2028 Prospect Watch: 8 Edge Rushers To Know

We're well into the offseason, and we're keeping things going ahead of spring workouts and summer practices. In a new series that will run concurrently with some of our other cornerstone content, like my <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/community-film-room-episode-4-2/">community film room series</a> or Matt Morrow's <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/deep-dive-union-county-wide-receivers/">county-by-county Deep Dives</a>, we're looking at what some of our 2028 players (both ranked and unranked) did as freshmen. On Monday and Tuesday, I looked at some of the interior defensive linemen from the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/2028-prospect-watch-charlotte-area-dl-to-watch/">Charlotte area</a> and <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/2028-prospect-watch-idls-to-watch/">elsewhere around the state</a>. Here, I'm looking at eight edge rushers from around North Carolina who have our attention.    Harding was on our radar early, but even we were incredibly impressed with his productive freshman season. Harding led the state in sacks among freshmen, racking up eight on the season. Harding played mostly as a 3-4 defensive end, so he may develop into a future defensive tackle. He's just so quick that we like him on the edge. He's powerful and often has to be double-teamed already, freeing space for other defensive players.     Lewis was completely unknown in the state of North Carolina, after transferring in with his brother prior to the start of last season, but he dominated at Ballantyne Ridge and transferred to Providence Day, where he's since reclassified to the 2028 class. Expect the Power Four offers to come soon for a guy with a developed array of pass-rushing moves and surprising quickness.     Henriquez doesn't have a ton of film, but our own Matt Morrow has seen him in person multiple times and raves about his potential. He's going to need to continue adding weight, but he's already a nightmare for offensive tackles to try to handle. He had 6.5 sacks last season for a very good Porter Ridge team, signaling not only his pass-rushing potential, but his abilities right now.     Mobley played just six games on varsity, but that was enough for us to see the incredible upside. He's a high-motor pass-rusher with a body that is still developing. In a year or two, don't be surprised if he's playing in the 240-range in terms of his weight. He's already strong and should continue to get stronger.     Just playing some varsity snaps as a freshman, given the depth and talent on Weddington's defensive line, would have been an accomplishment for Sheronas, but he was actually productive when he was in the game. He has one of the better first steps in the state and he's already flashed an advanced set of pass-rushing moves. He's still going to be behind multiple Power Four edge rushers, but he's a guy who can really make a difference as a pass-rushing specialist.     Alexander has very little film, but several people we trust in the area have sung his praises. He was nominated for multiple Freshman of the Week Honors and was one of the leading freshman pass-rushers in the state last season, racking up five sacks in just eight games. We'd love to see him in person, because the talk of his upside is real.     Surles is one of a number of really talented young players coming through the Parkwood program and he got some extended varsity run last season. He has a great frame and seems to be adding weight this offseason. That should help, even though he was excellent against the run last season, racking up seven tackles for loss. He's developing physically, so we're excited to see how he can build on a promising freshman campaign.     Playing on a loaded, undefeated Grimsley team with multiple top edge rushers, Wardlaw didn't get much varsity run last season. In fact, he played just one varsity game, racking up four tackles, including one for loss. But the upside here is obvious. He has a quick get-off and he's strong at the point of attack. We know he's in a quality weight program and has quality coaching, so expect the playing time -- and success -- to come.    Want to make sure you're on our radar or raise your stock? Sign up for our <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/1488/register/combine-series-north-carolina">2025 Spring Combine</a> at Clayton High School on May 4. Use offer code ‘HelmsCombine25' to get $10 off your registration. Prep Redzone and college scouts will be in attendance to evaluate prospects as they go through combine drills, position work, and 1-on-1s.

We're well into the offseason, and we're keeping things going ahead of spring workouts and summer practices. In a new series that will run concurrently with some of our other cornerstone content, like my community film room series or Matt Morrow's county-by-county Deep Dives, we're looking at what some of our 2028 players (both ranked and unranked) did as freshmen. On Monday and Tuesday, I looked at some of the interior defensive linemen from the Charlotte area and elsewhere around the state. Here, I'm looking at eight edge rushers from around North Carolina who have our attention.