The trenches are where championships are won — just ask Quinn Ewers — and these programs that sported defensive linemen on the Top 100 Returning Players for this season should give opposing offenses fits this year.
17) TJ Bush Jr., EDGE, Liberty
National Rank: 95
EDGE Rank: 12
TJ Bush Jr. is one of a small handful of players who returns to the Group of Five level for 2025, and he’ll be looking to bring the Liberty Flames back to the level of success they enjoyed during his freshman season.
MORE: Top 100 CFB Players of 2024
While it was a down year for the Flames, their star defensive end enters his junior campaign on an ever-upward trajectory. A smart, powerful, relentless run defender who increased his pass-rush chops last fall, Bush should significantly bolster his 17 career tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
16) Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
National Rank: 85
EDGE Rank: 11
If it wasn’t for the performances of All-World pass rusher Abdul Carter, we’d be talking more about Dani Dennis-Sutton and his impact on the Penn State Nittany Lions defense. He tallied 13 tackles for loss with 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception last fall before announcing his return for the 2025 season.
His combination of first-step quickness, power, and pure fury make him a dangerous pass rusher off the edge, but he’s also adept at dropping into coverage (just ask Riley Leonard!).
15) Eddrick Houston, DT, Ohio State
National Rank: 82
DT Rank: 5
The Ohio State Buckeyes are losing a ton of talent (and production) from their defensive front, but that should allow some of their top returning talent to excel in 2025. Eddrick Houston saw some rotational duty last fall, tallying seven total tackles with two pass breakups while playing from several alignments.
A 6’3”, 270-pound bear of a man, Houston is a powerful force who can push the pocket with strength, has the length to create chaos for offensive linemen, and is agile and nimble on his feet.
14) Sincere Edwards, EDGE, UCF
National Rank: 77
EDGE Rank: 10
After earning CSN Freshman All-American recognition with the Pittsburgh Panthers, Sincere Edwards entered the transfer portal and will suit up for the UCF Knights as one of the top 100 returning players in college football this fall.
Edwards’ relentless, missile-esque pursuit of quarterbacks resulted in 17 tackles, six tackles for loss, and three sacks while he also broke up two passes. The 6’1”, 245-pound defensive end should terrorize offenses in the Big 12 this fall.
13) Skyler Gill-Howard, DT, Texas Tech
National Rank: 69
DT Rank: 4
The Texas Tech Red Raiders looted the transfer portal this winter, putting together one of the most impressive classes of that window. Skyler Gill-Howard might not make the headlines among some bigger names, but the former Northern Illinois Huskie should be considered one of the top defensive tackles in the country this fall.
His eight tackles for loss and five sacks are impressive from the interior, but he also put up a staggering pressure rate up there with the best. His first step and quickness to the ball at 6’1”, 285 is eye-catching, but he’s relentless and powerful too.
12) Kyran Duhon, EDGE, Oklahoma State
National Rank: 65
EDGE Rank: 9
After impressing for the UTEP Miners as a true freshman in CUSA, Kyran Duhon is moving on up with a transfer to an Oklahoma State Cowboys defense that has produced its fair share of impactful edge rushers. Duhon earned CSN Freshman All-American honors after finishing with seven sacks last fall (tied for second among first-year players).
Take a look at which true freshmen made it on our Freshman All-America Team.
The 6’2”, 250-pound pass rusher is relentless in getting after the quarterback, already has some eye-opening pass rush tools, and flashes some power to push the pocket. He’s a name that should appear on the national radar this fall.
11) Tyler Onyedim, DT, Texas A&M
National Rank: 57
DT Rank: 3
Although his pure numbers don’t scream top-100 talent (13 tackles for loss and three sacks in four seasons with the Iowa State Cyclones), the Texas A&M Aggies snagged one of the most important defensive linemen in the winter transfer portal window.
Tyler Onyedim was commanding early-round NFL Draft capital before opting to return to college football for another go around, and he will be a pivotal force on the Aggies front.
10) Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
National Rank: 51
EDGE Rank: 8
The honors started piling up for Gabe Jacas in 2022 as the first-ever true freshman from the Illinois Fighting Illini to receive FWAA Freshman All-American recognition, and he’s only been on an upward trajectory ever since.
He returns in 2025 as the second-most productive pass rusher in the Big Ten behind Matayo Uiagalelei after logging eight sacks and 13 tackles for loss. No other player in the Big Ten forced more fumbles last fall than the Illinois outside linebacker.
9) Eric O’Neill, EDGE, Rutgers
National Rank: 41
EDGE Rank: 7
A CSN First Team All-American after registering 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks for the James Madison Dukes in 2024, Eric O’Neill is set to prove himself at the Big Ten level as part of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights’ transfer portal class.
