Damari Simeon

Physical Profile

Simeon was 6-3, 275 at commitment, reported at 6-3, 290 for his senior season, checked in at 6-2, 288 on Ohio State's spring roster, and is listed at 6-2, 292 entering the 2026 season. That is a roughly 17-pound gain in about a year while keeping the movement skills that drove his ranking. He is a compact, dense build with a low center of gravity rather than a long-armed frame, which suits a 3-technique more than a 5-technique edge role. The evaluator consensus centers on his athleticism for the size: On3's Cody Bellaire called him 'one of the freakier movers along the defensive line we have seen this season,' and multiple reports flag his burst and lateral agility as the defining traits. The lower-body strength that let him hold his ground in New Jersey Non-Public A now has a Big Ten-ready weight behind it.

Play Style

Simeon is a penetrating, disruptive interior lineman who plays the game in the opponent's backfield. His signature is getting off the ball ahead of the blocker, using quick hands to slip or shed, and closing on the ball with a suddenness that shows up as tackles for loss rather than clean-up tackles. He reads and flows laterally well for an interior player, which is why St. Augustine could shift him outside and let him chase. He is more quick-twitch disruptor than bull-rusher at this stage; the power is there, but the film shows him winning with timing and movement first. Senior year he moved from 47 tackles and 9 TFL as a junior to 39 tackles with 16 TFL and 4.5 sacks, a more efficient, backfield-heavy line that mirrors the 3-technique role he was recruited for.

Strengths

• First-step burst and gap penetration: his film is built on beating the snap and getting into the backfield, and his production backs it up with 35 career tackles for loss and 16 TFL in his senior season alone.
• Lateral quickness and change of direction at 290-plus pounds, repeatedly described as elite for his size, which lets him work across a blocker's face and chase plays down the line.
• Active, quick hands to shed and disengage, paired with natural lower-body power so he is not just a finesse penetrator; St. Augustine used him inside and outside, so he has reps at multiple alignments.
• Proven competitor in camp settings against real competition: earned defensive-line MVP at Syracuse's camp in June 2024 and built his four-star ranking largely on the spring and summer camp circuit.
• Productive four-year varsity career with three seasons as a starter: 131 tackles, 35 TFL, 10 sacks, an interception and forced fumbles, plus two first-team all-conference selections.

Areas to Improve

• Pass-rush move inventory: his sack totals (2.5 as a junior, 4.5 as a senior, 10 career) trail his TFL production, and evaluators noted he needs more counters beyond his initial burst to win consistently against Big Ten guards.
• Anchor consistency against double teams and down blocks: he was still 275 at commitment and has been adding mass to hold up inside; the added weight must translate into play strength without dulling his quickness.
• Pad level and leverage as he grows heavier, so he stays a low-hipped penetrator rather than becoming an upright body catcher.
• Length is average for the position at 6-2, so he will need to win with hand timing and placement rather than reach, especially when tackles get first contact in odd fronts.

College Projection

He was recruited as a 3-technique with the flexibility to play 5-technique in three-man fronts. As an early enrollee already at 292 pounds and named by the head coach among the defensive tackle depth after fall camp, the realistic 2026 role is situational rotational snaps behind established players such as Eddrick Houston, John Walker and Will Smith Jr., with special-teams and late-game reps rather than a redshirt. By 2027 he projects as a primary rotation piece, and the realistic ceiling is a two-year starter at 3-technique from 2028 onward. Ohio State's interior line turns over annually, so his window opens sooner than the depth chart suggests.

NFL Outlook

Legitimate draftable profile if development tracks. The athletic markers (burst, lateral movement at nearly 300 pounds) are the traits NFL evaluators pay for at 3-technique, and the Ohio State defensive line pipeline gives him the coaching and exposure. The concerns are length (6-2) and a still-developing pass-rush plan, which historically cap this body type at Day 2 to Day 3 unless the interior pressure numbers become consistent. Realistic outlook is a mid-round pick after a fourth or fifth year if he becomes a two-year starter with double-digit TFL production; the ceiling rises if he builds a full rush arsenal and pushes into the 300-pound range without losing quickness.

Best Fit

An attacking, one-gap 4-3 or hybrid front that lets him line up at 3-technique and fire off the ball, which is exactly what Ohio State runs. He is at his best in a scheme that values upfield penetration and interior pressure over two-gap, hold-the-point nose tackle work. Programs with a strong defensive line development track record and heavy rotation, where he can play 25-35 snaps a game at max effort, maximize his burst. He would be a poor fit as a 0-technique in a static 3-4.