'24 AL EDGE Jordan Ross (Tennessee)

The kid is big.

He can add another 20 lbs and still look lean but bench 400 something. Running a 4.47 or something crazy like that

I think 265 is his optimal weight at 6'5".
Under 10 percent body fat.

Remember his only struggle was run stopping last year. So he needs more bulk and strength.
20 lbs of muscle spread over his frame will help a ton. It will make him a complete player.
I think Pearce's biggest issue stopping the run was just being out of position. a lot of times he was just too fast. He would beat the RB to a spot, but because Pearce was so far ahead the RB had a chance to make a move before getting to the spot the run was supposed to go to and then Pearce is forced to try and make an arm tackle and his size/strength wasn't enough at that point. kinda an out-kicking your coverage situation. jmo.
 
I don’t think Josephs gets the respect he deserves. Pearce having a major jump sophomore year kept him playing 2nd string, but that dude is still really good. Gonna be a fun 2024
Absolutely agree! PFF obviously isn't the end-all-be-all, but his season grades out at #5 for us since 2014 (edge players with 150+ snaps). Some pretty good company too.

1. Pearce (2023)
2. Barnett (2016)
3. Barnett (2015)
4. Taylor (2019)
5. Josephs (2023)
6. Barnett (2014)
7. Taylor (2018)
8. Baron (2023)
9. Young (2021)
10. Maggitt (2014)

Not elite at run defense or pass rushing, but really solid in both.

Pearce/Josephs graded out as #1/#7 in the SEC this year, both as true sophomores. Ridiculous.
 
Josephs is going to have a great year too IMO. Teams will have an even more increased focus on stopping Pearce
Josephs has so much potential..he has as much twitchy explosiveness as Pearce, but didn't seem to be as strong, and it looks like he just has not refined his craft as well as JP has to thus point. ..he still looked a little raw and unorganized sometimes this year..if you know what I mean by unorganized.

Either way...I'm hoping he puts it all together this year...it would be an absolute nightmare for OLs to have bookend JPs to deal with.
 
What a great TE he would make...





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2. WHO MIGHT BE RANKED TOO LOW?
Tennessee edge rusher Jordan Ross had about as good a postseason all-star run as any edge prospect in recent memory. While he moved up the ranks and sits plenty high as a top 50 overall talent, he was in the five-star discussion and he of course plays a premium position as a pass rusher. Ross has the frame, motor, athleticism and finishing power to become a true third-down force. Once he adds mass and rounds out his game, especially from a technique standpoint, we could look back on this one and scratch our heads some.
 

“Athletic EDGE prospect with the physical ability to develop into a dangerous pass rusher. Measured in 6-foot-4.5, 215 pounds with a 33.5-inch arm prior to his senior season. Registers as a top athlete in the combine setting. Lines up all over the field for his high school. Works on the edge and as an off-ball linebacker at times. Makes most of his plays as a pursuit defender, using his athleticism and range to track down plays from sideline-to-sideline. Has palpable burst and play speed. Needs to improve his technical skill as a pass rusher and increase his play strength, base and anchor. Flashes his athleticism as a basketball player. Younger for the cycle with a May birthday.”
 
I genuinely don't have a feel as to how we pulled him out of Alabama.... That never happens for any school when a kid is this highly rated in that state (especially at a premium position). If I remember correctly, Alabama didn't even really seem to be one of his main contenders at the end. Couldn't be more excited. But it's definitely an interesting pull when the variables are looked at objectively.
 
I genuinely don't have a feel as to how we pulled him out of Alabama.... That never happens for any school when a kid is this highly rated in that state (especially at a premium position). If I remember correctly, Alabama didn't even really seem to be one of his main contenders at the end. Couldn't be more excited. But it's definitely an interesting pull when the variables are looked at objectively.

Bama slow played him.

One of Saban’s biggest recruiting mistakes.
 
I think Pearce's biggest issue stopping the run was just being out of position. a lot of times he was just too fast. He would beat the RB to a spot, but because Pearce was so far ahead the RB had a chance to make a move before getting to the spot the run was supposed to go to and then Pearce is forced to try and make an arm tackle and his size/strength wasn't enough at that point. kinda an out-kicking your coverage situation. jmo.
He typically would open up the gap by being so far in the backfield. Our LBs couldn’t get to the point to fill up gap. We honestly didn’t have the experience at LB to fully utilize Pearce’s abilities.
 
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“Athletic EDGE prospect with the physical ability to develop into a dangerous pass rusher. Measured in 6-foot-4.5, 215 pounds with a 33.5-inch arm prior to his senior season. Registers as a top athlete in the combine setting. Lines up all over the field for his high school. Works on the edge and as an off-ball linebacker at times. Makes most of his plays as a pursuit defender, using his athleticism and range to track down plays from sideline-to-sideline. Has palpable burst and play speed. Needs to improve his technical skill as a pass rusher and increase his play strength, base and anchor. Flashes his athleticism as a basketball player. Younger for the cycle with a May birthday.”

Massive jump
 

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