Where Texas' Defensive Tackles Rank Among All SEC Teams

The Southeastern Conference has long been known for its strong defensive lines which makes the Texas Longhorns, who have had six defensive tackles drafted since Steve Sarkisian became the head coach, a natural fit.

Now, with new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp taking over, the Longhorns are looking to take the middle of their front to the next level. They are primed to do so, given that they both returned the majority of last year's group and acquired SEC transfers Ian Geffrard and Zion Williams.

Still, this is a conference won in the trenches, so how does Texas needs to measure up. After ranking the quarterbacks, edge rusher rooms and running back groups, it is time to take a look at the SEC's defensive tackles.

Ranking the SEC's Interior Defensive Lines

Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Will Echoles against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

No. 16: Arkansas Razorbacks

The Razorbacks are replacing Cameron Ball and Geffrard with Hunter Osborne and Carlon Jones, which is asking a lot of the No. 40 and No. 59 defensive linemen in the portal. Around them are a group of tackles who are promising but unproven.

No. 15: Mississippi State Bulldogs

Jaray Bledsoe and Kalvin Dinkins return after playing poorly across a meaningful sample of snaps last season. Joining them is Dealyn Evans, who did the same for Texas A&M.

No. 14: Florida Gators

Brendan Bett, Jamari Lyons, Jeremiah McCloud and Joseph Mbatchou all played at least a decent amount of snaps last season but achieved mixed results. If any of them step up, this highly rotational group could wind up much farther down this list.

No. 13: Texas A&M Aggies

Angelo McCollum and CJ Mims are joining returners DJ Hicks and Landon Rink to create a group which is solid but lacks game-changing ability. Rink was productive in very limited snaps last season and could help this group unlock their potential.

No. 12: Tennessee Volunteers

The Volunteers brought in the 7th-ranked defensive tackle in the portal, Xavier Gilliam, this offseason to be a force in the middle of their front seven. His addition should get a bit more out of returners Daevin Hobbs, Nathan Robinson and Ethan Utley, who all saw playing time last season but did not make serious impacts.

No. 11: Kentucky Wildcats

Tavion Gadson is coming off of a sneakily good 2025 season, but his supporting cast will need to step up. Transfer Jamarrion Harkless and returner Kalen Edwards are the Wildcats' next best linemen, but neither are inspiring options.

No. 10: Vanderbilt Commodores

Talan Carter is heading to Nashville to add to a group led by Jaylon Stone and Glenn Seabrooks III. Stone was very effective in 261 snaps last season, registering an 85.4 run-defense grade according to PFF.

No. 9: LSU Tigers

Dominick McKinley had a decent 2025 campaign and can build on it under new defensive line coach Sterling Lucas. Supporting him are four-star transfers Malik Blocton and Stephiylan Green, making this one of the more interesting groups in the SEC.

No. 8: Auburn Tigers

The Tigers had one of the better interior defensive line transfer classes in college football, bringing in Cody Sigler, Walter Mathis Jr. and Saint Farrior. Sigler and Mathis Jr. add additional punch to an Auburn line which was already returning Dallas Walker IV.

No. 7: Missouri Tigers

Marquis Gracial and Jalen Marshall are ready to step into the holes left by the losses of Chris McClellan and Sterling Webb. Correspondingly, Elias Williams and Donta Simpson Jr. should be able to step into the roles that Gracial and Marshall played.

No. 6: South Carolina Gamecocks

Speaking of stepping up, Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy and Troy Pikes should do well taking the reigns in Columbia, especially with the 13th-ranked transfer lineman Tomiwa Durojaiye joining their ranks. Behind them are top-30 portal linemen Kelby Collins and Jordan Thomas, giving the group serious depth.

No. 5: Alabama Crimson Tide

The Crimson Tide are adding Kedrick Bingsley-Jones to a group that already rotated between Edric Hill, London Simmons and Jeremiah Beaman. While all of those players are solid in their own right, they also form a group which is greater than the sum of its parts.

No. 4: Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns have one of the deepest groups in college football, with Geffrard, Williams, Hero Kanu, Maraad Watson, Alex January and Justus Terry all seriously vying for snaps this season. Muschamp will likely make the most of that talent by rotating them frequently, though Kanu and Geffrard will probably be the two guys playing on first down most often.

No. 3: Georgia Bulldogs

The Bulldogs' loss of Christen Miller is a big one, but Kirby Smart's squad has a proven track record of reloading in the front seven. Jordan Hall, Elijah Griffin, Xzavier McLeod and Josh Horton are returning after productive 2025 campaigns to do the same thing they did last season: crush run games and collapse pockets.

No. 2: Ole Miss Rebels

The Rebels had William Echoles, the second-best defensive tackle in college football and Jamarious Brown, who is no slouch either but new head coach Pete Golding decided that was not enough. So, he brought in Michai Boireau and Jehiem Oatis, both of whom are top-20 transfer linemen, showing that Ole Miss is going to build through the trenches after losing Lane Kiffin.

No. 1: Oklahoma Sooners

Two names: David Stone and Jayden Jackson. The pair of Sooners could very well be the first two defensive tackles selected in next year's draft and either one of them can blow up a play on any given down.

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