Top 10 edge rushers in the final 2025 On300 rankings

The book on the 2025 recruiting class can officially be closed on Wednesday. Ahead of February’s National Signing Day, On3 has updated its player rankings for the final time — a list riddled with America’s best edge rushers.

Texas comes away with two of On3’s top five EDGEs in this class: Lance Jackson (No. 1) and Smith Orogbo (No. 5).

Below are the top 10 edge rushers in the class:

1. Lance Jackson — Texas

School: Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove
On300 Ranking: No. 5 NATL.

Scouting Summary: “‘First off the bus’ prospect who pairs outstanding size, athleticism and effort level to be one of the top EDGE prospects in the 2025 cycle. Measured in at 6-foot-5.25, 270 pounds at the On3 Elite Series prior to his senior season. Has plus length with 34-inch arms to go with 10-inch hands. Excellent weight distribution throughout his frame and looks to be a lean 270. Lines up as a defensive end and tight end for his high school. Dominant off the edge as a senior, tallying over 20 tackles for loss and double-digit sacks. Shows high level initial quickness. Continued to add flexibility as a senior. Dips his shoulder and bends the edge very well for such a big defensive end. Runs the hoop and finishes behind the line of scrimmage at a high rate. Length shows up in implementing a straight arm move. Has the capability to walk offensive tackles back to the quarterback with speed-to-power. An effective edge setter with his size and strength. Plays with a high effort level on defense. Shows his athleticism as a tight end, with the ability to stretch the seam. Physical as a blocker. Bigger than most EDGE prospects, opening up the possibility that he could outgrow the position. Will benefit from full-time focus on defense once he gets to college. Physical traits and play personality translate to all levels and point to a high upside as a potential early NFL Draft pick.”

2. Isaiah Gibson — Georgia

School: Warner Robins (Ga.)
On300 Ranking: No. 8 NATL.

Scouting Summary: “Big EDGE prospect who creates a mismatch with his combination of rare physical traits, athleticism and power. Measured in at 6-foot-3.25, 263 pounds at the On3 Elite Series prior to his senior season, but looks to have trimmed down significantly as a senior. Has elite length and a big frame, sporting 35-inch arms and 10.5 hands. Runs well in the combine setting. Translates his physical ability over to the field while playing top competition on Friday nights. Highly disruptive and productive working as a defensive end at his high school, oftentimes lining up as a standup pass rusher. Finished his junior season with 17 sacks. Converts speed to power with ease. Knifes through the offensive line as a straight line rusher. Fights through blocks. Shows the ability to beat double teams and finish with sacks. Has truly elite closing speed and is a violent finisher. Play speed and effort level allows him to make jaw-dropping plays in pursuit. Uses his length to corral ball carriers, sometimes with just one hand. Able to generate sacks that some others can’t due to his power and finishing ability. Also projects as a high-end edge setter due to his size and strength. Also plays basketball, showing his athleticism as a rim protector and dunker. Will need to continue honing his technical skill set as a pass rusher, adding moves to his repertoire. Winning more with his physical traits and effort at this stage. Ultimate size and positional fit is a bit ambiguous due to his fluctuating weight. Has a highly projectable skill set that points to an NFL future and the upside of being an early round pick.”

3. Tylon Lee — Florida State

School: Milton (Fla.) Pace
On300 Ranking: No. 24 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “Tylon Lee is an EDGE defender heading to Florida State that put up ungodly numbers during his senior season collecting 40 tackles-for-loss, 28 hurries and 6 sacks. His production was on another level this past season DOUBLING his tackles-for-loss total from his junior season. And at 6-foot-5.5, 265 pounds with 34-inch arms he possesses an elite frame that plays with an absurd motor. His tenacity and pursuit towards the football is rare and he combines that with tremendous burst and explosiveness off the line of scrimmage. Plus, Lee is a stout run defender that can contain and set the edge with his raw power and has a strong punch at the line of scrimmage. He has one of the highest floors of any prospect in the country and an unlimited ceiling, which is why he earned a 5th star for us at On3.”

4. Hayden Lowe — Miami

School: Los Angeles Oaks Christian
On300 Ranking: No. 27 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “The Navy All-American Bowl provided our first in-person evaluation of Hayden Lowe and the Miami signee looked like one of the top pass rushers on hand. At 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, Lowe has a big frame and looks to have added size over the past year. In addition to the stature, Lowe’s movement skills stood out. He is a twitchy athlete with his first-step quickness creating issues for opposing offensive linemen throughout 1-on-1’s and team periods in practice. Lowe showed some positional versatility throughout the week, lining up at multiple spots along the defensive line. At a position where physical and athletic traits are at a premium, Lowe’s natural gifts stood out in San Antonio.”

