Biggest Pass Rushers To Know in North Georgia

In today’s era of high school football, especially in North Georgia, if you can’t get after the QB on passing downs, you aren’t going to win many ball games. Offenses are becoming more and more pass happy, and with the offensive talent growing across this area of the state year by year, defenses have to put pressure on the QB if they’re going to make stops. We all know how much talent comes out of North Georgia, whether it’s in Atlanta, other part of Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Cobb County, and all in between, it’s easy to see how many defenders have the ability to get after the QB. There are plenty of "sack machines" in North Georgia, and here are some of the best... &nbsp; <strong><a class="pn-player-link" href="https://prepredzone.com/player/lebbeus-overton/"><span class="name-pointer">[player_tooltip player_id="71313" first="Lebbeus" last="Overton"]</span><span class="info-box"><span class="player-img"><img class=" lazyloaded" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/lt-new-150x150.jpg" data-src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/05/lt-new-150x150.jpg" /></span></span></a> - Milton</strong> Easily the best pass rusher in the entire state, the elite 2023 prospect is the nation’s top-ranked overall prospect in his class after leading the state in sacks last season as a sophomore with 21.5. The 6-foot-4 270-pound edge defender is an easy 5-star due to his size, explosiveness, and natural playmaking ability.  The young man has “SPECIAL” written all over him, and it’s led to offers from Georgia, Alabama, Texas &amp;M, Oklahoma, Stanford, Ohio State, and many more. He already looks like an SEC edge defender from a physical standpoint, and his tape from last year is some of the best you’ll find across the county. Overton, an Oklahoma legacy, is extremely quick off the ball for his size and can use wither speed or power to get by just about any offensive tackle in the state. He’s an obviously talented pass rusher, but he holds the edge well against the run and always finds his way into the backfield. He’s a true game-changer on the defensive line and will push to be the state’s leading sack machine once again as a junior this fall. &nbsp; <strong style="font-size: 1rem;">Kaden McDonald - North Gwinnett</strong> An absolute force in the middle of North Gwinnett’s defensive line, McDonald is a large prospect at 6-foot-3 325-pounds with excellent quickness off the ball. He can collapse the pocket from the inside as well as any interior lineman in the state, recording 12 sacks and 29 TFLs. He can dominate smaller opposing centers and knows how to beat double teams as well. He uses his strength and overall weight to his advantage and can get in the QBs face before he has time to throw the ball away. Even though he’s one of the heavier lineman in the region, McDonald is great in pursuit and has no problem chasing down the QB if a play starts to drag on. He’s one of the top defensive lineman in the entire 2023 class and holds early offers from Georgia, Michigan State, and Tennessee. &nbsp; <strong>Dion Crawford - Collins Hill</strong> He may not be a defensive lineman, but Crawford is still one of the best in all of North Georgia in getting to the QB. The Collins Hill Eagles had one of their best seasons in school history last year, and a big reason why was the play of their defense, including Crawford, who wrecked havoc all season on opposing offenses. Playing against not-notch offensive talent every week in 7A, Crawford still made a big name for himself as a sophomore as he made 11 sacks and totaled 124 total tackles. Crawford is quick and explosive off the edge and used his athleticism to get around bigger, longer offensive tackles. He’s another versatile linebacker who holds offers from Florida State, Michigan, Virginia, among others. After what he was able to accomplish as a sophomore, expect Crawford to have an even bigger junior season for the Eagles who are bound for another major playoff run.