Top 25 EDGE rankings entering Week 8 of college football
The On3 Top 25 edge rankings got a once over after an exceedingly enthralling Week 7 slate. And the Top 10 and overall list got a bit of a shake up entering Week 8.
Only two players fell out or climbed into the Top 25 this week. The conference breakdown is as such, and the same from last week: seven from the SEC, six from the Pac-12, five from the ACC, four from Group of 5 schools, two from the Big 12 and one from the Big 10.
Check out the full On3 Top 25 edge rushers below.
1. Laiatu Latu, UCLA
UCLA picked up a second loss of the season as the offense struggled on the road vs. Oregon State. But Latu had another productive outing.
He finished with a sack and four stops. And had the UCLA defense not made a few plays, the final score line could’ve been much uglier.
2. Dallas Turner, Alabama
Turner, along with the next edge rusher on the list, is tied for the national lead in impact plays for edges. In seven games, he’s made 54 impact plays — more than seven a game.
It was a fairly quiet Saturday for Turner, but he still made an impact. He had half a sack and half a tackle for loss as Alabama hung on for an SEC win.
3. Kaimon Rucker, North Carolina
Rucker is tied with Turner in terms of impact plays. And he’s usurped the role of premiere edge rusher in the ACC at this point.
North Carolina stayed undefeated and Rucker and the defense played their part, big time. He had 2.5 sacks as the Tar Heels toppled a ranked opponent.
4. Jonah Elliss, Utah
Elliss has simply been on a torrid pace since late September. He kept it up with 1.5 sacks and another tackle for loss on Saturday as Utah won.
Elliss now has 11 tackles for loss on the season and has recorded seven sacks in his last three games. He’s become a force off the edge for the Utes.
5. Jared Verse, Florida State
Considered perhaps the best pass rusher in the country going into the season, it’s been a tough ride for Verse so far. Florida State is undefeated and he’s certainly making an impact, but he hasn’t been a world beater.
A week after nabbing his first two sacks of the season, Verse was held off the stat sheet save for a fumble recovery. Florida State might need him to turn it up down the road, still.
6. Chris Braswell, Alabama
Braswell isn’t quite his running mate in Turner, but he’s quite close. Right now, he’s Top 10 in impact rate.
And Braswell finished with one stop and one pressure in the Crimson Tide win. His pressure could’ve been a sack if KJ Jefferson wasn’t so massive.
7. James Pearce, Tennessee
Head coach Josh Heupel raved about the Tennessee defensive line following a suffocating second half against Texas A&M. And Pearce played a big role in that.
He finished with seven pressures and a sack as the Volunteers defense romped. It was one of the most impactful performances of the whole weekend for an edge defender.
8. Jalen Green, James Madison
James Madison is undefeated and the only reason the Dukes won’t go bowling is NCAA rules — they’re not eligible in just a second season in FBS. That is all to say: Check out Green while you can.
At his current rate, the defensive lineman is good for at least a sack a game. He’s also got a pick six this season.
9. Solomon Byrd, USC
Byrd — and the USC defense — actually had a fairly solid showing against Notre Dame. But that went by the wayside as the Irish rolled up 48 points with short fields and special teams plays.
He had three stops but was otherwise held off the stat sheet. For a Trojans team still with playoff aspirations, Byrd and the defense will need to step up even more.
10. Kydran Jenkins, Purdue
Jenkins got a change to play on a big stage against Ohio State. And despite Purdue getting rolled, Jenkins didn’t disappoint.
Jenkins recorded a sack and recovered a fumble. He’s already tied a career high with five sacks this season.
Edge rushers No. 11 through 25
11. Mohamed Kamara, Colorado State
12. Grayson Murphy, UCLA
13. Johnny Walker Jr., Missouri
14. Jamil Muhammad, USC
15. Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
16. B.J. Green II, Arizona State
17. Jasheen Davis, Wake Forest
18. Ben Bell, Texas State
19. Tyler Baron, Tennessee
20. Princely Umanmielen, Florida
21. Antwaun Powell-Ryland, Virginia Tech
22. Owen Porter, Marshall
23. Shemar Turner, Texas A&M
24. Tre’Mon Morris-Brash, UCF
25. Nelson Ceaser, Houston
Powell-Ryland (No. 21) and Porter (No. 22) are both back in the Top 25 after slipping out earlier on. Falling out of the Top 25 are NC State’s Davin Vann and Marshall’s Sam Burton.