Rivals Rankings Week: Breaking down the 2020 defensive linemen
Rivals.com continues to roll out its updated rankings this week with a closer look at the pecking order at each position. We now move to the defensive line.
2020 RANKINGS: Defensive tackles | Weakside defensive ends | Strongside defensive ends
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK:
Monday: Top 10 revealed
Tuesday: Rivals100 revealed | Mind of Mike | New five-stars
Wednesday: Rivals250 revealed | Analyst roundtable
Thursday-Friday: Updated position rankings
Saturday: Team rankings analysis
Sunday: Updated state rankings
TEAM WITH TOP COMMITS: Florida
Many of the top defensive linemen - at defensive tackle, strong-side defensive end and weak-side defensive end - remain uncommitted, but Florida has jumped out quickly and has already landed some impressive prospects.
Three of the Gators’ seven commits in the 2020 class are defensive linemen, led by four-star defensive ends Johnnie Brown and Gervon Dexter and three-star DE Morven Joseph, who just made his pledge to Florida in the last few days.
But this is a position group with a long runway ahead. Three of the top four defensive tackles remain uncommitted; the top four weakside DEs have not made their pledges; and none of the top 13 strongside defensive ends have picked their schools yet.
TEAM TO WATCH: Clemson
Clemson is sending a handful of top defensive linemen to the NFL Combine and some could be first-round picks. The 2020 recruiting class could be one of the next steps in a major reload at those positions.
Clemson could be scary good, if things fall the right way for coach Dabo Swinney and his staff. Five-star defensive end Bryan Bresee definitely has high interest in Clemson. Five-star Jordan Burch is an in-state prospect who is another top target. Five-star defensive end/outside linebacker Sav’ell Smalls has the Tigers among his top schools. And that’s just the start.
Clemson is already off to a fantastic start in 2020 in its defensive line recruiting, with commitments from four-star defensive tackles DeMonte Capehart and Tre’ Williams.
PLAYER TO WATCH: McKinnley Jackson
Jackson was an early commit to LSU and spoke highly of the coaching staff in Baton Rouge and how they felt like family to him. But the five-star defensive tackle backed off his pledge last February and has been back on the market for about a year.
There is no question that LSU is not giving up on Jackson and there is mutual interest, especially because of his prior relationships with the staff and the fact that the Tigers do such a good job of developing defensive linemen.
But Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and other national powerhouses are going to be involved and the in-state schools - Ole Miss and Mississippi State - are also making the George County, Miss., standout a priority for the 2020 class.