Southern California's Top DLs to watch this 2025 high school football season

The top defensive linemen to watch this upcoming 2025 high school football season.

Mater Dei's Tomuhini Topui was the High School on SI 2024 CIF Southern Section Defensive Player of the Year. / Joe Duncan

Some of the country’s biggest disruptors and dynamic QB rushers play on Friday nights in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Southern California is home to some of the best defensive linemen in the country — many of which reside in the CIF Southern Section — but this looks at all the best DLs in SoCal, including San Diego.

Be sure to check back on all of High School On SI's preseason football coverage, as Senior Reporter Tarek Fattal breaks down the top players to watch and releases the preseason Top 25 rankings in the CIF Southern Section on Sunday, Aug. 10.

Here are the top SoCal defensive linemen to watch in 2025:

(Name, school, year, college (if committed))

1. RICHARD WESLEY, SIERRA CANYON, SR. (TEXAS)

Wesley would be a Top 5 prospect in the country for 2027, but he reclassified to 2026 to get to college quicker. He tallied 44 tackles, 16 for loss, nine sacks and three forced fumbles in 2024.

2. TOMUHINI TOPUI, MATER DEI, SR. (USC)

Topui was the most disruptive lineman in the country in 2024 with 42 sacks, 10.5 for loss and 6.5 sacks. He commanded double teams and even scored three TDs last fall. This USC commit was the foundation of Mater Dei's national championship run.

3. SIMOTE KATOANGA, SANTA MARGARITA, SR. (USC)

Katoanga will play his senior season for Carson Palmer after being at JSerra. He's 6-foot-5 with a very athletic, versatile game up front.

4. KHARY WILDER, GARDENA SERRA, SR. (OHIO STATE)

Wilder has to be one of the better athletes in the country at 260 pounds. He plays tight end and basketball (averaged 11ppg as a junior) at Serra. He totaled 86 games, 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 12 games in 2024.

5. PRINCE TAVIZON, SAN DIEGO LINCOLN, SR. (OREGON)

247Sports' Greg Biggins says Tavizon might be the best prospect out of Lincoln in the past decade. He reclassified to 2026. He tallied 90 tackles, 15 for loss, 13 sacks, and 2 FF as a sophomore (last fall).

6. ELIJA HARMON, INGLEWOOD, JR.

Harmon had 80 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, five sacks and a safety in 11 games as a sophomore. Holds offers to Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas.

7. JON IOANE, TUSTIN, JR.

Ioane is a 4-star prospect with offers to Miami, Kansas, Oregon, Notre Dame, Penn State, and USC. Ioane even played a little QB for Tustin last fall.

8. SHAUN SCOTT, MATER DEI, SR. (USC)

Scott can play edge rusher and linebacker for Mater Dei, which adds to his versatility at 6-foot-3, 230 pounds.

9. SAMU MOALA, LEUZINGER, SR. (TEXAS A&M)

Moala had 52 tackles, three sacks, nine hurries and an INT in 10 games last year. His combination of length, speed and strength makes him a matchup nightmare for offensive linemen on the edge.

10. ANTHONY JONES, CREAN LUTHERAN, SR. (UCLA)

This future Bruin had 54 tackles, eight for loss, 5.5 sacks and 14 hurries in 2024. Jones is up to 6-foot-5, 285 pounds of an interior problem that stuffs the run or commands double teams when getting after the QB.

OTHERS TO WATCH BY CLASS

SENIORS (2026)

• James Carrington, Crean Lutheran (FSU)
• Andrew Williams, LA Fremont (USC)
• Max Meier, Loyola (Stanford)
• Dutch Horisk, St. John Bosco (Oregon)
• Joseph Peko, Oaks Christian
• Domata Peko Jr., Calabasas (Colorado)
• JD Hill, MIssion Viejo
• Josiah Anyansi, Murrieta Valley (Minnesota)
• Kingston Schirmer, Centennial (Cal)

JUNIORS (2027)

• Kasi Currie, Sierra Canyon
• Myles Smith, Inglewood
• Alifeleti Tuihalamaka, Oaks Christian
• Sione Felila, Oak Hills
• Kekoa Peko, St. John Bosco
• Miles Schirmer, Centennial
• Micah Butler, Hamilton

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2024 CIF SOUTHERN SECTION RECAP

The CIF Southern Section is heralded as one of the most talented high school football state associations in the country, most notably because it's home to juggernaught programs like Mater Dei and St. John Bosco.

As we head into the 2025 season, here's a headline recap of what happened in the CIF Southern Section last fall.

MATER DEI GOES BACK TO BACK

The Monarchs won their second straight CIF-SS Division 1 title and second straight national title in 2024, which was anchored by an ultra-elite defense and first-year coach Raul Lara.

Mater Dei defeated St. John Bosco 31-24 in the section final before going on to thump De La Salle in the CIF State Open Division title game 37-15.

The 2024 campaign might've garnered the Monarchs their best team ever. HERE'S WHY

NEWBURY PARK STUNS D2 IN TITLE RUN

5-star QB Brady Smigiel and wideout Shane Rosenthal (now at UCLA) led the Panthers the CIF Southern Section Division 2 crown in 2024 after question marks about their soft schedule arose before the postseason.

• Newbury Park football forges improbable CIF championship run fueled by naysayers

Newbury Park defeated top tier programs like San Jacinto, San Clemente (on the road) and Yorba Linda en route to its 31-28 victory over Murrieta Valley (in Murrieta) to win the Division 2 title. It was the program's first CIF title since 1993.

JULIUS GILLICK CAN'T PLAY TITLE GAME FOR EDISON

One of the section's top runners, Julius Gillick of Edison, is ejected from the CIF Southern Section Division 3 semifinal against Vista Murrieta for two unsportsmanlike penalties. The first was due to a touchdown celebration. The second was due to 'excessive celebration'.

Despite an appeal, Gillick couldn't play in the CIF final. Despite his absence, Edison beat Simi Valley 35-21.

High School On SI reporter Tarek Fattal broke down the controversary (video below).

THE 'COMPETITIVE EQUITY' CHAMPION

St. Pius coach Devah Thomas was not shy about his team's accomplishments in 2024 ... afterall the season did result in a CIF title.

Under the new competitive equity rules that decide playoff placement, St. Pius' strength of schedule rating earned the program a berth to the Division 8 playoffs despite being 1-9 (an 0-8 start).

• How St. Pius won a CIF championship after one-win season

The Warriors ended up making a run to win the Division 8 crown over Serrano 38-19.

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