Memphis Central defensive lineman Joshua Lane commits to Memphis

2027 defensive lineman Joshua Lane committed to Memphis Saturday night after spending the weekend on an official visit. Lane is a local prospect who attends Memphis Central, and he’s the first player to commit since Jonathan Toney committed on Monday.

Lane isn’t ranked by 247Sports or Rivals, but he holds 14 offers, including a Power Four offer from Ole Miss. The previous staff showed interest in the defensive lineman, but Charles Huff and his staff officially offered Lane on April 27.

According to MaxPreps, Lane began playing varsity during his sophomore season, and he recorded 22 tackles, four tackles for loss and a sack in seven games. The sophomore recorded 10 tackles, two tackles for a loss and a sack in an October game against Kingsbury.

As a junior, Lane appeared in 10 games, and he recorded 69 tackles, including 19 solo tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack. Lane had three games with 12 or more tackles, and he finished with a season-high 15 tackles against Brighton, according to MaxPreps. 

In that game, he recorded six solo tackles and three tackles for a loss. 

Lane helped lead Memphis Central to a 9-3 record last season, including an 8-2 regular season. The Warriors lost to Centennial in the second round of the playoffs.

Memphis Central held opponents to 22 points per game and 12.5 points per game at home.

After a successful junior season, Lane looks to be a leader for the Warriors' defense in 2026.

He becomes the second Memphis high school prospect to commit in the class of 2027, joining Whitehaven cornerback Malik Dean. The cornerback will attend Whitehaven for his senior season, but he played at Germantown last year.

Huff emphasized local recruiting during his introductory press conference, and it appears his staff is hitting the ground running. 

“We’re going to be urgent and aggressive in recruiting,” Huff said. “I truly believe some of the best football and football coaches are right here in Memphis.”

It could be more difficult to make an impact on class of 2027 players because they have been recruited by coaches for more than a year, so it’s impressive to see the staff land local players in back-to-back weeks.

The Tigers’ 2027 class now stands at six commits, and they have two commits on the defensive side of the ball with the addition of Lane and Dean. Last weekend Memphis secured multiple commitments following official visits, and it will be interesting to see if the Tigers land any more recruits over the next few days.