PFF ranks Top 10 returning edge rushers in college football
Consistently getting after opposing quarterbacks is one of the best ways to hamstring an opposing offense. And PFF recently ranked its own Top 10 for the best in college football at harassing quarterbacks.
Unsurprisingly, the list is dominated by Power 5 schools, particularly schools near the top of their respective conferences. Having a blue-chip edge rusher helps shore up status as a top program, and will have NFL scouts flocking to games.
Check out the full PFF Top 10 edge rushers for 2023 below.
- Jared Verse, Florida State
- Bralen Trice, Washington
- Chop Robinson, Penn State
- Dallas Turner, Alabama
- Mykel Williams, Georgia
- J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State
- Laiatu Latu, UCLA
- Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
- Gabriel Murphy, UCLA
- Princely Unamielen, Florida
Verse might have an argument as the best player in college football, but he’s certainly the top returning edge rusher. A potential first-round pick had he entered the 2023 NFL Draft, Verse opted to return to Florida State for another season. And he should be the lynchpin of the Seminoles defense as they compete for an ACC championship.
Trice, according to PFF, did something impressive: Have more total pressures than Will Anderson Jr. at Alabama. Trice had 70 pressures in 2022, according to PFF, tops in the country and also led all FBS defenders in pass rush win rate.
Robinson originally transferred to Penn State from Maryland and has become a force off the edge for the Nittany Lions. Playing in a loaded defensive front seven in 2023, Robinson should get plenty of opportunities to make plays and cement his status.
Playing second fiddle to Anderson the past two seasons at Alabama, Turner should have the chance to cut loose in 2023. With 18 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks the past two seasons, there’s more than just flashes for Turner, who could be a Top 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — just like Anderson was in 2023.
Williams will have to wait until the 2025 NFL Draft, as the uber-talented defender started for Georgia as a freshman on the way to a national championship. A former five star and Top 10 prospect, the table is set for Williams to be one of the best defenders in college football if he rises to the occasion.
A similar talent coming out of high school, Tuimoloau was Top 5 in the 2021 class and chose Ohio State. It took a while for him to get going and he still struggled for consistency last season. But the upside is immense, as evidenced by his performance against Penn State in 2022. In that game, Tuimoloau had: three tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions (including a pick six), a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
UCLA is the only team to boast two players on this list, with Latu and Murphy — Murphy also has a twin, Grayson, though he didn’t make the cut. Latu had previously been at Washington and medically retired, but picked back up at UCLA after two seasons away. Murphy has transferred in to Westwood with his twin from North Texas, where they had dominated. It’s a top-notch 1-2 punch coming off the edge for the Bruins.
PFF chose a bit of a tweener in Dorlus for the No. 8 slot, but the Oregon defender gets after the quarterback as well as anyone — and he still lines up outside plenty. According to PFF, he’s produced 88 pressures the past two seasons.
And while Florida struggled lately, talent has not been the general issue. The Gators had a number of players drafted from the defenses in recent years and Umanmielen has a chance to join the Gators in the NFL come the 2024 NFL Draft. According to PFF, he’s the fourth-best graded pass rusher in the last two seasons.