Jamarkus Pittman

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-5, 325 lbs. Taller than 81% and heavier than 100% of 2027 Defensive Line prospects in the SEC Scouts database (26 with a listed size).

Play Style

Physical, straight-ahead interior lineman who wins with power first. He looks best when he can get into the center or guard, drive the blocker into the backfield, and shed to make the tackle, which explains his high TFL total. As a pass rusher he mainly collapses the pocket with a bull rush rather than winning the edge with speed. His sacks come from pushing the pocket and from effort, not from a developed plan of moves. Playing both ways at MASE means some of his snaps come in a tired, two-way role, so his technique is still raw, but he stays active for the whole game.

Strengths

• He makes plays behind the line: 15 TFL and 8 sacks in one sophomore season is disruptive production for an interior lineman, not just a run-plugger's numbers, even with the Class 1A competition level taken into account
• Natural size and base: at 320 he can take on double teams and hold the point of attack as a 0/1-technique right away, which lets linebackers play free
• Strength: his shot put marks and his heavy hands at contact point to a powerful bull rush he can build a pass-rush plan around
• Proven recruit and a stable commitment: offers from Georgia, Michigan and Texas mean SEC and Big Ten staffs independently graded him as a Power Four starter, and his public reasons for picking Ole Miss (relationships, the defensive scheme) show he was thinking about fit

Areas to Improve

• Footwork and pad level. The public evaluation that came with his rankings slide specifically flags footwork, and a 6-3/320 player who plays upright will get washed out by SEC guards. He needs to fire out lower and consistently win with leverage.
• Moving up in competition. Most of his production came against Class 1A offensive lines, so he needs to show the same hand use and get-off at Under Armour All-America practices and in his senior film against better opponents.
• Weight management. The move from 300 to 320 has to be good weight. If he keeps climbing without better movement, he gets pigeonholed as a two-down nose tackle.

College Projection

Projects as a nose or 1-technique who can also play some 3-technique in Ole Miss's even front. His realistic path is to rotate in during his first year, possibly redshirt, and push for starting snaps as a redshirt freshman or sophomore once his footwork and conditioning catch up to his size. SEC programs cycle interior linemen in 8-to-10-man rotations, which gives a player with his body type early rotational reps against the run. Note the coaching change: Lane Kiffin, the head coach when Pittman committed, has since left for LSU. His commitment has held through at least spring 2026, but whether the defensive line staff that recruited him is still in place should be watched through the December signing period.

NFL Outlook

Mid-to-late round draft potential if he develops. Big interior linemen who can hold up against the run always have NFL value, and at 6-3/320 with verified power he has an NFL body type. Moving from a possible early-round pick to a likely mid-round pick depends on developing pass-rush moves and lateral quickness. Without that, his realistic ceiling is a Day 3 run-defending nose tackle who backs up a starter.

Best Fit

An SEC or Big Ten program with a deep defensive-line rotation and a proven interior line coach, running a 4-man front where the nose is asked to anchor and occupy blockers, with a clear 1-technique role. Ole Miss's even front, which rotates defensive linemen heavily, fits well if the defensive staff stays stable. Programs that value two-gap anchors, like Georgia's system, would also get the most out of him.