Vote for top defensive linemen returning for 2026 high school football
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Defensive linemen come in many shapes and sizes. The goal for some is to stop the run or occupy blockers to let teammates make the tackle, while others try to find a lane and rush the opponent's quarterback. A strong defense has multiple talented players who fill all of those roles.
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As The Enquirer continues its high school football season previews, let's take a look at the top defensive linemen in the city.
Make sure to vote for the top defensive linemen in the city in the poll at the bottom of the story. Readers can vote once per hour. The poll will close at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 24.
Griffin Benke, Highlands
The senior, along with his twin brother, Cooper, anchors the line for a Highlands defense that allowed fewer than 19 points per game as they went 10-3 and reached the state quarterfinals in Class 4A. The Ohio University commit was second-team All-Northern Kentucky after posting 33 tackles, including 10 for loss and three sacks.
Jaiden Davis, Middletown
A top 40 player in Ohio for the Class of 2027, Davis is a three-star defensive lineman. Last season for the Middies, Davis posted 50 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss, helping the team to the Division I state semifinals.
He holds over a dozen college offers, including from Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Iowa, Kentucky and Boston College.
Julian Dwyer, Moeller
According to Rivals, the junior is a three-star defensive lineman and the No. 16 player in Ohio in the 2028 class.
A 6-foot-4, 240-pound prospect, Dwyer should play a big role in Moeller's defense this season after recording 2.5 tackles for a loss, a half sack and one fumble recovery in 2025. He has offers from Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Indiana, Purdue and Miami University.
Josh Fasbender, St. Xavier
A top 35 player in Ohio in the Class of 2027, Fasbender is a 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive lineman who had 41 tackles, a forced fumble and one recovery last season. He helped the Bombers to the Division I state finals.
A three-star prospect, Fasbender committed to Buffalo and held offers from Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech, among others.
Antwoine Higgins, Anderson
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound senior has committed to the University of Kentucky. He plays outside linebacker and edge rusher, pressuring the quarterback wherever he lines up. His college future is likely as a linebacker but he was named first-team All-Ohio as a defensive lineman.
A first-team Division II All-Ohio selection in 2025, Higgins is ranked as Ohio's No. 17 prospect in the class of 2027 by 247 Sports. Nationally, the recruiting site ranks him the No. 37 linebacker in the class. He recorded 67 tackles, three sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, and two interceptions as the Raptors went to the Division II state final for the second year in a row. He has 175 total tackles.
Terrence Jones, Princeton
Jones earned second-team all-district honors and honorable mention all-state after ranking second in the Greater Miami Conference in sacks (9) last season.
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound defensive lineman has offers from Miami (Ohio), Massachusetts and Western Michigan.
Griffin Lyons, St. Xavier
Another player who lines up in different spots, Lyons earned second-team all-league honors last season, helping the Bombers reach the Division I state championship game. He posted 67 tackles, nine sacks and 16 tackles for a loss for the Bombers. He also forced two fumbles, recovered one and had an interception.
He has offers from the Miami RedHawks and Pittsburgh.
Jayden McKinney, Winton Woods
The junior is listed as a top-five recruit in Ohio for the Class of 2028, according to 247Sports. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive lineman posted 5.5 sacks and three tackles for a loss last season as a sophomore.
The three-star prospect has some high-level suitors, including Indiana, Iowa State, Minnesota, Purdue, Tennessee and Nebraska. He was honorable mention all-district
Jaylen Mercer, Princeton
A top 20 player in Ohio in the Class of 2027, Mercer has transferred from Winton Woods. He is a three-star edge rusher with nearly 30 Division I offers, including from Indiana, Louisville, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Oregon and Cincinnati.
Mercer posted 26 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for a loss and recovered a pair of fumbles for Winton Woods last season.
Carter Napier, Springboro
A top 50 player in the Class of 2027, Napier has 19 offers, including Pittsburgh, Michigan State, Iowa State, Iowa and West Virginia.
Last season, the three-star defensive lineman had 40 tackles and four sacks for the Panthers, who were 7-4.
Additional defensive linemen to watch in 2026
Nana Baffour, Lakota East; Chris Barnes, Withrow; Cooper Benke, Highlands; Griffin Benke, Highlands; Dom Bienke, Madeira; Luke Bovard, East Central; Braylon Bryant, Middletown; Carter Cannan, Edgewood; Josh Charron, McNicholas; Iona Cioco, Wilmington; John Civils, Princeton; Massila Diawara, Gamble Montessori; Max Hamilton, McNicholas; Navin Heard, Purcell Marian; Eli Hodge, Lakota West; Zach Holland, MVCA; Charles Howard, CCPA; Max Hunt, Holy Cross; Jayven Hutchinson, Elder; Isaiah Johnson, New Miami; Logan Karwisch, Badin; Caden Lewis, Deer Park; Ty Martin, Clinton-Massie; Jayvion McKinney-Cooper, Princeton; Jordan Narvaez, Lakota West; Bobby Rice, Middletown Madison; Danny Waters, Loveland; AJ Williams, Wyoming
Vote for the top defensive lineman in Greater Cincinnati high school football
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Vote: Top 2026 preseason defensive linemenThis article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Vote for top defensive linemen returning for 2026 high school football
