Ranking College Football’s Best Returning EDGE Pass Rushers for the 2026 Season

Pierre had a massive breakout year in 2025, proving that the extra time spent redshirting was well worth the wait. He lived in opposing backfields, racking up 14.5 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, and 9 quarterback hurries for a Crimson Tide defense that relied on his twitchy athleticism to close out games.

He is especially lethal on interior stunts where his short-area burst allows him to cross the face of unsuspecting guards before they can even set their feet.

Ranking the Top 10 Returning EDGE Defenders for the 2026 Season

10. TJ Bush Jr., Minnesota Golden Gophers

21-year-old senior in 2026; 6'4", 255 lbs.

2025: 40 tkls, 5.5 sacks, 10.5 TFLs

Bush arrived in Minneapolis this January after a highly productive three-year stint at Cal, where he was the definition of a blue-collar defender. Last season, he put up 40 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss, showing a rare ability to stay on the field for nearly every defensive snap without losing his edge.

He has logged over 2,200 career collegiate snaps and gives the Gophers a high-motor veteran who already has double-digit games of Power Four starting experience under his belt.

9. Taylor Wein, Oklahoma Sooners

21-year-old redshirt junior in 2026; 6'5", 260 lbs.

2025: 39 tkls, 7.0 sacks, 15 TFLs, 1 FF

Wein was one of the biggest surprises in the Big 12 last year, erupting for 15 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks while serving as a key disruptor in Oklahoma's playoff wins over Alabama and Missouri.

He is a physical presence at 260 pounds who doesn't just rely on bull rushes; his 87 pursuit rating reflects a player who will chase a screen play 20 yards downfield. He even chipped in a blocked field goal and an interception last season, proving he is a true "big play" magnet for Brent Venables' defense.

8. Anto Saka, Texas A&M Aggies

22-year-old senior in 2026; 6'4", 255 lbs.

2025: 13 tkls, 3.0 sacks, 4.0 TFLs, 2 FFs

Saka brings his freakish athleticism to College Station after a stellar career at Northwestern, where he was a multi-time All-Big Ten selection. In 2025, he recorded 4.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks while consistently ranking among the conference leaders in pass-rush win percentage.

He was the first Wildcat in years to post over 12 career sacks and 14 tackles for loss, and his 11.5-second 100-meter dash speed makes him a terrifying prospect for SEC tackles who aren't used to that kind of range on the perimeter.

7. Anthony Smith, Minnesota Golden Gophers

22-year-old senior in 2026; 6'6", 285 lbs.

2025: 38 tkls, 12.5 sacks, 17.5 TFLs

Smith was an absolute force in the Big Ten last fall, leading the conference with 12.5 sacks, becoming the first Gopher to hit that mark since the turn of the century. He is a massive defensive end who uses his 285-pound frame to bully tackles, but he also possesses the technical savvy to bat down three passes at the line of scrimmage last year.

After starting all 13 games and recording 17.5 tackles for loss, he returns for his senior year as one of the most statistically dominant defensive linemen in the country.

6. John Henry Daley, Michigan Wolverines

22-year-old senior in 2026; 6'5", 255 lbs.

2025: 48 tkls, 11.5 sacks, 17.5 TFLs, 2 FFs

Daley is part of the Utah-to-Michigan pipeline, following his coaching staff to Ann Arbor after a massive 2025 season where he earned First-Team All-American honors. He led the state of Utah in sacks as a high school senior and translated that production to the college level last fall with 48 tackles and 11.5 sacks.

He is a vertical speed threat who spent two years on a church mission before his college career, meaning he brings a level of physical and mental maturity that is rare in the college game.

5. Trey White, Texas Tech Red Raiders

22-year-old senior in 2026; 6'3", 240 lbs.

2025: 53 tkls, 7.0 sacks, 10.5 TFLs

White was an absolute stat-sheet stuffer at San Diego State, once leading the nation in sacks during the 2024 season before taking his talents to Lubbock. He is a super-steady worker with a legendary motor who earned Academic All-Mountain West honors while being named the conference's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

Texas Tech is leaning on his elite speed-to-bend profile to fill the massive gap left by David Bailey's departure to the NFL.

4. Clev Lubin, Louisville Cardinals

22-year-old senior in 2026; 6'3", 260 lbs.

2025: 61 tkls, 8.5 sacks, 13.5 TFLs, 3 FFs

Lubin proved that the jump from the Sun Belt to the ACC was no problem, racking up 61 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss in his first year with the Cardinals. His 8.5 sacks were the third-most in the Power Four among returning players, and his five pass breakups show he has a great feel for when to stop rushing and get his hands in the passing lane.

He is a high-motor player from New York who has succeeded at every level, including a junior college national title, and he enters 2026 as an All-American candidate.

3. Dylan Stewart, South Carolina Gamecocks

20-year-old junior in 2026; 6'6", 248 lbs.

2025: 33 tkls, 4.5 sacks, 12.0 TFLs, 3 FFs

Stewart has been a household name since he dropped 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in his very first college game as a true freshman. Last year, he was a Second-Team All-SEC pick after pacing the Gamecocks with 12.0 tackles for loss and forcing three fumbles, tied for third in the conference.

He is a political science major who plays with a high IQ, using a quick first step and an explosive lower body to reach the quarterback before tackles can even establish their anchor.

2. Jayden Virgin-Morgan, Boise State Broncos

22-year-old redshirt senior in 2026; 6'5", 250 lbs.

2025: 56 tkls, 6.0 sacks, 13 TFLs, 2 FFs

Virgin-Morgan is widely considered a future top NFL prospect in the new-look Pac-12 after a dominant career in the Mountain West. A former high school tight end and linebacker, he has used that athleticism to become a two-time All-Conference selection who led Boise State with 13 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks last season.

He is a durable, three-year starter who has appeared in every game over the last two seasons, making him the defensive heartbeat of the Broncos' front.

1. Colin Simmons, Texas Longhorns

20-year-old junior in 2026; 6'3", 245 lbs.

2025: 43 tkls, 12 sacks, 15.5 TFLs, 3 FFs

Simmons is arguably the most feared player in college football right now after leading the SEC with 12.0 sacks in 2025. He was a Second-Team All-American who saved his best for the biggest stages, recording a sack in each of his final five games, including a massive performance against Texas A&M.

His statistical profile is absurd: 43 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks as a sophomore. He uses a ghost rush technique that is nearly impossible to block, and he enters 2026 as the heavy favorite to be the first defensive player taken in the 2027 NFL Draft.