Greg McElroy shares pick for No. 1 DL in college football: ‘It’s not a close call’
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ESPN’s Greg McElroy says there’s a clear choice for the No. 1 defensive line in college football entering the 2026 season.
McElroy is giving the nod to the Oregon Ducks, citing their elite talent both off the edge and on the interior. Oregon’s top interior linemen are Bear Alexander and A’Mauri Washington, who each had breakout seasons in 2025. As edge rushers, Oregon deploys Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei.
“You have two top-10 edge defenders and you also have two top-10 interior defenders,” McElroy. “Well, that’s going to lead to being the top defensive line in college football.
“I am pretty optimistic about this group. This is probably the best defensive line in the sport. I’m not sure I’m going to have a lot of people pushing back on that. You have four returning starters with legitimate first-round potential … Oregon, right now, the undisputed No. 1 defensive line in college football heading into the season.”
Here’s a full video of McElroy’s analysis:
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Oregon does have a new defensive coordinator this offseason following Tosh Lupoi’s departure to Cal. Dan Lanning hired Chris Hampton to fill that role this offseason.
Much of Oregon’s roster is set to return in 2026, though, as the Ducks make a College Football Playoff push. In addition to those 4 outstanding defensive linemen mentioned by McElroy, Oregon returns quarterback Dante Moore, receiver Dakorien Moore, cornerback Brandon Finney and several other key players from last year’s team.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
