2028 Jefferson EDGE Isiah Simmons-Kelly flashed as a sophomore last season, and that momentum has carried into his junior year for Jefferson. He’s an athletic defender off the edge who is agile in space, allowing him to maintain contain and string plays out laterally. Simmons-Kelly finds the football quickly and has the closing speed to chase plays down from the backside. He’s still developing as a pass rusher and overall player, but there’s a lot of upside in his game. Simmons-Kelly has the tools to develop into one of the top EDGE prospects in the 2028 class as he continues to mature.

BREAKOUT CANDIDATE

Jefferson has another high-impact defender in 2028 EDGE Isiah Simmons-Kelly, who looks ready to take on an even bigger role this fall. After flashing as a sophomore, Simmons-Kelly gives the Cougars an athletic presence off the edge with the ability to disrupt plays in the backfield. His combination of size and natural pass-rushing ability provides Jefferson with another weapon along the defensive front as it looks to replace several key seniors. With another offseason of development behind him, Simmons-Kelly has all the tools to become one of the breakout defenders in Class AAAA this season.

2028 Jefferson EDGE Isiah Simmons-Kelly is a player I have wanted to get film of for quite some time, and I was finally able to do so this offseason. He first landed on our radar a couple of years ago as a potential WR prospect, but a lot can change in two years. Simmons-Kelly has grown into a 6’1 215 EDGE defender with a lot of potential. He flashed several encouraging traits as a sophomore, as a natural athlete who can create havoc. Jefferson uses him as a traditional defensive end quite a bit, but his upside as a stand-up edge rusher is high. Simmons-Kelly is still developing the finer points of the position, but his athleticism and natural pass-rushing tools give him plenty to build on moving forward.