Elijah Rushing

Scheme-versatile front-line defender with size/frame potential of a more traditional hand-on-the-ground defensive lineman, but the functional athleticism and pursuit range of a modern edge rusher. High-level physical tools and immense upside. Senior season shows encouraging speed-to-power ability as a pass rusher. Wields a heavy inside hand that can rock tackles onto their heels. Flashes some arc-running juice and dangerous back-side pursuit ability. Plays with strong hands and increasing violence in his upper body. Capable of disengage-and-chase ability. Naturally high center of gravity but shows he can drop his weight and play with better leverage. Also translates to some dip-and-rip nuance from the edge. Occasionally displays some segmented movement patterns that suggest need for continued improvement in fluidity. Also can improve body control at times. Given physical tools, consistently good production across multiple years, and live evaluations, Rushing looks like one of the top defensive prospects in the 2024 cycle. Projects as a high-major impact player with an early-round NFL Draft ceiling.

More Evaluations

• Evaluated 06/29/2023 Chris Singletary National Recruiting Expert Read
• Evaluated 03/06/2022 Blair Angulo Mountain Region Recruiting Analyst Read