Rivals Five-Star: Storylines surrounding D-linemen - Rivals.com: Rivals Football & Basketball Recruiting

Published Jun 22, 2024

Rivals Five-Star: Storylines surrounding D-linemen

John Garcia Jr. • Rivals.com

National Recruiting Analyst

The Rivals Five-Star is back next week in Jacksonville and some of the nation’s top defensive linemen in the 2025 and 2026 classes will be working out.

Here are five storylines we’re watching heading into the premier summer event.

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1. Can Hilson hunt that fifth star?

The Florida State commitment was bumped up to the No. 19 overall recruit in the country in the last rankings update, meaning he is the highest-ranked prospect beyond five-star status in the class. Hilson made the move up the ranks following a dominant 2023 season, helping Cocoa (Fla.) High School to a state championship, followed up by a head-turning spring including a defensive line MVP run at the RCS stop in south Florida back in April.

Hilson, who remains coveted by Texas, Florida and UCF despite the FSU commitment, has been gunning for the fifth star since he realized how close he was to the mantle after last update. Hilson has that twitch to come off the edge and win with first-step speed, but he also has an array of counter moves to show power while working toward the interior of the trenches. That complete pass-rush skill set will lead to marquee matchups against some of the top tackles nationally.

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2. Thanos' toughest test yet

Jahkeem Stewart, a.k.a. Thanos, has been a dominant force at the Rivals Camp Series stops in the region over the last few years – winning D-line MVP each of the last three offseasons. Should he grab a fourth honor in Jacksonville, it would more than continue to validate his No. 1 overall ranking in the class of 2026.

But Stewart has not lined up against this crop of opponents just yet in his young career. The Louisiana native, who was in Los Angeles last week sporting some USC gear, has the frame to challenge blockers both from the interior or outside on the edge, something few competitors have the chance to replicate. Getting a fresh look at the motor and skill set against this array of blockers, mostly at least a year older than Stewart as well, will be among the most fascinating storylines of the event regardless of position.

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3. Class of 2026 group provides depth

It's not just the five-star Stewart among the class of 2026 defensive linemen expected to compete. Three more top 50 rising-juniors up front, among others, are hungry to come in and push for their own chances at becoming a five-star in the updates to come. The group contending in 2026 features different styles, too.

Mississippi's Jareylan McCoy checks in at a towering, yet athletic 6-foot-7. On the other end of the spectrum is the RCS Atlanta defensive line MVP in Daverin Geralds, who packs a compact punch at 6-foot-1, 260 pounds or so. In between is the well-traveled James Carrington, now at Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman.

Can any of these elite sophomores contend with Stewart and/or the 2025 group ahead of them?

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4. All eyes on Zion Grady

Both on and off the field, the Enterprise (Ala.) High School star will become his own storyline in Jacksonville. He is the sole class of 2025 defensive lineman set to compete without having come off the board with a verbal commitment.

An Alabama pledge when Nick Saban was at the helm, Grady has been pretty wide open since. In-state Auburn, which just picked up his teammate in Eric Winters, is a program to watch, along with Tennessee and Ohio State, among others.

On the field, the lengthy edge has an opportunity to climb up the rankings with his unique body type and skill set. There aren't many slender speed rushers like him expected to compete, so a dominant run – especially with three five-star tackles on the other side – could go a long way toward a trend up higher in the Rivals250 just as commitment time draws ever nearer.

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5. Cordova a man on a mission

From a motive standpoint, few competitors in the loaded field will be looking to make a statement the way Gus Cordova is likely looking to. From battling the perception of top programs cooling on him as a recruit because of an off-the-field issue to making an early commitment to USC – the Texas native will command plenty of attention in Jacksonville.

Armed with a great frame at a listed 6-foot-5, 255 pounds, Cordova has the type of build to make plays against both tackles and interior blockers alike. It could take that type of outside-in performance to generate real buzz for the prospect and USC alike – something that could play timely since two elite defensive linemen just decommitted from Lincoln Riley's program.

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