Happy first day of high school sports in Michigan for the 2026-27 school year.
In football, the pads will be first introduced later this week, ending the long wait for teenagers to collide at full speed.
We are moving to the defensive side of the ball for our position-by-position preview of the top players in Michigan high school football. This week will cover defensive linemen before moving to linebackers and defensive backs.
Defensive linemen are charged with creating as much chaos as humanly possible every time the ball snaps, whether it is trying to blow up the gap on a run or pull a quarterback to the turf before a pass is released.
The best defensive linemen upend game plans and change the course of each game individually.
Here are the best in Michigan for the upcoming high school football season. Check out the rest of our rankings by clicking here:
1. Recarder Kitchen, senior, Muskegon
Kitchen will be a four-year starter on one of the most storied Division 2 teams in Michigan. As a junior, Kitchen was a two-way starter at defensive end and tight end. As an edge, he recorded 50 tackles, including nine for loss, with nine sacks, two pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Teams game-planned on avoiding Kitchen, often running to where he was not the one setting the edge. That allowed him to showcase his elite acceleration in backside pursuit. That quick burst, coupled with a 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame, also allows Kitchen to bully offensive tackles in pursuit of a quarterback during his drop-back.
Kitchen is verbally committed to Michigan.
2. Jayden Bell, junior, Birmingham Brother Rice
Bell is entering his third year as a starter and on the Warriors’ defensive line. He will be defense-only in 2026 after playing both ways as a tight end/H-back as a sophomore. Last year, Bell had 60 tackles, including 15 for loss, and eight sacks. He also forced two fumbles and had one interception, which he returned for nearly 40 yards.
At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Bell utilizes his length to consistently put himself in winning leverage battles up front, and has the agility in tight spaces to quickly move around offensive linemen. Bell can shed a blocker as fast as anyone in the state, allowing him to create havoc in an instant.
Bell is ranked No. 33 nationally in the 2028 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. He has over three dozen college scholarship offers and has visited schools including Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, Florida and Kentucky this summer.
3. Myles Smith, senior, Farmington
Smith is the top returning senior defensive lineman in metro Detroit. As a junior, Smith had 43 tackles, including 13 for loss, and six sacks. He forced four fumbles, recovered one, and had a handful of pass deflections.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior has elite closing speed, allowing him to wrangle ballcarriers in the open field with ease. On top of the speed, Smith also has the power to knock a lineman on his butt with a three-step bull rush. Smith is also a starting forward for Farmington’s basketball team, where his athleticism and strength flash as a rebounder and rim protector.
Smith is verbally committed to Indiana.
4. Drew Aagesen, senior, Goodrich
Aagesen is a three-year, two-way starter for a Martians program that has gone 25-2 with a Division 4 state title over the last two years. He anchors Goodrich’s defensive line as an imposing end and serves as a devastating sixth blocker as a tight end for a team that rushed for over 5,600 yards in 2025.
The 6-foot-5, 280-pound senior with a 6-foot-9 wingspan had 40 tackles, including 17 for loss, and nine sacks in 2025. Aagesen is great against screens and outside runs thanks to his speed, and easily sheds blocks with his length advantage, overwhelming strength and bend.
Aagesen is verbally committed to Iowa State.
5. Treighjan Gibson, senior, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Gibson is a rock-solid anchor up front for the defending Division 2 champions. A three-technique defensive tackle, Gibson is equally disruptive against the run and pass. He has speed to provide a pass rush from the interior while being stout enough to handle double teams.
In 2025, Gibson recorded 65 tackles, 17 for loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble returned for a touchdown. The 6-foot-2, 255-pound senior excels at shooting past guards with one swift movement, and can hold and shed blocks at the right time to plug runs.
Gibson is verbally committed to Connecticut.
6. Max Bollman, senior, Big Rapids
Bollman is a dynamic, imposing athlete who pairs elite speed and strength to change games for the Cardinals. In 2025, Bollman recorded 83 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. He also forced two fumbles and blocked a punt.
