High Ceiling EDGE Players To Keep An Eye On

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The EDGE position has become one of the most important in the modern game of football over the past decade. The need for versatile pass rushers who disrupt QBs and set edges has always outweighed the demand, prompting the next generation of High Schoolers to pursue the moneymaking role. Here are five players who've shown promise and potential and are looking to become big time college prospects at the position.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["643370"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Conley is the type of freakishly flexible, big and twitchy athlete that fits perfect as an EDGE player. He remains incredibly low in his get off and keeps his arms available while he bends around OTs, who have trouble staying with whatever angle he attacks the pocket at. He has very quick hands and doesn't get too caught up on one approach, and diversifies each rep with several hand moves at his disposal. He lets his feet take a good angle and accelerate before pushing tackles off-balance with his upper body and exploding through. He has the coveted loose hips to bend at will, and his film shows him change directions like a skill player, where he can play on offense too. The pass-rush duo of Conley and [player_tooltip player_id='87448' first='Tyrin' last='Evans'] will be nightmarish for other schools to face this fall and both should be high-end college recruits.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["348147"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Rainey-Sale pulled in a D1 offer from CU Boulder after his sophomore year to begin his recruitment. He has the type of tape you can fall in love with, showing high-motor and effort plays which he gets hyped with his teammates about. He's incredibly strong and completely fearless, stopping anyone he meets in their tracks but also has great positioning and processes plays well. He's fast enough to follow skill players and plays WR on offense. He sets edges at will and detaches easily to make ballcarriers pay for going to his side. Looks to be having fun and simply loves to hit, whether it's ruining a blocker on kickoff or taking down a QB, but wraps up and gets low enough to be fundamentally sound. Rainey-Sale will have an exciting recruiting cycle as he's so fun to watch, and coaches who agree might find themselves at Bethel sooner than later.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["284217"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Siale is outpacing the rest of his 2026 Class early, making a strong case to be the state's top recruit in the near future. He started for O'Dea as a 14 year old, already towering for a high schooler at 6'4u0022 240 and flashing brilliance on each watch. His size makes him competitive but his quickness is rare to combine with it, and he learned how to pressure older OL in his first few games. While looking like a serviceable veteran as a Freshman, it's hard to predict how much of a leap he could take in each of the next three years, but the results could be astounding very soon. Five D1 colleges have already offered Siale, furthering his status as one of the most promising players in the region.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Keagen Howard","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Lake Stevens","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"While most of these EDGE prospects are 4-3 DEs, Howard could be the 3-4 OLB that fits better for tons of defensive schemes. Howard is as fleet-footed as players come in pass coverage, where he can fly across the field to defend or intercept passes from several zones away. He's smaller than most would like as a true EDGE rusher, but lines up at several LB depths for Lake Stevens and creates fast pressure before using his length to take the quarterback's options away. He's stronger than he looks and welcomes hand fighting. He has an effective jab move that could develop into more variations but worked well last year. Howard doesn't have the size of DEs but his versatility could make him just as effective for the right coach. He had an excellent season last year en route to the championship and will be a focal point in the Vikings' Title Defense this year.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["338837"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Freeman is an excellent off-ball OLB with fluid lateral movement and natural ballhawking ability. He's small for an EDGE player but uses it to his advantage, playing faster than others and taking on half a man to keep himself in the middle of each play. He sets great edges, but is also comfortable slipping outside to prevent open space and keeps his leverage. He has great hands that allow him to break away from blocks easily. He has great instincts to recognize run and pass plays and react quickly, with sound footwork coming naturally to him and letting him escape blocks from slot receivers. He plays extremely strong for his size but will look to keep adding to his bowling-ball physique while keeping his rare shiftiness. Freeman will be a leader for Chief Sealth this year and although he's small for an EDGE prospect, he shouldn't be discounted due to his size. Coaches could like him for his versatility, his stats and his character, and he could also be a good 'money-backer' who plays tons of passing downs.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-640fa8128cc89"} /-->