Six Must-Know 2023 EDGE Prospects

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The recruiting process is a grind for everyone involved. High school athletes work hard to earn their place on a program’s prospect board while college staff members search diligently for potential roster additions.</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Success for either party tends to boil down to being in the right place at the right time. This article will highlight six senior edge rushers you didn’t know you needed to know. </span> &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="303219" first="Hunter" last="Lay Jr"] | Mullen | 6’3, 225lbs</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Lay Jr. is a stud with superb technique. He is quick and explosive off the ball and does a fantastic job using different techniques to beat his man. He has excellent size and strength, which are great additions to his relentless motor. Lay Jr. is an exceptional player who holds over ten offers and continues to receive significant interest from major programs.</span> https://twitter.com/HunterLay13/status/1460666965752700933?s=20&amp;t=WrWumtoKtt8gqXcYBlEpPg &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Garrett Keeler | Broomfield | 6’3”, 210lbs</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Keeler has been steadily raising his stock during this offseason. He is a standout player with good size and a solid frame. He has excellent power in his hands and legs, which he uses to explode off the line and drive his way into the backfield to cause disruption. Keeler is coming off an impressive junior season and will be heading into his senior year as a top prospect.</span> https://twitter.com/KeelerGarrett/status/1518774939834142720?s=20&amp;t=WrWumtoKtt8gqXcYBlEpPg &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Javion Smith-Combs | Cherry Creek | 6’6”, 255lbs</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Smith-Combs is an absolute monster. He has elite size, strength, and reach, which combine perfectly with his dominating playing style. His ability to keep the offensive tackle from getting hands-on and bending around the edge is impressive. He also has the versatility to play the hook to flats in zone coverage against the pass. Smith-Combs is on track to have a breakout season and end up as a top recruit.</span> <a href="http://iframe%20src=’https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12932433/628968e423481c02102da64e’%20width=’640’%20height=’360’%20frameborder=’0’%20allowfullscreen/iframe"><iframe src="https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/12932433/628968e423481c02102da64e" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></a> &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>[player_tooltip player_id="209842" first="Ethan" last="Bird"] | Littleton | 6’4”, 198lbs</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Bird is a talented athlete who has emerged as a legitimate sleeper on both sides of the ball. His size, athleticism, and overall speed place him in a category of top-tier athletes. He has quick hands and outstanding strength, making him a problematic defensive end to block and a tough tight end to jam. Bird has been moving up the list on recruiting boards and recently received his first offer from Adams State.</span> https://twitter.com/_Ethan_Bird13/status/1500329398389596160?s=20&amp;t=WrWumtoKtt8gqXcYBlEpPg &nbsp; <b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">AJ Jordan | Vista Ridge | 6’5”, 220lbs</span> </b> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Jordan is another defensive lineman who has been garnering attention as a prospect, recently earning an offer from Fort Lewis College. He has excellent size and strength, which helps him to overwhelm his opponent with relentless pressure. Jordan is a prime prospect for any program looking to add a talented 5-tech to the defensive front.</span> https://twitter.com/Aj_Jordan42/status/1466802259577159683?s=20&amp;t=WrWumtoKtt8gqXcYBlEpPg &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Max Kibbee | Grandview | 6’2”, 190lbs</b></span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Kibbee has emerged as a must-know prospect with fantastic potential. He brings excellent technique to the edge, especially his ability to dip and bend around the offensive tackle. His athleticism allows him to line up as an outside linebacker and defend against the pass. Kibbee has worked his way into the spotlight and landed on a few big-time radars.</span> https://twitter.com/KibbeeMax/status/1480739199812661249?s=20&amp;t=WrWumtoKtt8gqXcYBlEpPg