Top 5 Edge Rushers in Forsyth County

Welcome back to Week 2 of our Triad Deep Dives series, where we rank the top players in Forysth and Guilford Counties. Last week, we covered 58 offensive players between the two counties, with full evaluations on over 45 of them. Now, we're moving to the defensive side of the ball, and I expect this unit to be even more loaded. Let's start by evaluating the top five edge rushers in Forsyth County.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best Edge Rushers in Forsyth County</h2>   Editor's Note: The ranked edge rushers are listed in order from first to fifth. Other names in no particular order. Rankings reflect a combination of 2025 production and predicted 2026 impact.   Other Forsyth County Deep Dives:   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/deep-dive-top-5-forsyth-county-qbs/">QB</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/top-5-rbs-in-forsyth-county/">RB</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/top-6-wrs-in-forsyth-county/">WR</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/04/top-6-ol-in-forsyth-county/">OL</a>    This time last year, Kalama was a little-known edge rusher with strong potential, but Duke offered in the spring, and he eventually committed in December. That hasn't stopped him from blowing up on the recruiting trail with several FBS offers in 2026. He's longer than his height suggests, allowing him to get around the edge, and he's one of the better run defenders at the position statewide.     Vandegrift has a college edge profile and could be the next Forysth County pass rusher to blow up on the recruiting trail. He has the size, length, and get-off to turn heads and cause chaos in the backfield. He had 3.5 sacks as a sophomore in limited action and as a full-time player in 2026, we expect him to have a huge, breakout season.     Brown's a bit undersized, but he has some serious get-off of the line. He can play inside or outside and his hand usage is impressive, as he's able to keep offensive linemen off of his frame. He's a highly instinctual player who puts himself in position to make plays, as evidenced by his 16 tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries last season.     Daniel led the Bobcats and finished near the top of the Piedmont Triad 5A/6A Conference with nine sacks off the edge. He's a guy who can play multiple positions on the defensive line, holding his own when he slides down inside. He has excellent power and has flashed the ability to win with secondary moves if his first move stalls out, something we love to see from high school edge rushers.     After a solid junior year, McCoy returns hoping to make an even bigger impact as a senior. As part of a talented Reagan defensive line, he excelled at stopping the run while flashing as a guy who can get to the passer. He's slippery off the edge and has a strong inside move that he used often to beat bigger offensive tackles and make plays in the running game.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Names To Know</h2>   Taryton Thacker | Mount Tabor   It's camp season, and we're coming to Charlotte on May 1 for our PRZ Exposure Camp under the lights on a Friday night. <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/2214/register/exposure-series-north-carolina">Secure your spot</a> and use promo code WillHelms10 at checkout for $10 off. Think we missed someone? DM me on Twitter/X (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>) with film.

Welcome back to Week 2 of our Triad Deep Dives series, where we rank the top players in Forysth and Guilford Counties. Last week, we covered 58 offensive players between the two counties, with full evaluations on over 45 of them. Now, we're moving to the defensive side of the ball, and I expect this unit to be even more loaded. Let's start by evaluating the top five edge rushers in Forsyth County.