2013 Football Recruiting Rankings: Defensive Line

National Signing Day 2013 is right around the corner and Athlon Sports is releasing its position-by-position rankings for the Class of 2013 based on the Athlon Consensus 100. Who is left on the board? Who has the best class at one position? Who had positional needs to fill? And, obviously, who are the stars of tomorrow fans can look forward to at every position?

The defensive line is the new high profile football position. More nationally ranked prospects are left uncommitted along the defensive line than any other position on the field and the recruiting sagas are something out of a daytime TV script. Three of the top four and four of the top 10 are still on the board including the nation's No. 1 player Robert Nkemdiche. The former Clemson Tigers verbal is now apparently set to pick between Ole Miss and LSU.

Speaking of LSU, should the Tigers land Nkemdiche, Les Miles' defensive line class would have to be considered one of the best in history. The Bayou Bengals already have three AC100 commitments in Frank Herron (No. 70), Greg Gilmore (No. 73) and Kendell Beckwith (No. 77) as well as two other nationally ranked prospects in Christian Lecouture and Maquedius Bain. It is easily the best D-line haul in the nation.

Many point to the SEC's defensive lines as the key reason why the conference is dominating college football. The SEC is poised to land three of the five uncommitted AC100 defensive lineman. If that happens, the seven-time BCS champions would claim 13 of the top 19 defensive lineman in the nation. Currently, seven different SEC schools have an AC100 D-Lineman committed with Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss still competing for Nkemdiche, Dee Liner and Montravius Adams.

Out West, USC has three commitments at the key position including a top-ten talent in Kenny Bigelow. If Eddie Vanderdoes re-commits to the Trojans, it would give Lane Kiffin two of the top three prospects in the nation and four total nationally ranked tackles or ends. This group would be second only to LSU nationally if Vanderdoes picks USC.

Tosh Lupoi's influence is also being felt on the West Coast as the star defensive line coach and ace recruiter has Washington poised to sign a pair of top prospects in Elijah Qualls and Daeshon Hall — both of whom rank in the top 150 nationally. Otherwise, the rest of the Pac-12, and most of the Big 12 for that matter, is noticeably absent from the defensive line rankings. 

2013 Positional Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | DB | ATH

View the complete 2013 Athlon Consensus 100

Recruiting Videos:

AC100 On Campus: Su'a Cravens
AC100 On Campus: Jalen Ramsey
AC100 On Campus: Ethan Pocic
AC100 On Campus: Robbie Rhodes
AC100 On Campus: Jalin Marshall
AC100 On Campus: Jake Raulerson
AC100 On Campus: Cameron Burrows
AC100 On Campus: Dontre Wilson
AC100 On Campus: Taco Charlton
AC100 On Campus: Torii Hunter Jr., Part I
AC100 On Campus: Torii Hunter Jr., Part II
AC100 On Campus: Josh Banderas, Part I
AC100 On Campus: Josh Banderas, Part II