A rising edge rusher and one of the highest-rated edges in his class, Sowada is a gem of a prospect that doesn’t get the attention he deserves. He brought down 42 total tackles, 2 TFLs, half a sack, and an interception during his junior year, and with 3 high-performing defenders graduating, those numbers should only increase. In his film, I think his best traits are his versatility and his tenacity. He fights tooth and nail through blockers and has a number of plays on his tape of him blowing up bubble screens. If Sowada can continue to elevate his level of production, the recruiting attention he’ll garner will be significant.

Coming out of the Class 6A ranks and Blaine High School, 6’4, 205 lb. EDGE Brian Sowada Brian Sowada 6'3" | 190 lbs | EDGE Blaine | 2026 State MN is dripping with upside. Big School experience as a junior, positional versatility as a hybrid OLB/EDGE/DE, and bringing decent production to the section champion after finishing his season with 43 tackles, 3 TFLs, a sack, and an INT. The frame is about as good as it gets for a collegiate S&C coordinator, as he’s long, lean, wiry, and has a ton of room to fill in and add weight, adding to his potential versatility at the next level. I’ve likened Sowada to the PRzMN 2026 ranking’s version of Andrew Van Ginkel in a recent evaluation of the junior, as he’s a real-deal pass defender who can sniff out screens, bubbles, and dumps, as well as cover out of the slot in man and zone coverage. Sowada is a 3-4 OLB with a ton of alignment flexibility, both inside and outside the box, and can change direction and redirect around the LOS when pursuing RBs and QBs, banging off the inside blockers before sticking his cleat in the turf and getting back upfield or down the alley to pursue to the sideline, He attacks blockers with proper leverage, can hold and defend the edge, and can beat blocks and make TFLs around the perimeter to halt an opponent’s screen and quick game, The 205 lber. shows a good get-off and shoots into the backfield quickly, scrapes tight down the LOS and plays tight off a blocker’s backside in run defense, and can make tackles through contact. I love how well he tackles in space and in 1v1 settings, and his long arms show a solid pop at initial contact and he creates noticeable separation from DL when he locks out and extends his arms. There are some exciting traits to say the least, and it’s easy to see that Sowada’s best football is still in front of him. Wyoming met with the junior when he came into Blaine and Augustana has sent an official junior day invite.

A gigantic OLB who had a fantastic junior year with the Bengals, Sowada is an immensely underrated athlete who has put together some great tape against some of the best MN has to offer. The way he terrorizes screens is Andrew Van Ginkel-esque. He sniffs quick bubble screens out immediately and has multiple reps on his tape of Sowada blowing them up. He’s got plenty of highlights lined up as both an edge rusher and outside-of-the-box defending passes, showcasing his versatility. When he lines up on the LOS, he’s a very high-level run-stopper. Sowada can crash inside and disrupt runs between the tackles, and wrong arm tackles and tight ends when the offense wants to run on the edge. He is a tremendously underrated athlete who needs more hype ahead of his senior year.