Ranking the Top 5 edge rushers in the Big Ten for the 2025 football season

In a conference known for it’s defensive dominance, it’s no surprise that there’s a slew of edge rushers that are among the nation’s best. Here’s who we believe are the top five edge rushers in the Big Ten for the 2025 season:

If there’s one thing that the Big Ten knows, it’s defense. For the last several years, the conference has boasted some of the best defenses in the nation, with Penn State, Ohio State , and Michigan as the usual suspects. A big reason for the defensive success of those teams is a dominant pass rush, anchored by edge rusher groups that can knock even the best passing attacks off their game.

Edge rushers are becoming a hotter commodity with each passing year. We routinely see defenses move their biggest and most athletic players to the position to give them the best chance to make plays. Penn State was rewarded by moving Abdul Carter from off-ball linebacker to the edge this past season, and Carter was also rewarded by being the fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft .

This season, the Big Ten has no shortage of edge rushers that should be among the nation’s best and could be high draft picks in 2026. Continuing our series counting down the top five players at each position in the conference, here are our picks for the top five edge rushers in the Big Ten in 2025.

5. T.J. Guy – Michigan

Last season, Michigan saw senior Josaiah Stewart take quite a step forward. Stewart was a rotational edge rusher on Michigan’s 2023 team, but with more playing time in 2024 evolved into being one of the best speed rushers in the Big Ten. Could the Wolverines watch the same process play out again in 2025 with T.J. Guy?

Now entering his fifth season with the program, Guy didn’t see significant playing time until last season, but made the most of his opportunity. He served as the No. 3 man on the depth chart for Michigan and ended the year with 5.5 sacks and seven tackles for a loss. He was named Michigan’s most improved player on defense for the season.

Guy was playing his best football in the second half of last season and commanded more and more playing time during Michigan’s final games. Now, he’ll be a starter in 2025 and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him take the same leap that Stewart did. Look for a breakout year from Guy this season.

4. Gabe Jacas – Illinois

Over the past few seasons under Bret Bielema, Illinois has become quite the thorn in the side of the bigger programs in the conference. Part of the reason for that is dominant defensive play, and one of the Fighting Illini’s biggest contributors from last season – edge rusher Gabe Jacas – is back for another go.

Jacas was quietly one of the more productive defenders in the Big Ten a year ago, registering eight sacks and 13 tackles for a loss. That was good enough to be an All-Big Ten third-team selection by the coaches and media. He was also a potential candidate to depart for the NFL Draft, but he opted to come back for his senior season.

At 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, Jacas brings size and athleticism to the position that defensive coordinators covet. In what will be his third season as a starter, it’s a good bet that he’ll top his numbers from a year ago. Big Ten fans might already know who Jacas is, but he should be on national radars by the end of the season.

3. Matayo Uiagalelei – Oregon

Fans might be more familiar with his older brother D.J., but Matayo Uiagalelei has had a great start to his college career playing for Dan Lanning at Oregon. Uiagalelei wasn’t featured heavily during his freshman year in 2023, but he broke out last year to the tune of 10.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for a loss. His performance was good enough to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors from the media and second-team honors from the coaches.

Last season, Uiagalelei got the benefit of playing in a pass-rush unit that featured Jordan Burch and Derrick Harmon, who are now both in the NFL. Their presence allowed Uiagalelei to fly under the radar a bit, but he won’t be sneaking up on opposing offenses anymore thanks to his production.

At 6-foot-5, 270 pounds, Uiagalelei is another edge rusher that boasts plenty of size and athleticism. If he’s able to build on his numbers from a year ago, he’ll more than likely be a candidate to go early in the 2026 NFL Draft, and we’ll be thinking that he was ranked too low on this list as well.

2. Mikail Kamara – Indiana

Indiana had plenty of players on its roster in 2024 who came out of nowhere to help lead the Hoosiers to their 11-2 campaign. One of those players was Mikail Kamara, who was one of a handful of guys who followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison. After being a candidate to head to the 2025 NFL Draft, Kamara opted to come back to Bloomington for another season.

Kamara started in all 13 of Indiana’s games last season and was good enough to earn second-team All-American honors from The Athletic, as well as third-team honors from the Associated Press. He registered ten sacks and 15 tackles for a loss.

While Indiana lost a handful of contributors from its 2024 defense, it returns arguably its two best players in Kamara and defensive back D’Angelo Ponds. If the Hoosiers hope to repeat their great season from a year ago, Kamara playing up to his potential as one of the conference’s best edge rushers will be a big reason why.

1. Dani Dennis-Sutton – Penn State

Death, taxes, and Penn State having elite players on defense. Dani Dennis-Sutton didn’t get much of the attention on Penn State’s defense last season thanks to some guy named Abdul Carter, but make no mistake, Dennis-Sutton will be the player that opposing offenses are circling during the 2025 season.

Last season, Dennis-Sutton earned All-Big Ten honorable mentions from the media. On the year, he registered 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss to go along with a forced fumble and an interception.

Despite the relative lack of postseason honors for Dennis-Sutton, he’s looked the part of a great edge rusher throughout his college career. After last season, there was some speculation that he could be headed to the NFL Draft, but he opted to return to school for another year, thanks to his age, as he doesn’t turn 22 years old until December. With a solid performance this year, he should be a sure first-round pick in 2026 and could be a big reason why Penn State makes another College Football Playoff push.