We were early on Dunham, but kept him close to his original ranking as other outlets began to move him up their own rankings. This spring, we bumped him again. When ranking guys this high, it’s less about figuring out whether they’re Power Four recruits and more about projecting potential production at the college level. Dunham’s combination of speed and power gives him All-American upside for the Fighting Irish.

Dunham’s calling card is his bend around the edge, something that is unmatched in the class. Because of that, he’s mostly a one-sided edge, something that will likely change in the future. For now, he’s able to win with pure speed and I’d like to see him develop a secondary pass-rushing move to counter with off speed. He’s always going to have tackles on their heels, so having that second option will take an already elite game to the next level.

Rodney has become an even bigger national recruit this offseason, with offers from almost every Power 4 school you can think of. Teams last season threw a lot of attention at Rodney where he faced double teams and offenses scheming to get the ball out quickly against the Mustangs, which limited his numbers some. But, that being said the elite traits physically are there and colleges know that – Rodney’s speed and get off at the snap, the bend with pass rush technique is top-level. Rodney recently shared that he will commit on April 10th, and his final choice is between five schools: Duke, Notre Dame, Georgia, Tennessee, and South Carolina in no particular order. It will be exciting to see where this special talent ends up deciding to play college football.

There’s been a huge shakeup at the top with our edge rushers and there are several guys who could challenge for the top spot. A multi-sport athlete, Dunham is a dynamic pitcher in addition to his standing as a budding edge rusher for Myers Park. He has great play strength and an impressive array of pass-rushing moves that have endeared him to college coaches across the country.

The speed rushing phenom off the edge is also a talented pitcher in baseball, in case you were not aware. Rodney also received a visit from Coach Belichick at North Carolina, and expressed some excitement about Norte Dame recently. Rodney has multiple Power 4 offers and has the traits to be an elite pass rusher on the next level. He is a no-brainer selection for our Junior Bowl team.

A two-sport athlete, Dunham is really growing as a pass rusher off the edge. He already has four sacks this season, many of them off of speed-to-power moves. He’s added some weight and that’s really coming across on film. He’s a prospect we were initially higher on than a lot of schools, but Power Fours have caught up as he’s really starting to become a priority for several SEC schools.

The major Power 4 recruit really got going in the 2nd half during the Mustangs’ comeback. He picked up a sack and a huge tackle for loss on a critical 3rd down in the 4th quarter to give his team’s offense a chance to tie or win the game on the last possession. In the first half, Independence did a good job of getting the ball out quick and running underneath Dunham’s upfield rush lane. I thought Dunham did a great job of tightening his rush lane in the 2nd half and showing an incredible explosion off of the ball at the snap.

A two-sport superstar from Myers Park, Dunham is probably a better baseball pitcher than edge rusher at this moment. However, his upside at edge is as high as you’ll find. He’s an effortless mover with great strength, speed and balance. His length gives him an almost unfair advantage over offensive tackles and his bend is smooth. With some more time to refine his technique, he’s a plug-and-play pass-rusher on a Power Four team.