Film Room: 3-Star EDGE Caleb Redd

Kentucky added an exceptional pass-rusher to the 2024 recruiting class on Wednesday. After knocking on doors in St. Louis for a few years, UK safeties coach Frank Buffano secured a commitment from Caleb Redd.

Kentucky edged out Kansas State for the 6-foot-4, 225-pounder. Oklahoma, USC and Iowa were also heavily involved in his recruitment during the spring. A three-star talent according to the On3 Industry Ranking, Caleb Redd plays for De Smet Jesuit, a large private high school that has played in a couple of state championships recently out of the Metro Catholic Conference.

You can see some of the quality coaching on Redd’s tape, but teaching is not a top priority right now. He’ll get that from Brad White. When scouting top EDGE prospects, athleticism is of the utmost importance. That’s exactly what Caleb Redd is bringing to Lexington.

Pass rushing production is the name of the game for the future Wildcat. After tallying only four sacks in his sophomore season, he had 21 sacks in 2022. He also recorded 60 tackles and scooped a fumble for a touchdown.

Speed is the Name of his Game

Redd’s success stems from his speed rush. Playing in a 3-4 defense, he’s at his best when he can pin his ears back out of a two-point stance and fly to the quarterback. Often times he simply blows by his opponents. In this instance he attacks the center of the offensive tackle, then shows some bend to dip and rip through the outside shoulder and get to the quarterback with relative ease.

How fast is Caleb Redd? It’s tough to tell, until you see him in open space. As is the case with almost every EDGE prospect, there’s a lot to learn about dropping back in pass coverage in Brad White’s defense. It’ll take him a year in Lexington to get used to the challenging assignments and regularly playing in space. From a pure talent standpoint, I don’t think there’s any question he can successfully maneuver the open field. Redd played his role as a QB spy perfectly, eyeing the right time to attack and taking the ideal angle to make sure the quarterback did not slip away.

Caleb Redd in Run Support

Redd has the ability to beat opponents with his speed, but can he hold up and set the edge in run support? He will be tasked to put his hand in the dirt in Kentucky’s defense, something he does from time to time at the high school level. Caleb Redd needs to be more violent with his hands to create separation, but his game does not lack tenacity.

Most young EDGE prospects struggle to stay low. After all, they’ve been the tallest kids in the class most of their lives. On this play Caleb Redd is lined up heads-up across from his opponent, who’s trying to reach block the defensive end to make room for a lead-blocking pulling guard. Even though Redd doesn’t get a ton of separation, he has enough strength to win the leverage war. Redd does not have a good angle at the running back either, but he’s so aggressive that it’s not a problem.

Caleb Redd is far from a polished product, but the next Kentucky Wildcat has enough athletic traits to develop into a successful EDGE in the Southeastern Conference.

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