The 6’3”, 250-pound pass rusher is a furious ball of energy who has impressive power for his size to go with decent speed off the edge. He’s a relentless competitor who should thrive on the big stage.
8) Matayo Uiagalelei, EDGE, Oregon
National Rank: 38
EDGE Rank: 6
Matayo Uiagalelei exploded onto the scene in his second college football campaign as a cornerstone of an Oregon Ducks defensive front that oftentimes looked dominant. He led the team with 13 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks, establishing himself as one of the most dangerous pass rushers in the country.
A technically refined pass rusher with eye-popping athletic traits, he should be a frontrunner for multiple defensive awards.
7) John Walker, DT, UCF
National Rank: 34
DT Rank: 2
You might want to call off your search if you’re looking for a Defensive Comeback Player of the Year contender in mid-February. John Walker was a highly sought-after high school prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, choosing the UCF Knights over a bunch of high-power Five offers.
He earned CSN Freshman All-American honors with a dynamic five-tackle-for-loss campaign but missed all of 2024 with an injury. He’ll be one of the top defensive tackles in the country if he returns to form.
6) T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
National Rank: 25
EDGE Rank: 5
No returning edge players tallied more tackles for loss (19.5) than Clemson Tigers defensive end T.J. Parker in 2024, who also tallied the ninth-most sacks in the nation as a dominant force on a historically elite unit.
He was the only player in college football to rank in the top 10 for tackles for loss, sacks, and forced fumbles. He’s fast, agile, and physical, and downright frightening to face if you’re an offensive lineman.
5) Trey White, EDGE, San Diego State
National Rank: 23
EDGE Rank: 4
The best Group of Five entry among the top 100 returning college football players in 2025, Trey White is a different beast in more ways than one. He’s sticking with the San Diego State Aztecs when most leading Group of Five players have hopped into the transfer portal which is to be commended, but his production off the edge makes him a dangerous force for any opponent this fall.
No returning player had more sacks per game (1.04) than White last fall, who has a nose for the ball and violence in his blood.
4) Mikail Kamara, EDGE, Indiana
National Rank: 12
EDGE Rank: 3
Following his transfer from the James Madison Dukes to the Indiana Hoosiers, Mikail Kamara established himself as one of the top pass rushers in the country.
The first-year Hoosier earned CSN First Team All-American honors after tallying 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks with two forced fumbles, using his pass rush toolbox to lead Indiana to one of the greatest seasons in program history. He’s set to dominate again in 2025.
3) Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
National Rank: 10
DT Rank: 1
Name a better duo than elite defensive tackles and the Clemson Tigers…I’ll wait. Peter Woods is the latest monster on the ACC frontrunner’s defensive front, and he’s back to terrorize the college football world in 2025. The 6’3”, 315-pound behemoth was a top-10 prospect coming out of high school, and he entered his junior season as a top-10 player in college football.
After being named the CSN Freshman Interior Defender of the Year in 2023, Woods continued to elevate his game last fall, logging nine tackles for loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble. Combining an impressive first step with devastating play strength and a motor as hot as the surface of the sun, the Clemson defensive tackle is as adept at getting after the passer as he is stopping the run.
2) Colin Simmons, EDGE, Texas
National Rank: 4
EDGE Rank: 2
There were times in 2024 when Colin Simmons looked like a seasoned veteran pass rusher, showcasing incredible power you’d expect to see from a junior with multiple years in a college football weight room.
Furthermore, he demonstrated the maturity of an older player by playing his best football when the lights were brightest, fuelling the Texas Longhorns’ progress to the College Football Playoff semifinal.
Simmons finished the year with the fifth-most sacks in the SEC (9) and tied for third in the conference with 14 tackles for loss. Texas has been a high-level producer of defensive line talent in recent years, and the former five-star high school prospect might end up being the very best they’ve ever had.
1) Dylan Stewart, EDGE, South Carolina
National Rank: 2
EDGE Rank: 1
The CSN Defensive Freshman of the Year, Dylan Stewart, put together one of the most dominant performances off the edge by a freshman that we’ve seen in recent history. While some consider Texas’ Simmons as the standout pass rusher heading into the 2025 campaign, the South Carolina Gamecocks standout had six more quarterback pressures than the illustrious Longhorn last season.
Stewart finished top 20 in the SEC with 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks as South Carolina wheeled out a phenomenal one-two punch off the edge. With teammate Kyle Kennard headed to the NFL, it’s the talented young Gamecocks’ time to lead the defense of a team that could be one of the best in the country in the upcoming season.
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