Class of 2027 DT: Jaxon Pacheco

Patrick Harkness • August 4, 2026

Jaxon Pacheco- @JaxonPacheco

6-2/300

Brick, NJ


Wingspan: 78”

Hands: 10.5”

GPA: 3.5


Verified athletic testing (UA Next Football NJ Combine):

•  Shuttle: 4.41 (100th percentile among DTs)

•  L-Drill: 7.28 (100th percentile among DTs)

•  10-yard split: 1.82 (93rd percentile)

•  UC Score: 85%


Pacheco is a powerful, high-motor interior disruptor with rare movement skills for a 300-pounder. He fires off the ball with urgency, uses heavy/violent hands, and shows the ability to win with both power and speed.


•  First-step & gap attack: Quick feet and suddenness into the A/B gap. He can long-arm and walk blockers backward or club/rip through the outside shoulder on outside rushes.


•  Bend & flexibility: Displays surprising ankle/knee flexibility and body control for his size, can dip and flatten to the quarterback or redirect laterally.


•  Motor & pursuit: Sideline-to-sideline effort is a hallmark. He chases plays down and rarely takes snaps off.


•  Hand usage & counters: Offseason work has expanded the toolbox. Still refining consistency of counters versus better competition, but the foundation is there.


•  Run defense: Holds the point well against single blocks and can two-gap or penetrate depending on scheme. Strong lower body and leverage.


•  Pass rush: Flashes of pocket collapse and pressure. Not yet a finished product as a pure pass rusher, but the testing and bend give a very high ceiling.


#RollWave


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Tulane football player in green jersey and black headband, facing forward with neutral expression

Class of 2026 Spotlight: Chan Lumpkin

By Patrick Harkness • August 4, 2026
LB 
Chan Lumpkin 6-4/220 Butler, GA 
Chandarin “Chan” Lumpkin is a versatile linebacker prospect from the Class of 2026, known for his athleticism and multi-positional capabilities. 
He played primarily as a middle linebacker (MLB) and wide receiver (WR) during his high school career, but projects best as an outside linebacker with coverage ability or could be a bandit at the collegiate level. 
Lumpkin signed with Tulane University on December 3, 2025, after committing on June 24, 2025, choosing the Green Wave over offers from programs like Memphis, East Carolina, Rice, South Florida, Appalachian State, and others. 
He hails from Taylor County High School in Butler, Georgia (with earlier time at Rockdale County High School in Conyers, Georgia), where he also competed in basketball.  
Scouting Report: 
Versatility and Position Flexibility: Excelled at both linebacker and wide receiver in high school, with potential to play strong safety in college due to his coverage skills. Described as a “do-it-all defensive player” who can line up anywhere in the secondary or at edge. 
Coverage Skills: Excels in open space, with the ability to cover receivers on the perimeter. Good feet, hips, and instincts allow him to drop into coverage effectively, break on the ball, and play tight man coverage. Has good hands for interceptions. 
Tackling and Physicality: A punishing hitter who “knows how to hit and can lay the boom.” Strong tackler who supports the run well, delivers big hits to ball carriers, and isn’t afraid to come up and lay a hit. Effective at setting the edge against the run as an edge prospect. 
Instincts and Football IQ: Smart player with excellent read-and-react ability. Good instincts help him diagnose plays quickly, cause turnovers (forced fumbles and interceptions), and make plays on the ball. Tracks the ball well in the air and has hops to high-point it. 
Athleticism: Plays fast and aggressive, with good speed for his size. Versatile enough to contribute in the run-stopping game and create chaos. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
Tulane University football commitment graphic featuring Jordan McAllister on a stadium field in green and white

Transfer Portal Spotlight:
Jordan McAllister

By Patrick Harkness • August 4, 2026
Bandit 
Jordan McAllister - UNH 
Bandit Jordan McAllister fits Tulane as a 6’3”, 239-pound twitchy, high-motor EDGE rusher with elite FCS production as a TFL/sack/forced-fumble machine, explosive bend, and speed-to-power versatility who immediately slots into the open Bandit (rush end/hybrid EDGE) role in Tulane’s 3-3-5 tite defense while adding instant pressure and competition to a revamped front. 
He’s a redshirt junior transfer from New Hampshire (FCS/CAA) who committed on January 11, 2026, via the portal. A product of Seton Hall Prep in South Orange/West Orange, NJ, he has two years of eligibility remaining (#15). 
Athletic Profile and Scheme Fit: Tulane’s defense (under the current staff and new DC Taylor Polk) runs a 3-3-5 tite defense where the Bandit is the stand-up rush end/hybrid EDGE who creates havoc with speed off the edge, bend around tackles, and violent hands in the run game. McAllister is a natural plug-and-play fit. 
• Explosiveness and pass-rush traits: Twitchy first-step quickness, bend, and speed-to-power combo that produced consistent pressures and sacks at the FCS level, exactly the profile needed to replace departed Bandits like Harvey Dyson (transferred to NC State) and Mo Westmoreland (graduated). 
• Disruptiveness and motor: High-effort finisher who piles up TFLs, forced fumbles, and quarterback hits; already flashing in spring scrimmages with strip sacks and big plays as the Bandit. 
• Versatility and intangibles: Can play stand-up or hand-down; brings P4-level interest (chose Tulane over Missouri, Wisconsin, and Illinois) and proven production against quality competition. Tulane targeted FCS standouts like him to inject immediate edge juice into the trenches. #RollWave Make sure to follow Patrick Harkness on X
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