Here are 12 Columbus-area high school football defensive linemen to watch this fall
Leading up to the high school football season, The Dispatch is taking a look at central Ohio’s top players by position.
Here are 12 defensive linemen to watch this fall, in alphabetical order:
Francis Brewu, Thomas Worthington
The 6-foot-2, 270-pound tackle, a three-star recruit according to both 247Sports and Rivals, is coming off a junior season in which he totaled 74 tackles, including 12 sacks, nine tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Brewu, who committed to Pittsburgh in March, earned first-team all-district and third-team all-state honors in Division I.
Keishaun Calhoun, Groveport Madison
A 6-4, 245-pound junior who plays both end and tackle and should make an impact as an edge rusher, Calhoun has been offered by Akron, Miami University and Toledo. Calhoun was named first-team all-OCC-Buckeye and special mention all-district a year ago.
Donovan Davis, Hartley
The 6-1, 275-pound Davis finished last season with 64 tackles, including seven for loss, for a Hawks team that went 5-7 against one of the state’s most challenging schedules. Davis, who committed to Davidson in July, earned first-team all-district and second-team all-state honors in Division IV in 2022.
Cameron Gwinn, DeSales
A three-star recruit and all-around threat on the line, the 6-2, 255-pound Gwinn is coming off a junior year in which he had 81 tackles — 25 for loss — with seven sacks and 11 quarterback hurries. Gwinn, who originally committed to Toledo but switched to Boston College in June, was named first-team all-district and all-state in Division II.
Demetrius John, Dublin Coffman
Having played both offensive and defensive line the past two seasons at Westerville North, John had a breakout season on the defensive side as a junior with six tackles for loss, three sacks and six quarterback hurries. The 6-4, 250-pound John, a three-star recruit per both 247Sports and Rivals, committed to Illinois in June.
Elijah King, Gahanna Lincoln
A 6-6, 230-pound edge rusher, King is the only returning starter on defense for a Lions team that went 13-2, won the Division I, Region 3 championship and reached a state semifinal for the first time since 1982. King made 50.5 tackles last year, with 18.5 for loss and 10 sacks, and committed to Rutgers in June.
Angelo McCollum, Pickerington North
The 6-3, 260-pound McCollum enjoyed a breakout junior season, amassing 34.5 tackles and 11 for loss for a Panthers team that started 3-0 but finished 7-5. McCollum committed to Illinois in April and has been instrumental in adding other recruits to Bret Bielema’s program.
Ty Moore, Jonathan Alder
The versatile 6-3, 220-pound Moore might make an impact beyond the line for the Pioneers —he’s also a linebacker and tight end capable of lining up anywhere in the defensive front seven. A first-team all-district and third-team all-state honoree in Division IV as a junior, Moore’s college visits have included Cincinnati, Miami and Michigan.
Ty Neubert, DeSales
A 6-3, 250-pound junior tackle who has started all 24 games the past two years, Neubert made 66 tackles a season ago and added an interception return for a touchdown. Neubert, the son of DeSales athletic director and baseball coach Tom Neubert, also started two games at right tackle last fall and was named special mention all-district in Division II.
E.J. Pierce, Harvest Prep
Perhaps slight of build for a lineman at 6-0 and 190 pounds, Pierce nonetheless racked up 55 tackles and 12 sacks to earn first-team all-district and second-team all-state honors in Division V on the way to his team's Region 19 runner-up finish. His build allows him extra speed and range to make an impact in the box.
Turner Schmidt, Hilliard Davidson
A 6-4, 220-pound senior, Schmidt enjoyed a breakout junior year with 107 tackles, seven sacks, eight tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Schmidt, who also plays outside linebacker and tight end, earned second-team all-district and honorable mention all-state honors in Division I and holds four Division I college offers.
Anthony Shields, East
The versatile 6-5, 220-pound senior plays on both lines but stood out most on defense a year ago, when the Tigers went 10-2 for their best season since 1964. Shields, a special/honorable mention all-district selection last fall who also plays tight end and linebacker, holds four Division I offers.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 12 central Ohio high school defensive linemen to watch this fall
