Where Some of College Football’s Top 2025 Defensive Recruits Have Committed So Far

August was a busy month for the class of 2025 in terms of recruiting for college football, with several of the nation’s top prospects stepping down from the board and committing to a program.

Eight new players, four in attack and four in defense, who were ranked in the top 20 by a major recruiting website have finally decided to commit. Let’s take a closer look at each situation and what each player brings to their next team.

Here are some notable defensive prospects who signed this month:

Five-star OLB Jonah Williams | Texas

One of the most recent commitments was five-star outside linebacker Jonah Williams, who is headed to Texas. This is a major win for head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns.

With many of Texas’ top prospects leaving, including five-star cornerback Devin Sanchez (Ohio State), five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore (Oregon), five-star tackles Michael Fasusi (Oklahoma) and Ty Haywood (Alabama), Williams is a much-needed addition to the Longhorns.

Williams, considered a freak athlete at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, has the ability to play safety, which provides great positional versatility at the next level. Additionally, the five-star is expected to play baseball at Texas as a two-sport athlete.

The five-star player is now the headliner of a strong recruiting class for the Longhorns that also includes five-star in-state receiver Kaliq Lockett, four-star in-state defensive end Lance Jackson and four-star outside linebacker Elijah Barnes.

Williams is expected to start at safety for the Longhorns, given the team’s depth at that position. If that proves to be the best choice, he could move to linebacker.

Five star DL Iose Epenesa | Iowa

Five-star defenseman Iose Epenesa continued the family tradition when he signed with the Iowa Hawkeyes, following in the footsteps of his older brother AJ Epenesa.

Epenesa is a top-20 recruit in the 2025 class, a 6’3″, 265-pound lineman and is considered the best defensive end in the cycle. It was a major win for the Hawkeyes, who have a track record of producing NFL players like older brother A.J.

Earlier this summer, the five-star prospect visited Iowa, Miami, Missouri and Utah before ultimately committing to the Hawkeyes before the start of his high school season.

Epenesa becomes Iowa’s top recruit in the Class of 2025, with four-star tight end Thomas Meyer ranking second in the top 250.

Epenesa, who will be attending Edwardsville High School in Illinois this year, has 122 tackles and 15 sacks in his first three years of high school. Now that his college decision is behind him, he’s looking to finish the year strong and maintain his five-star status.

Five-Star EDGE Jared Smith | Auburn

One of the top edge rushers in the class of 2025, five-star Jared Smith, committed to the Auburn Tigers earlier this month, remaining in the state of Alabama.

Smith was a huge win and capped off an extremely successful week for head coach Hugh Freeze and Auburn, following their big recruiting weekend on July 27.

After several top programs showed interest, Smith chose Auburn over other finalists South Carolina, Ole Miss, Georgia, Florida State and USC.

At 6-foot-1, 245 pounds, the five-star prospect has elite size and strong lateral power, which is why Auburn coveted him as a pass rusher in their 2025 class.

Auburn’s recruiting class is now considered one of the top five teams in the country, with 23 commitments in the class and 15 of them rated at least four stars, many of whom are considered among the top 100 recruits by one of the major recruiting services.

At Auburn, Smith will team up with his high school teammate Anquon Fegans, who is ranked the No. 36 prospect and No. 2 overall in the nation by ESPN.

Five Star S Trey McNutt | Oregon

The top safety of the 2025 draft also left the court this month, when top player Trey McNutt committed to the Oregon Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning.

McNutt, ranked among the nation’s top 20 players by Rivals, is originally from Ohio but decided to commit to Texas A&M and Oregon before joining the Ducks this month.

The five-star prospect played both ways in high school, finishing with 61 tackles, three tackles for loss, 12 pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 2023. He also amassed 611 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns on the offensive end.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound McNutt is expected to play safety at the next level. He is viewed as the No. 2 prospect in Oregon’s 2025 class, behind five-star wideout Dakorien Moore, one of the cycle’s top five recruits.

During his recruitment, McNutt saw interest from all over the country, receiving 37 offers. However, he decided to focus on a few select schools, ultimately choosing Oregon and Texas A&M.

With McNutt in the fold, Oregon now has at least five top-100 recruits in its 2025 class, while having 15 total players committed thus far.