Tyzon Swann isn't your average sophomore. The 6'5", 250-pound defensive lineman out of Henry E. Lackey High School in Indian Head, Maryland, has been drawing college coaches like moths to a porch light for the better part of two years, and now he's finally starting to narrow things down.
According to Rivals recruiting insider Hayes Fawcett, Swann has trimmed his list to 9 schools. That's a big deal for a kid ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect in the entire 2028 Rivals300 class — not just among linemen, among everybody. When a recruit with that kind of national pull starts making cuts, it's less about elimination and more about him signaling who's actually still in the room.
The path to this point has been a full-blown recruiting circus. Swann has racked up offers from close to 50 Division I programs, and his 2025 spring and summer visit swing reportedly touched blue bloods and rising powers alike — think Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, USC, Michigan, Maryland, LSU and Colorado, among others, all trying to get in front of him. Deion Sanders and Colorado reportedly made a late push, and Penn State has been floated as an early favorite by some outlets, though nothing's been decided.
The résumé backing up all that attention isn't hype. Swann posted a ridiculous sophomore season with 50 tackles for loss and 16 sacks, while also getting run at tight end — the kind of two-way dominance that makes recruiting departments panic and start booking flights. He's currently rated as the top defensive lineman in the class, period.
Cutting down to 9 schools this early in a 2028 recruitment is notable mostly because it isn't required — nobody's making Swann pick a top group yet. That he's doing it anyway suggests he's got a real process in mind rather than just soaking up attention for two more recruiting cycles. Whoever ends up on that shortened list should expect the pace to pick up fast.
There's still a long runway before National Signing Day rolls around for the class of 2028, and plenty of time for programs to fall in or out of favor. But for a No. 8 overall prospect with 16 sacks on his sophomore tape, every update from here on out is going to matter to a lot of fan bases.