Top EDGE signees in the 2025 class

Forty-eight of the top 50 edge rushers in the 2025 recruiting class — according to the On3 Industry Ranking — have now signed with a college program.

Six different colleges are represented among the top 10 EDGEs in the class, with one school tripling up on top-10 prospects at the position.

Below are where the top edge rusher prospects in the 2025 cycle signed earlier this month:

1. Isaiah Gibson — Georgia

School: Warner Robins (Ga.)
On3 Industry 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.”

2. Lance Jackson — Texas

School: Texarkana (Texas) Pleasant Grove
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 25 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.”

3. Jared Smith — Auburn

School: Hoover (Ala.) Thompson
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 38 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “The Alabama team sports a loaded defensive front with multiple blue-chip, Power 4 signees. No player on the front made more plays behind the line of scrimmage than Jared Smith. The Auburn signee was highly active off the edge. The 6-foot-6.5, 235-pounder used his plus length to create issues at the point of attack for opposing offensive linemen. The combination of length and quickness allowed him to close distance quickly. Smith particularly stood out in tracking down plays from the backside. On a defensive front that consistently overmatched the Alabama offensive line, the Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson standout created the most disruption.” — Charles Power, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings on Dec. 11.

4. Javion Hilson — Missouri

School: Cocoa (Fla.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 49 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.” — Charles Power on Dec. 9, 2023.

5. Justin Hill — Alabama

School: Cincinnati Winton Woods
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 54 NATL.

Scouting Summary: “Dynamo off the edge with the athleticism and motor to develop into a dangerous pass rusher. Measured in at a shade over 6-foot-3 and around 220 pounds with 32 ⅝-inch arms and 9 ⅜-inch hands prior to his senior season. Primarily works as a standup pass rusher at the high school level, but also lines up off-ball at times. Shows high-level first-step quickness. Is a speed mismatch for offensive tackles off the edge. Converts speed to power at a high level. Capable of forklifting 300+ pound offensive tackles off their feet.

“Physical mentality and works through contact. Has an elite motor that runs hot. Closing speed and effort level make him highly effective as a finisher in the backfield. An absolutely dogged pursuit defender. Doesn’t give up on plays. Finished his junior season with 13 sacks. A good athlete in the combine setting. Not overly long and doesn’t have a large frame as an EDGE defender. Will need to continue adding mass to hold up against the run on the edge. Young for the cycle, turning 17 years-old on July 3 of prior to his senior season of high school. Versatile prospect with his highest upside coming as a pass rusher. With continued physical development has the potential to develop into an impact pass rusher.”

6. Mariyon Dye — Tennessee

School: Elkhart Central (Ind.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 68 NATL.

Scouting Summary: “Jumbo EDGE prospect who is of the most physically-gifted prospects in the 2025 cycle, regardless of position. Measured in at 6-foot-4 ⅞, 268 pounds at the On3 Elite Series prior to his senior season. Has truly elite length, with arms that measure 35.5 inches to go with a 7-foot-1 wing-span. Carries his weight very well. Shows outstanding speed on Friday nights. Closes quickly. Capable of running down plays from 40+ yards out. A coordinated and fluid athlete who moves like a much smaller player.

“Gets skinny when working through gaps. Shows signs of active hands at the point of attack. Physical traits and movement patterns certainly pop. Primarily lined up as a stand up pass rusher as a junior. Played basketball early in his high school career, excelling as a rim protector and rebounder. Was not always put in good positions to make plays, but needs to increase production. Finished with 10 tackles for loss and four sacks as a junior. May end up growing into a defensive lineman considering his size as a high school prospect. Has an extremely high developmental upside, but will need to progress as a player to reach his considerable ceiling.”

7. Darren Ikinnagbon — Georgia

School: Hillside (N.J.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 80 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “He’s a big-framed, strong defensive lineman, edge prospect with some versatility. He can line up in multiple spots on the defensive line. We’ve seen him do that at the high school level. He can set the edge effectively and slide inside. At this point, he’s at his strongest as a run defender where he can use his play strength and ability to set the edge and hold his ground and finish with strength. He’s a guy that I think that the arrow is pointing up. He’s young for the class. He doesn’t turn 17 until late June.” — Charles Power on April 14.

8. Smith Orogbo — Texas

School: Houston Alief Hastings
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 83 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.”

9. Zion Grady — Ohio State

School: Troy (Ala.) Enterprise
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 91 NATL.

Scout’s Take: “Zion Grady showed the best bend among pass rushers at Alabama-Mississippi practice. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder is a flexible athlete with a natural understanding of leverage and angles. He also appears to be ahead of the curve from a technical standpoint. Grady was a standout in 1-on-1’s, using his bend and quick hands to give offensive linemen issues. The prolific high school pass rusher should see a spike in his development once in the Buckeyes’ strength and conditioning program.” — Charles Power on Dec. 11.

10. Chase Linton — Georgia

School: North Atlanta (Ga.)
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 109 NATL.

Coach’s Take: “(What makes him unique) is just his explosion and his first step, the way he gets off the ball, and then, his motor after that. He’s definitely second to none that I’ve coached as far as just really being kind of an unblockable guy. People have planned around him all year, and he still finds a way to make plays for us. He’s definitely a special talent as far as how big he is and then how explosive and twitchy he is of an athlete.” — North Atlanta head coach Jamie Aull told DawgsHQ after Linton committed.