DL Recruiting Led to Top CFB Programs

Article photo of Miami's Leonard Taylor; credit Jason Vinlove of USA Today Sports.

Finding and signing elite defensive linemen has been an objective for basically every major college football program for as long as college football has been played.

“The game is won in the trenches” is an old saying that still holds quite a bit of truth, even during today’s spread football era. The numbers below will bare that out.

Here’s a look at programs most college football fans are accustomed to seeing towards the top of the polls, plus a few programs that also signed at least one elite defensive lineman, from the classes of 2010 through 2023.

Then, points regarding the win-loss records for teams, as well as other statistical notes, about various programs will be displayed.

All data from 247 Sports recruiting rankings. “Defensive line” was considered an edge rusher that rushed the passer from a two-point stance or a traditional defensive lineman.

Total signed: Top 6 Programs

Alabama: 19

Georgia: 14

Florida: 12

Florida State: 12

Ohio State: 12

Texas A&M: 12

Now, it was one thing to sign these players, and quite another to balance those signings out over time and keep them in the program.

For instance, Alabama has signed at least one top 50 defensive lineman from 2017 through 2023. The Crimson Tide have won six titles under Nick Saban, and a big factor from that point stemmed from truly elite defensive linemen that signed to play in Tuscaloosa.

On the flip side, Texas A&M signed six of their 12 from the 2022 and 2023 classes, plus the Aggies have been losing talent to the Transfer Portal at a high rate. Overall, the lone season with 10 or more wins came in 2012, the year Johnny Manzel won the Heisman Trophy while playing quarterback for the Aggies.

Florida’s 2010 class provided four elite defensive linemen; after Urban Meyer left the defensive line recruiting was not the same for the Gators. UF has signed only two defensive linemen within the top 50 since 2017.

It’s been much the same with Florida’s rival, Florida State. The Noles signed at least one top defensive lineman from 2011-2017, but only two since.

The team that’s trended up the most in recent defensive line recruiting history would be Georgia. The Bulldogs signed six top 50 defensive linemen during the past two classes. Overall, Georgia was No. 2 to Alabama, so there was some consistency as well.

Speaking of balance with signing defensive linemen, Ohio State was one of the better recruiting programs with eight of the 14 recruiting classes producing at least one signee. They did not sign a top 50 defensive lineman in either the 2022 or 2023 classes, however. Some of the top defensive line prospects signed included Chase Young, as well as Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa.

SEC Trends

Auburn had five, but none since 2016. From 2017 through 2023, Auburn’s on-field record has been 44-32. That’s not a typical seven-year stretch for the Tigers; the lack of signing top defensive line recruits probably contributed to that record.

The 2010-2016 stretch saw Auburn go 60-32, including the 2010 title with Cam Newton at the helm of the offense and defensive tackle Nick Farley leading the defense. Newton went No. 1 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, while Farley went No. 9.

LSU’s nine was just below the top group, and the state of Louisiana certainly aided the Tigers with home-grown defensive line recruits, including the 2019 national championship team starting defensive tackle in-state signee Rashard Lawrence. That unit also had edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson from Texas, the other state LSU has mined for top defensive line talent for decades.

Many people consider Tennessee one of the more tradition-rich programs in college football history, but the Vols only signed two top 50 defensive linemen, both from the 2015 recruiting class. They were Kahlil McKenzie and Kyle Phillips.

Meanwhile, South Carolina actually signed three top players in the defensive trenches, surpassing Tennessee.

ACC and Notre Dame

Clemson has not surprisingly signed nine big-time defensive line recruits. Those 2016 and 2018 national title teams certainly benefited from signing the talented Dexter Lawrence, just as an example.

Forever a Clemson Tiger🐅! #AllIn #2xChamps #ClemsonFamily #Pterodactyl pic.twitter.com/Iz91sIR3mD
— Dexter Lawrence II “Sexy Dexy” (@agentdexy97) January 9, 2019

Miami has signed only one since 2014, with that player being current Hurricane Leonard Taylor, as he came to Coral Gables with the 2021 class. Overall, the Canes signed four.

North Carolina has done a good job of bringing in top defensive line talent with four overall, and a three-year stretch from 2020-2022 of signing one top defensive lineman during each recruiting cycle.

Maybe the biggest surprise was Notre Dame’s lack of defensive line recruiting prowess. Notre Dame signed two in 2011 – including Stephon Tuitt that recently retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers – but no other top 50 defensive lineman went to South Bend after 2011.

Big 10

Beyond the Buckeyes, three teams have made this list and it will not include any surprises.

Michigan landed four, including 247’s No. 1 overall player, Rashan Gary, from the 2016 recruiting class. The Wolverines only signed one top 50 defensive lineman from the 2020-2023 classes, with 2022 signee Derrick Moore.

The Michigan State program also signed some top defensive line recruits, with three having gone to East Lansing for college. All of them came from inside the state of Michigan borders and none signed since the 2014 recruiting class.

Want to know a primary reason why Nebraska has struggled for a long time? Not one top 50 defensive line recruit from 2010 through 2023.

Penn State signed three, with the one top defensive line recruit that made the 247 top 50 list in the last five years being 2022 signee Dani Dennis-Sutton.

Big 12

Oklahoma ended an eight-year drought with top 50 signees in the 2021 and 2022 classes.

Texas, meanwhile, had four top 50 defensive line recruits from 2010-2012, but not a single one since. With all the talent that comes from the state of Texas, that was an eye opener.

Overall, only the Longhorns and Sooners were able to sign top 50 defensive line prospects from the Big 12.

Pac 12

One of the bigger surprises was UCLA. The Bruins signed five defensive linemen that were listed in the top 50 rankings. None of them signed since the 2017 class though. That also coincided with UCLA being 10-3 in consecutive seasons - 2013 and 2014 - with four of their signees coming from that timeframe. The Bruins have not won 10 or more games since 2014.

Southern California landed seven, but only one of those took place from 2018 through 2023. The Trojans were 33-24 from 2018 through the end of last season.

The prior five seasons from 2013-2017, USC was definitely more consistent by way of going 38-20. That earlier five-year stretch also included three seasons of at least 10 wins, while the latter five seasons produced just one – the 2022 season with Heisman quarterback Caleb Williams leading the team – by comparison.

From 2010-2023, Utah did not sign a defensive lineman from the 247 top 50. Yet, the Utes have managed to win 10 or more games five times, including going to the Rose Bowl each of the past two seasons.

Washington was similar. The Huskies were not able to sign a top 50 defensive lineman, but they did make it to the 2016 College Football Playoff, plus four 10 or more wins from 2016-2018, and an 11-2 record from the 2022 season.

Moving forward, it should be expected that the programs that sign a high percentage of top 50 defensive line recruits will also likely do well on the field. It’s been proven over time and there’s no real reason to believe that’s going to change all that much.

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