He has a great bull rush to pair with quick feet around the edge, and can close angles in the blink of an eye. At 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, Bollman has posted videos on social media bench pressing 500 pounds, squatting 650 pounds and breaking 22 mph on the treadmill.
Bollman is verbally committed to Miami (Ohio).
7. Asher Newman, senior, Haslett
Newman is a two-way starter for Haslett, playing offensive tackle along with defensive end. His ability to set the edge against the run often forced teams to avoid his side of the field, along with being able to bend the corner on third downs.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound senior had 52 tackles, eight sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2025. Offensively, he started every game at tackle for an offense that averaged 215 rushing yards per game. Newman plays with a great motor, which, paired with his physical attributes, makes him a constant handful for opposing offenses.
Newman is verbally committed to Central Michigan.
8. Luke Brodnicki, senior, Hudsonville
Brodnicki has been a big part of Hudsonville’s recent success, which has won the OK Red conference the last two years and reached the 2024 Division 1 state finals. In 2025, Brodnicki played defensive tackle, primarily as a three-technique, and tight end.
The 6-foot-4, 270-pound senior recorded 35 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three sacks and six passes swatted down. Brodnicki provides consistent knockback against runs, compressing lanes, and draws lots of attention to free up teammates. He is a smart player and shows it by sniffing out screens or knowing exactly when to jump up and knock down a slant.
Brodnicki is verbally committed to Grand Valley State.
9. Jeremiah McCall, junior, Harper Woods
McCall was a two-way starter as a sophomore, lining up on the defensive line and at offensive tackle for the Pioneers. He will transition to primarily defense as a junior, according to coach Rod Oden.
He recorded 39 tackles, including 14 for loss, six sacks and one forced fumble while missing multiple games due to injury. He played a key role in Harper Woods’ 41-32 road win over Division 1 contender Saline, primarily lining up from the interior. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior excels at diagnosing plays quickly and shedding a guard or tackle to blow up a run.
McCall has 10 Division 1 scholarship offers, including from Michigan State, Iowa, Washington and Nebraska.
10. Dylan Volpe, junior, Port Huron
Voted a team captain as a sophomore, Volpe was a key two-way player up front for a 7-4 Port Huron in 2025.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pound junior had 32 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and five sacks last year. He also had a special teams impact with three blocked extra points. Volpe helped Port Huron mitigate the run game at the line of scrimmage, moving between defensive tackle and end, while playing guard for an offense that averaged 7.6 yards per carry. He has a great first step and heavy hands to knock back linemen.
Volpe is being recruited by MAC schools, including the three in-state options, and has picked up a Power 4 offer from Florida State. He also has a few Big Ten visits scheduled for the fall.
Honorable mention
Players are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Gavin Bouma, Grand Rapids South Christian.
Landen Braska, DeWitt.
Will Cartwright, Warren De La Salle.
Malik Cipullo, Birmingham Groves.
Cash Cooper, Jackson Lumen Christi.
Keleian Elem, Birmingham Brother Rice.
Devin Geiger, Ubly.
Josh Gonzales, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
Harvey Grove, Gladwin.
Ryan Hodges, Belleville.
Joe Halonen, Calumet.
Jason Hubbell, Grosse Pointe North.
Tristan Hunter, West Bloomfield.
Dawoud Issa, Saline.
Narrel Jordan, Port Huron Northern.
David Kish, Maple City Glen Lake.
Dylan Kruscamp, Clare.
Martez Livingston, Detroit Cass Tech.
Zion Malone, Canton.
Reggie Mitchell, Burton Bendle.
Gavyn Neal, Madison Heights Madison.
Devon Oubeck, Trenton.
Grady Patrick, Zeeland West.
Lucas Pinder, Portage Northern.
Tayshawn Proctor, Romeo.
Darryl Pruitt, Detroit King.
Ja’Mari Riley, Detroit King.
Jace Shaw, Petoskey.
Marquay Smith, Burton Atherton.
Tailor Thomas, Detroit Cass Tech.
Kingston Ware, Saginaw Heritage.
Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.
Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jramsey@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan high school football: Best defensive linemen entering 2026
Reporting by Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
