College Football: Top-10 returning interior defenders for the 2026 season

• A.J. Holmes Jr. tops the list: The Texas Tech star was arguably the best defensive tackle from the 2025 season.
  
• Three schools have multiple players mentioned: Texas Tech, Oregon and Miami (FL) each have two interior defenders on this list. 
  
• 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The 2026 college football offseason is in full swing. With that, it’s time to start ranking the top-10 returning players at every single position.

We now turn our attention to the defensive side of the ball, starting with the interior defenders. There are plenty of stars returning to school at defensive tackle. In fact, three of the four most valuable Power Four interior defenders from 2025 are coming back.

Below is a list of PFF’s top 10 returning interior defenders in college football along with an honorable mention nominee. Please note that NFL projection was not taken into account in these rankings.

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1. A.J. Holmes Jr., Texas Tech

Holmes was a solid starter at Houston for a couple of years before having a massive breakout campaign in 2025 after transferring to Texas Tech. He finished the season as the most valuable interior defender in the nation according to PFF’s wins above average metric. The redshirt junior’s 88.1 run-defense grade was third in America while his 37 pressures were second in the Power Four. Holmes was named to PFF’s All-American team for his efforts, one of only two returning defensive players who can boast that (Leonard Moore). 

2. Will Echoles, Ole Miss

Echoles was a four-star recruit from the 2024 class, but he was listed as an interior offensive lineman coming out of high school. He’s proven through two years that getting after the quarterback is his calling card, not protecting them. 

Echoles led the Power Four in both pressures (39) and defensive stops (35). His six batted passes were also second in the nation. Only A.J. Holmes Jr. was more valuable among Power Four defensive tackles according to PFF’s WAA metric. 

3. David Stone, Oklahoma

Stone was a top-10 overall recruit from the 2024 class and showed why in his sophomore campaign. His 27 defensive stops were tied for seventh in the Power Four, while his 26 pressures tied for 15th. Stone has tremendous physical tools at 6-foot-3, 310 pounds that could have him drafted in the first round of the 2027 NFL Draft if he has a similarly dominant junior campaign.

4. A’Mauri Washington, Oregon

Washington surprised many by returning to the Ducks for his senior year despite being projected as a top-40 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He had a breakout season as a junior, placing third among Power Four interior defenders in PFF’s wins above average metric. 

Washington’s 80.0 PFF grade was 10th in the Power Four, while his 83.8 run-defense grade was ninth. He also led all defensive tackles in the FBS with eight batted passes. He’s a freak athlete at 6-foot-3, 330 pounds, hitting over 17 miles per hour according to PFF’s player tracking data. 

5. Ahmad Moten Sr., Miami (FL)

Miami may have lost both star edge defenders in Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor, but the Hurricanes brought back both of their stud defensive tackles in Moten and Justin Scott. 

The former is the fourth-most valuable returning Power Four interior defender from the 2025 season per PFF’s WAA metric. His 11% pass-rush win rate was also 15th in the Power Four. This is coming off a 2024 campaign where Moten posted 78.0-plus PFF grades as both a pass rusher and run defender.

6. Tyrique Tucker, Indiana

Tucker has spent his entire collegiate career with head coach Curt Cignetti, starting at James Madison for two seasons before playing the last two years at Indiana. His time with the Hoosiers has proven to be the most fruitful, tallying an 81.7 PFF grade since 2024. His seven sacks this season were tied for the most in the Power Four, while his 85.6 PFF run-defense grade over the last two years is the highest of anyone on this list. 

7. Francis Brewu, Notre Dame

The first of two transfers on this list, Brewu will star on Notre Dame’s defensive line following two very productive seasons at Pittsburgh. His 78.4 PFF grade this past season was 14th in the Power Four, as was his 74.0 PFF pass-rush grade. Brewu has also posted an 80.3 PFF run-defense grade for his career. Brewu fits the mold of former Pitt defensive tackles in Aaron Donald and Calijah Kancey in that he’s undersized (6-foot-2, 280 pounds) but still very productive. 

8. Justin Scott, Miami (FL)

The second Miami Hurricane on this list, Scott started to show in his sophomore year why he was a five-star recruit coming out of high school. Among returning Power Four interior defenders, he was the sixth-most valuable in 2025 according to our WAA metric. Scott’s 22 defensive stops were tied for fifth in the ACC, and he tallied 70-plus grades as both a pass rusher and run defender. He has great size and length at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds with rare movement skills. 

9. Tavion Gadson, Kentucky

Gadson could only play 35 snaps across his first two seasons at Kentucky due to a knee injury. He was able to suit up in 11 games this past season and showed a lot of promise as a redshirt sophomore, especially as a pass rusher.

Gadson’s 16.9% pass-rush win rate led all Power Four defensive tackles while his 81.5 PFF pass-rush grade was fifth in that same group. He was no slouch in the run game either, posting a 74.7 PFF run-defense grade. With a clean bill of health and a heavier snap count in 2026, Gadson could very easily rise on this list.

10. Bear Alexander, Oregon

Alexander has had a winding road throughout his career, playing for three schools in his first four seasons. He settled in at Oregon in 2025 following stops at Georgia and USC and produced the best season of his career. 

Alexander’s 31 defensive stops were tied for eighth in the FBS, and he was one of the 20 most valuable interior defenders in the Power Four per PFF’s WAA metric. He has an explosive first step along with a powerful upper body that makes Alexander a nightmare to handle for offensive linemen. Alexander seems to have finally found his home at Oregon and is a large part of arguably the best defensive line in college football going into the 2026 season.

Honorable Mention: Mateen Ibirogba, Texas Tech

Texas Tech is the third school to have multiple players mentioned on this list, joining Miami (FL) and Oregon. 

Ibirogba will partner with the top player on this list, A.J. Holmes Jr., after transferring in from Wake Forest. His 14.2% pass-rush win rate with the Demon Deacons in 2025 was fourth in the Power Four, while his 78.4 PFF pass-rush grade was sixth. Ibirogba cooled off down the stretch after a hot start to the year, but he should benefit from playing on a loaded Red Raiders defensive line, where offenses can’t solely gameplan around him.