The economics of the NFL and college football aren't exactly the same, but one obvious similarity is that edge rushers are the highest-paid position on the defense. That's because, aside from the quarterback, they might be the most transformational players on a roster.
Saturday Blitz transfer portal rankings 2026: QB, WR, RB, TE, OL, EDGE, DL, LB, CB, S
Just last offseason, Texas Tech added two of the best edge rushers on the market in David Bailey and Romello Height, and that spending spree immediately catapulted the Red Raiders into the College Football Playoff. So, while all eyes are on the QBs and the skill positions, next year's conference titles could be won by the edge rusher movement when the transfer portal opens on January 2.
Here are a few of the names to keep your eye on heading into the portal window. These are the official 2026 Saturday Blitz edge rusher transfer portal rankings.
Last rankings update: 8:00 a.m. ET, 12/30/2025
1. Chaz Coleman, Penn State
Chaz Coleman was limited significantly by injury in his true freshman season, but when he was on the field, it was obvious that he’s a future superstar and NFL draft pick. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound edge rusher has rare speed and bend for his build, so while he’s not the most refined pass rusher yet, he posted a 22.1 percent pass-rush win rate (15th best in the country) and recorded 15 QB pressures on just 70 pass rush snaps, including three against Ohio State.
2. Jayden Woods, Florida
It’s not easy to produce as a true freshman in the SEC, but Jayden Woods found his way into a major role for the Florida defense in his first season in Gainesville. Now, the former four-star from Kansas is back on the market. Missed tackles tended to come in spurts for Woods, but he’s a solid run defender and displayed serious juice off the edge. He had a high pressure to sack rate, finishing off four sacks on just 17 QB pressures, which could tail off, but his skills as a finisher should translate to his next stop.
3. AJ Green, Louisville
While AJ Green is a familiar name, the 6-foot-6 former four-star has yet to quite make his own. He took a big step in that direction in 2025, with a 22.3 percent pass rush win rate, a half percent better than Texas superstar sophomore Colin Simmons, to rank 12th best in the country and seventh best among Power 4 edge rushers. He has the size to stack and shed blockers in the run game and set a hard edge, but he doesn’t sacrifice anything as a pass-rusher. Green could be a breakout superstar if he finds the right landing spot.
4. Adam Trick, Miami (OH)
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Ohio native has a relentless motor that helped him to rack up 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss as a redshirt junior for the RedHawks. An impressive developmental story, Trick has steadily improved. He’s effective running stunts and games on the defensive line, which would make him an interesting fit for a creative defensive coordinator, but between his motor, his quickness, and his length, he can win one-on-ones at the Power 4 level. His 66 pressures were the third most among all edge rushers in the FBS this year.
5. Steven Soles Jr., Kentucky
A heady outside linebacker, Soles understands when to rush responsibly and keep a quarterback in the pocket and when to pin his ears back. When he does the latter, Soles can win with first-step quickness as a rusher and has serious closing speed when used as a spy or playing the perimeter passing game. He’s not the most complete pass rusher of this group, but he’s an immensely useful player.
6. Tobi Osunsanmi, Kansas State
Coming off a 30-pressure season in 2024, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound junior from Wichita, Kansas, looked poised for a major breakout as a full-time starter in 2025, and through the first six weeks, it looked as though it had come. The standup outside linebacker recorded five pressures in Week 1 vs. Iowa State and 14 through the first six games before suffering a season-ending injury.
7. Tyler Thompson, UNC, eligibility left: 2 years
A bit stiff as a stand-up rusher, Thompson can struggle to convert speed to power, and at times will get stonewalled by larger offensive tackles. Still, he offsets those deficiencies with a fairly deep repertoire of pass-rush moves, and he makes quite an impact in the run game, despite being a bit light in the pants at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds.
8. Wendell Gregory, Oklahoma State
After Week 1, it looked like Wendell Gregory was going to have a historic year in Stillwater. He recorded three sacks and five pressures in his debut for the Cowboys after transferring from South Carolina, but finished with just four sacks on the year. Gregory can be a game-wrecker off the edge at his best, but his 31.5 percent missed tackle rate threatens to make him a passing-down specialist.
9. James Williams, Florida State
A productive defensive end in 2024 at Nebraska, James Williams followed Tony White to Florida State for 2025. Now, he’s back on the open market with two years of eligibility remaining after a solid year in Tallahassee. At 6-foot-6, Williams can push the pocket and theoretically should be an edge target for defenses that want to play the run with light boxes, but his 28.6 percent missed tackle rate is alarming.
10. Kenny Ozowalu, UTSA
Kenny Ozowalu burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman, and you can’t help but get the feeling that he’s just scratching the surface after a season with 21 pressures on just 186 pass rush snaps. He has the size to move up and down the defensive line, playing 103 interior snaps last year, which should be enticing to interested programs because he can leverage his speed advantage against slower-footed guards, especially on pass-rushing downs.