As we head towards a new football season, IdahoSports.com is once again getting fans ready by unveiling the Top 10 players at each position.  These lists feature players from all corners of the state, and from all six classification levels.  Each week, we'll publish a new list of Top 10 players.  Here's the schedule:

July 6 (Offensive Linemen)

July 14 (Defensive Linemen)

July 16 (Special Teams)

July 20 (Running Backs)

July 27 (Linebackers)

August 3 (Wide Receivers/Tight Ends)

August 10 (Defensive Backs)

August 17 (Quarterbacks)

These selections are listed in alphabetical order by school.  These opinions are my own, and I made these selections based on a number of factors, including: returning All-State or All-Conference pedigree, college recruiting hype, and the good old-fashioned eye test.

Disagree?  Send me an email at brandon@idahosports.com.

Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Defensive Linemen to watch out for in 2026.  

Jack Henderson, 12, Bishop Kelly

When it comes to college recruiting, Henderson is not just one of Idaho’s highest-rated defensive line prospects.  He’s one of Idaho’s highest-ranked players period.  The proof is in the pudding, as the 6-foot-3, 235-pound rusher fielded offers from 12 different Division I schools, and eventually settled on the University of Utah.  Henderson will now try to repeat as 5A state champion at Bishop Kelly, and improve upon his stat line from 2025: 55 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Ethan Minegar, 12, Cole Valley Christian

Ethan Minegar can best be described as a Swiss Army Knife.  The Snake River Valley Conference Special Teams Player of the Year was also a 1st Team All-SRV selection at wide receiver a year ago.  But it’s his skills on the defensive side of the ball that have college coaches calling.  Playing at linebacker, and also as a stand-up rusher on the edge, Minegar finished 2025 with 66 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.  Impressively, five Division I schools (Air Force, Army, Cornell, Idaho State and Navy) have given Minegar an offer.

Blake Clark, 12, Deary

Clark has been a 1st Team All-Whitepine League selection in both his sophomore and junior seasons, and for good reason.  The 6-foot defensive end notched 87 tackles overall to pair with 18 tackles for loss last season.  The dynamic playmaker added four sacks, one interception and one fumble recovery.

Nathan Kimberling, 12, Kendrick

Opponents had to pick their poison against Kendrick in 2025.  Now graduated defensive end Colt Koepp led the entire state with 27.5 sacks, but his fellow bookend, Kimberling, was no slouch.  Kimberling racked up 19 sacks and forced two fumbles, with most of that work done in only half of the contest each week.  Because Kendrick often had gigantic leads at halftime, Kimberling and the rest of the Tigers’ starters often sat in the second half while the backups played.

Kaden Dille, 11, Kimberly

Dille seemed to live in the opposing team’s backfield last year as a sophomore.  The 6-foot-2, 225-pound defensive tackle registered 68 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks as Kimberly surged all the way to the 4A state championship game.

Parker Bagley, 12, Lewiston

There’s been no shortage of suitors for this 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive end.  But earlier this summer, Bagley ended the speculation and committed to Boise State, where he is expected to slide inside to defensive tackle.  Bagley is also a state champion in wrestling who claimed the Class 5A heavyweight title last winter.

Collins Hirschi, 11, Madison

Hirschi stands 6-foot-2 and 225-pounds and can play at defensive end or defensive tackle for the Bobcats, depending on the package and personnel.  He also just picked up his first Division I offer from the University of Idaho.  Not bad for a player with two years of high school ball still ahead of him.

Irie Adolpho, 12, Rigby

Five years ago, Irie’s older brother Tiger was listed among our Top 10 Quarterbacks ahead of the 2021 season, and Tiger eventually took his talents to Division I Weber State.  Irie’s job duties are decidedly different from his brother’s, as the 6-foot, 220-pounder has wrecked the opposition as a quick-burst nose tackle the past two seasons for the Trojans.  That experience playing inside will serve him well at the next level.

Evert Eells, 12, Vallivue

This 6-foot-3, 225-pound defensive end is Idaho’s top returning sack-master (among 11-man players) in 2026.  Eells finished with 15.5 sacks a year ago and added a staggering 23 tackles for loss among his 92 stops overall.  The Southern Idaho Conference Defensive Player of the Year is currently fielding offers from Carroll College, the College of Southern Idaho and Division I Utah Tech.

Reece Williams, 12, Wallace

Williams may not have the size of some of his other defensive line contemporaries, but the 6-foot, 185-pound lineman definitely has the speed and burst to excel at defensive end.  A 1st Team All-State selection a year ago, Williams notched 101 tackles, including 19 tackles for loss.  He also finished with nine sacks and three forced fumbles.