Average Size of SEC Defensive Linemen 2024 (Height & Weight)
I’ve been a collegiate sports performance coach for 20 years. One thing I always loved doing was going through and checking out the sizes of the other teams in our conference.
It helped give me (and our staff) an idea of how we stacked up against our competition. It also could be used as motivation with our team both during the season and, oftentimes, during the following off-season.
So, this is essentially the same research I’ve always done, but now I’m sharing it with you. I took starting depth charts for each team in the SEC going into the 2023 season, around 350 players total and broke them down by position.
For this guide, I took an average of the heights and weights of the over 50 starting Defensive Linemen* (Tackles and Ends) across the conference. In addition, just for fun, I listed the tallest, shortest, heaviest and lightest Defensive Linemen as well.
Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random football knowledge.
Average Height of an SEC Defensive Lineman
The average height of an SEC Defensive Lineman is 75.88 inches (almost 6’4″).
Average Weight of an SEC Defensive Lineman
Weights of Defensive Linemen vary widely because it’s really two entirely different positions grouped together.
Many (if not most) Defensive Tackles are 300-plus pounds, but speed rushing ends can often be 250 pounds or less (although it’s becoming more and more common for those positions to be filled by players who are 260+).
The average weight of an SEC Defensive Lineman is 290.98 pounds.
Want to see how SEC Defensive Linemen compare with the size of NFL Defensive Tackles? Good news, I’ve run the numbers on the guys at the next level too. (Spoiler Alert: the numbers for NFL and SEC linemen are exceptionally close)
Who Are The Tallest Defensive Linemen in the SEC?
There are 8 guys listed at 6’6″ or taller in the SEC. 4 of them are Tackles and 4 of them are Ends.
| Name | Height | Weight | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yilanan Ouattara | 6’7″ | 305 | Vanderbilt |
| Landon Jackson | 6’7″ | 281 | Arkansas |
| Cam Jackson | 6’6″ | 371 | Florida |
| Deone Walker | 6’6″ | 348 | Kentucky |
| Maason Smith | 6’6″ | 315 | LSU |
| Sai’vion Jones | 6’6″ | 280 | LSU |
| Jatius Geer | 6’6″ | 243 | South Carolina |
| Darren Agu | 6’6″ | 242 | Vanderbilt |
Who are the Shortest Defensive Linemen in the SEC?
On the opposite end of the height scale, there are 3 players listed at 6’1″, the shortest in the conference (2 DTs and a DE).
| Name | Height | Weight | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mekhi Wingo | 6’1″ | 295 | LSU |
| Realus George Jr | 6’1″ | 289 | Missouri |
| Jalen McLeod | 6’1″ | 237 | Auburn |
Who are the Heaviest Defensive Linemen in the SEC?
There are 3 guys in the conference listed at over 340 pounds and, not surprisingly, all three are interior linemen. What perhaps is surprising is just how much bigger (23 pounds) the absolute mountain of a man named Cam Jackson is at the University of Florida than every other lineman.
| Name | Height | Weight | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Jackson | 6’6″ | 371 | Florida |
| Deone Walker | 6’6″ | 348 | Kentucky |
| Justin Rogers | 6’3″ | 346 | Auburn |
Who are the Lightest Defensive Linemen in the SEC?
As I stated earlier, while it is becoming more and more rare, you can still find edge-rushing Defensive Ends who weigh under 250 pounds. There are 7 starting Ends* in the conference under that 250 mark.
| Name | Height | Weight | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Harrison | 6’2″ | 235 | Tennessee |
| Jalen McLeod | 6’1″ | 237 | Auburn |
| Darren Agu | 6’6″ | 242 | Vanderbilt |
| Jordan Strachan | 6’5″ | 243 | South Carolina |
| Jatius Geer | 6’6″ | 243 | South Carolina |
| Aeneas DiCosmo | 6’3″ | 247 | Vanderbilt |
| Joe Moore | 6’2″ | 248 | Missouri |
Important Notes
As a former sports scientist who poured through and analyzed Catapult data to help us make real actionable decisions on weekly practice loads, I must stress that these ‘averages’ should be used for entertainment purposes only.
Why do I say that?
There are multiple issues that can make all the data in this article flawed.
First and foremost, it’s pretty commonplace in athletics to lie about heights and weights. I worked at a school where it was standard procedure to add an inch and 10 pounds to every player on the roster.
Why?
The best answer that I was ever given is that it could potentially help with NFL scouting. However, I can’t imagine in 2023 that anyone is fooling an NFL scout with the size listed in a program. I think the real answer is it’s just part of the culture in sports.
*I used the heights and weights of all the projected starters leading into Week 0. Whether it’s through injury or performance, starters can and will change throughout the season.
And, if a couple of 6’8″ 350-pound players are swapped out with a couple of 6’2″ 250-pound players, the sample size is small enough that this could easily affect the overall averages.
Finally, I can tell you for a fact that players’ (probably most of all Linemen) weights can fluctuate pretty wildly from week to week and sometimes even day to day and, especially, over the course of a season.
Just because a guy weighed 305 on the first day of camp when weights were put in the program, does not mean that’s what he weighs Week 8.
So, have fun with the data above, but this is just a reminder to not take the numbers too seriously.
More Info
Want to see how these numbers compare to the average Heights and Weights of SEC Offensive Linemen?
Or, if you really want to have your mind blown, check out the best 40 times that some of these monster Defensive Tackles have put up over the years.
