Vote: Who is the 2025 Long Island High School Defensive Lineman of the Year?

The 2025 high school football season in New York State has come and gone.
Fans will now get an opportunity to vote on who they think is the best in their respective position.
High School On SI recently compiled a list of the best quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and offensive linemen out of Long Island. Next up are defensive linemen.
There are hundreds of outstanding players on Long Island, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive. Let us know about other athletes worthy of fans’ attention.
Note: Some players may excel at multiple positions. We try to include as many athletes as possible. (Athletes in the poll are listed in alphabetical order)
Voting ends Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, at 11:59 PM PT
Patrick Ahern, Bayport-Blue Point, junior
Ahern is a solid edge rusher and one of the Phantoms’ top defensive players in their Long Island Class IV championship season.
Christian Anaya, Carey, senior
Anaya finished his 2025 season with six tackles for a loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and had a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Jovan Bonilla, East Islip, senior
Bonilla tallied 68 tackles (16 for a loss), five sacks, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and 12 pass deflections for East Islip.
Trevon Cole-Jenkins, Half Hollow Hills East, senior
Cole-Jenkins was a star lineman for the RedHawks, capping their season with a Suffolk Division II title.
Matthew Kind, Seaford, senior
Kind tallied 19 tackles for a loss, nine sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception in the Vikings’ Nassau Conference IV title season.
Jake Rivera, William Floyd, junior
Rivera recorded 16 sacks, 13 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and two pass breakups for the Colonials.
Tristan Tarasi, Massapequa, senior
Tarasi was a solid lineman on both sides of the ball for a Chiefs squad that captured their third Long Island crown in a row.
Nasir Turner, Bellport, senior
One of Suffolk County’s top defensive linemen, Turner had four sacks and two interceptions for the Clippers.
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Kevin L. Smith, a Rochester (NY) native and a graduate of St. Bonaventure University, has been covering high school sports for over a decade. He started out as a freelance sportswriter in 2013. Since then, he’s held sportswriter and editor positions for newspapers in Coudersport (PA), Sayre (PA) and Oswego (NY). Smith currently covers high school sports in the Greater Syracuse Area for syracuse.com | Post-Standard, a position he’s held since 2021. You can follow him on social media @KevLSmittie. Story ideas can be sent to KLSFreelancing@outlook.com.
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