Top 10 Defensive Lines heading into 2026! | Always College Football

What is the most expensive real estate in college football? Answer: the 7 yards between the OT's outside shoulder and the QB's chin. So why not rank the Top 10 defensive line units in college football heading into the 2026 season. Can A.J. Holmes Jr. lead a rebuilt Texas Tech line back to the CFP, is Will Heldt ready to continue the Clemson D-line NFL pedigree, and is everyone sleeping on David Stone and the Oklahoma front? McElroy goes over all it plus tells you why this is the deepest Notre Dame defensive line in a generation, if anyone will be able to run on Texas and why Oregon has far and away the best defensive line in the country.

0:00 Intros
2:42 How do we rank the Top defensive line units?
5:25 #10 - Georgia: Needs to improve sack numbers
7:45 #9 Texas Tech: A.J. Holmes Jr leads a rebuilt line
10:20 #8 Indiana: Tyrique Tucker anchors veteran group
12:35 #7 Oklahoma: David Stone is leading an overlooked front
14:52 #6 Michigan: John Henry Daley, Enow Etta & Trey Price lead rebuilt Wolverines line
17:23 #5 Ole Miss: Will Echoles & Suntarine Perkins anchor defensive front
20:58 #4 Clemson: Will Heldt leads rebuilt Tigers line
22:52 #3 Notre Dame: The deepest & most talented front for ND in a LONG time
25:32 #2 Texas: Colin Simmons & Lance Jackson anchor a HUGE D-Line
28:02 #1 Oregon: 4 returning starters makes this an easy choice for No. 1
31:12 Just missed: Louisville, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee & Ohio State
33:50 Hot Take - Colin Simmons will lead the nation in sacks
34:18 Hot Take - The gap between Oregon and Texas is big
34:47 Hot Take - Notre Dame will have the #1 defense at the end of the season
35:28 Hot Take - Ole Miss will be a top 3 defense by seasons end
36:13 Hot Take - David Stone will win the Outland Trophy

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