina are pushing for him to change his mind before he signs on the dotted line. Florida is working hard to keep Jeremiah McCloud in the fold but Georgia seems to be in position to flip him if it continues its pursuit. The recent vote of confidence Florida head coach Billy Napier received from the Gator administration is helping UF hold onto McCloud.

Texas flipped Rivals250 defensive end Myron Charles away from Florida State in September but it might be in danger of losing the Florida native to the Gators.

Florida State defensive tackle commit Kevin Wynn, who just received a big bump in the rankings, is entertaining overtures from Georgia and South Carolina. Keep an eye on Ohio State commit London Merritt as well. He was part of a contingent of IMG Academy standouts who visited Colorado recently.