A small-town edge defender flying under the radar, Jalen Dardy Jalen Dardy 6'3" | 220 lbs | EDGE Dublin | 2027 GA is a physical, versatile defensive lineman who can play all over the line of scrimmage with impressive physicality and the ability to deliver a big hit on the ball carrier. He’s a pass rusher who can also set the edge against the run, forcing the running back in opposite directions. He’s one of the top returning defensive linemen in the region and is coming off a really strong junior season where he made 33 tackles, 12 TFLs and four sacks to go along with one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery. He’ll be an easy addition to the next 2027 Prep Redzone rankings.

A big edge defender on the rise in the small town of Dublin, Dardy is a physical 6 foot 4, 240 pound defender who wreaked havoc in the backfield last season. He plays the run well, plays with good leverage, and knows how to attack the ball carrier in the backfield. He plays hard, has a lot of potential, and is coming off a productive junior season where he made 33 tackles, 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and 4 sacks. His best football is to way ahead of him, and he should see a significant bump in the next 2027 red zone rankings. He holds several respectable D1-offers, but more Power Four offers could some his way down the road.

Dardy is one of my favorite EDGEs when it comes to containing. He has done a great job at stopping the outside handoffs, but he is someone who has done a great job when it comes to rushing the QB. He has enough strength to slide down the line and on the interior, and not give up too much. He just needs to add some weight to be able to do something like that at the next level. He is definitely one of the better power rushers on this list, and has a different flavor of strength and style of play.