Junior Kayvon Thibodeaux of Oaks Christian is the top-ranked defensive lineman in the CIF Southern and LA City Sections heading into the 2017 season. The 5-star weak-side defensive end is considered the No. 2 overall college football prospect in the Class of 2019, according to the 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.
Editor’s note: for our purposes, we consider Southern California to be the CIF-Southern Section and LA City Section.
Thibodeaux, who played his first two years of varsity ball at Dorsey, has over two dozen offers, including one from locals UCLA and USC. According to Dorsey’s MaxPreps’ statistics, the 6-5, 235-pounder, had 14 sacks in 2016.
The top defensive lineman in the Class of 2018 is Jeremiah Martin, Cajon’s weak-side defensive end. Martin has 15 scholarship offers from all over the country, including Alabama, Michigan, Texas A&M, plus locals UCLA and USC. He ranked as the No. 16 WDE in the nation, according the 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.
JSerra’s Abdul-Malik McClain is No. 2 in the SoCal area. McClain, who transferred from Santa Margarita, is considered a 3-star prospect with 11 scholarship offers. McClain had 7-and-a-half sacks in 2016.
Calabasas’ Mykee Irving is the top-ranked defensive lineman in the area in the Class of 2018. Like McClain, Irving is new to his team this year after transferring from Chaminade. Irving has one scholarship offer from UCLA.
No. 4 overall in the area is EJ Ane of Silver Valley, who has one offer from Washington.
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Of the Top 20 players in the Class of 2018, five players have given their verbal commitments.
Earlier this week, No. 5 Parks Gissinger of Chaminade committed to Michigan State. Gissinger led the Eagles with 6.5 sacks in 2016.
COMMITTED! pic.twitter.com/UInwC8vQZu
— Parks (@ParksGissinger) July 20, 2017
Bishop Amat defensive tackle Aaron Maldonado is staying close to home. Maldonado, who led the team with eight sacks in 2016, has given his verbal to UCLA.
Proud to announce that I have verbally committed to UCLA #8clap??? @trenchhogs pic.twitter.com/JoGZGg2mju
— Aaron Maldonado (@aaron_2118) March 19, 2017
Great Oak weak-side defensive end Brennan Jackson has chosen Washington State, while strong-side defensive end Joshka Gustav of Aquinas has given his verbal to Colorado and Roosevelt (Eastvale) SDE Andy Koch has committed to Oregon State.
Class of 2018 Defensive Linemen in CIF Southern & LA City Sections by 247Sports Composite Rankings
#1 Jeremiah Martin, WDE – Cajon – Uncommitted
#2 Abdul-Malik McClain, WDE – JSerra – Uncommitted
#3 Mykee Irving, DT – Calabasas – Uncommitted
#4 EJ Ane, WDE – Yucaipa – Uncommitted
#5 Parks Gissinger, WDE – Chaminade – Michigan State
#6 Aaron Maldonado, DT – Bishop Amat – UCLA
#7 Brennan Jackson, WDE – Great Oak – Washington State
#8 Joshka Gustav, SDE – Aquinas – Colorado
#9 Samuela Tuihalamaka, DT – Mater Dei – Uncommitted
#10 Timothy Mosley, WDE – Dorsey – Uncommitted
#11 Aaron Frost, DT – Long Beach Poly – Uncommitted
#12 Ahmir Crowder, DT – Crenshaw – Uncommitted
#13 Andrew Faoliu, WDE – Mater Dei – Uncommitted
#14 Alexandre Dumais, SDE – St. Paul – Uncommitted
#15 Sal Spina, DT – St. John Bosco – Uncommitted
#16 Andy Koch, SDE – Roosevelt (Eastvale) – Oregon State
#17 Kamakani Crosby, DT – Newbury Park – Uncommitted
#18 Peselao Gauta, DT – Garden Grove – Uncommitted
#19 Bryson Blackmon, DT -George – Hawkins – Uncommitted
#20 Marcus Wilson, WDE – Chaparral – Uncommitted
