Film Room: Kalen Edwards

Kentucky is building for the future in the trenches in the 2025 high school recruiting cycle. One day after landing a top defensive line target, a second top defensive line target decided to become a Cat. Dyersburg (Tenn.) High senior Kalen Edwards followed Javeon Campbell‘s lead and committed to Kentucky on Wednesday evening.

Kentucky is stacking up four-star recruiting wins. #BBN

Kalen Edwards, a Blue Chip defensive tackle from Tennessee, commits to the Cats.

More on the addition of the former Auburn commit: https://t.co/HheGm6LVEY pic.twitter.com/iQynsY5rxb

— KSR (@KSRonX) July 3, 2024

Kentucky has dipped into the Volunteer State to record a recruiting win for the first time this cycle. Edwards is a massive defensive tackle prospect who will help fill a clear need on Kentucky’s defense. KSR’s Film Room is taking a closer look at what the ninth top-500 recruit in the class will bring to Lexington.

The latest recruiting win is a true nose tackle prospect who could fill a big role in the middle of UK’s defense.

Movement and Power

In Kentucky’s base 3-4 defense, Kalen Edwards will likely be asked to play the zero-technique lined over the center to anchor the middle of the unit. The Wildcats need size, power, play strength, and toughness from this position. Eating up double teams will be required, and showing the ability to defeat blocks to make tackles is a plus.

As a two-way star for the Dyersburg Trojans, Edwards flashes a good blend of power and movement skills.

On offense and defense, Edwards shows tremendous get off exploding out of his stance with impressive quickness. The 2025 line of scrimmage prospect maintains good pad leverage, and that gives a big player some more power. As a defensive tackle and offensive tackle, Edwards flashes legitimate knockback power, and that is a required play trait as an interior lineman at the next level. This is a prospect that is a threat as a bull rusher creating penetration in the run game and collapsing the pocket as a pass rusher. Edwards also shows the ability to strain and hold his point in run fits. The defensive lineman does a good job disengaging from blocks and finishes plays with physicality.

Size, power, and play strength all show up on tape.

True Nose Tackle

Kentucky is entering the 2024 season with a depth problem at nose tackle. Josaih Hayes was lost for the season during spring practice, and that forced the Kentucky coaching staff to get into scramble mode shopping in both the transfer portal and junior college market looking for help. That was required due to the lack of recent true nose tackle recruiting wins.

The Wildcats have now addressed that need in the 2025 high school class.

True nose tackles are difficult to find, but Kalen Edwards has the look of a true nose tackle. The four-star recruit has surprising burst out of his stance at good size but also shows the required play strength needed as an interior player.

Kentucky’s latest recruiting win projects as a nose tackle at the next level, and his addition addresses a big need for the defense.