5. Smith Orogbo — Texas

School: Houston Alief Hastings
On300 Ranking: No. 38 NATL.

Scouting Summary: “Highly disruptive edge defender with a projectable frame, high effort level and the upside to become a dangerous pass rusher. Measured in at 6-foot-4 and around 220 pounds prior to his senior season. Has plus length and a big frame with 33 ⅞-inch arms and 9.75-inch hands. Added close to 20 pounds during his junior year. Lives in the backfield on Friday nights. Extremely active, as evidenced by his 100+ tackles and 9 sacks as a junior. Shows good first-step quickness. Converts speed to power as a bull rusher. Plays with a natural strength that belies his size. Fights through blocks at the point of attack. Dogged in pursuit, running down plays from the back side. A physical finisher and run defender. Plays with an elite effort level and doesn’t give up on plays. Newer to football, with his first year of the sport coming as a freshman, previously being a basketball and track athlete. Missed the majority of his senior season with an injury. Will need to continue honing his actual pass rush skill set, as he is primarily a ‘see ball, get ball’ defender at the moment. Younger for the cycle, turning 17 years-old in May of his junior year. Has the upside to be the best EDGE prospect in the 2025 cycle with continued physical and technical development.”

6. Nate Marshall — Michigan

School: Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick
On300 Ranking: No. 39 NATL.

Scouting Summary: “Bendy big man that has unbelievable balance and body control for his stature combined with the power and explosiveness that makes him borderline unblockable at the point of attack. Two-way player that lines up at tight end and wide receiver as well. Measured in at 6-foot-4, 270 pounds during summer campus visits. Tested well in agility drills during camp settings. Great weight distribution throughout his frame. Possesses excellent raw power and shock in his hands. Has the ability to rush the passer from the edge if asked to do so. Will develop proper pad level and contact initiation at the next level with collegiate coaching. Has tremendous upside due to frame and athletic tools. Best football is ahead of him.”

7. Mariyon Dye — Tennessee

School: Elkhart (Ind.) Central
On300 Ranking: No. 42 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “Mariyon Dye’s body type and length is truly one of the most special physical feats in the 2025 cycle. At 6-foot-5, 255 pounds Dye posseses genuinely rare 35.5-inch arms with over a 7-foot wingspan. Pair that with his play-strength at the point of attack and his ability to shock blockers and you have one of the most dominant run defenders in the run country. He also has a strong get-off that allows him to knife between the offensive line to apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks. Dye totaled 13.5 tackles-for-loss and 17 hurries in his senior season. If he can hone his craft as a pass rusher and develop a strong pass rush arsenal then Dye could become one of the most complete EDGE defenders in the country.”

8. Donovan Darden — South Carolina

School: Havelock (N.C.)
On300 Ranking: No. 52 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “In terms of physical and athletic traits, there may not be a more well-rounded specimen coming off the EDGE this cycle than Donovan Darden. The Gamecocks signee actually perked our ears up during his junior track and field season by jumping nearly 22 feet in the long jump and throwing over 45 feet in the shot put at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. And as a senior, Darden put up gaudy production numbers tallying 24 tackles-for-loss, 11 sacks and 29 hurries. The twitch, the bend, the closing speed all jump off the tape emphatically as he buries ball carriers over and over again on his senior tape. As he physically develops and gets stronger, he will only become a more complete player off the edge.”

9. Marco Jones — Texas A&M

School: Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley
On300 Ranking: No. 57 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “Marco Jones has been a revelation as a senior. He was long considered an off-ball linebacker prospect and has really grown into an EDGE and has blossomed as a pass-rusher as a senior. We’ve seen him play more along the edge, in addition to some off-ball, and he has put together some awesome film to this point in the season. Jones has a big frame at 6-foot-4, 242 pounds, and can really bend around the edge. A loose, fluid athlete who has quite frankly advanced technical ability — which is super impressive considering his limited time as a pass-rusher. His quick hands and ability to disengage, he plays with a motor that runs hot and has athleticism that transfers over really well to playing on the edge. All over the field as a senior, he has 28 tackles for loss, which is a great number to this point. Has rare versatility within this group in that he can be a legitimate off-ball linebacker, but has the size and skillset to rush off the edge. He looks like an outstanding chess piece on the defensive line for Mike Elko at A&M.”

10. Javion Hilson — Missouri

School: Cocoa (Fla.)
On300 Ranking: No. 75 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “I think he’s best, right now, as a pure speed rusher. He’s got good first-step quickness. Gets in the backfield quickly. He has closing speed as well in pursuit and tracking down ball carriers and sacking quarterbacks. Also had a very good junior year. Playing at a high level for one of the top high school programs in the state of Florida, a high school program that has pumped out a lot of NFL talent.”