With the transfer portal now open, a handful of teams have games to plan for, but the majority of the country is looking to improve their squad and land an impact transfer player to take their team to the next level.
Here are the top ten edge rushers who have announced their intention to enter the transfer portal and change schools for the 2026-27 season. These defenders all performed at an extremely high level and will look to replicate their success at their new homes.
They are ranked according to their PFSN EDGEi Ratings, which grade how well they performed and factor in their opponents and the skill around them.Â
Looking for more Transfer Portal position rankings? Head over to our College Football page for all the other positions, along with more portal news and analysis.Â
10) Balansama Kamara, Albany
PFSN EDGEi Rating: 82.4 (B-)
Balansama Kamara transferred to Albany after a two-year stint at Temple, and it seems to have been a worthwhile move. Kamara can play anywhere in the front eight and excelled as a force for Albany. Kamara recorded 22 tackles and a forced fumble on the season.
9) Antonio O’Barry, Gardner-Webb
PFSN EDGEi Rating: 82.7 (B-)
Antonio O’Barry is a massive edge rusher who uses his size and skill to make plays. He had 10.5 tackles for loss, including 4.5 sacks, and 52 tackles. He forced a pair of fumbles as well. With just a graduate year left for him, he will want to go somewhere where they can use him on the line and try to get to a bowl game before he hangs ’em up.
8) Wendell Gregory, Oklahoma State
PFSN EDGEi Rating: 83.3 (B)
Wendell Gregory didn’t get much of a chance to prove himself at South Carolina, as he just recorded a single tackle in 2024. For the Cowboys, he has 27 tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble after a season, and looks poised to grow on that at his next stop. The former South Carolina recruit could very well find himself back in the SEC, but in any case, he should make a significant impact next season.
7) Thomas Johnson, North Carolina Central
PFSN EDGEi Rating: 84.2 (B)
As a sophomore, Thomas Johnson recorded 30 tackles, including 18 for a loss, to go along with twelve sacks. At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, he isn’t your typical edge rusher, but he gets the job done at a high level. Look for Johnson to leap more challenging competition to show the world that he can reach the potential he has shown.
6) Ezekiel Larry, Yale
PFSN EDGEi Rating: 84.9 (B)
Ezekiel Larry is a force that can completely exploit a mismatch and take over a game. This is evidenced by his four multi-sack games this past season. He had 10.5 sacks in total this year, over eleven games, and was named to the 2025 All-ECAC Team. Look for Larry to draw interest from an alot of teams and find a perfect scheme fit that will allow him to continue piling up the sack numbers against better competition.
5) Keyshawn Johnson, UT Martin
PFSN EDGEi Rating: 85 (B)
Not to be confused with his namesake, who is the Hall of Fame wideout, Keyshawn Johnson is a solid player in his own right. He was named OVC-Big South Defensive Player of the Year thanks to his 13.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He was a force who could completely change a game, and I think he will be someone that everyone learns about if he duplicates his performance from last season, even if it’s at another smaller school.
4) John Henry Daley, Utah
PFSN EDGEi Rating: 89.1 (B+)
Putting up numbers like 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for a loss in the Big 12 are impressive enough. Now, it is rumored that he may follow his coach, Kyle Whittingham, to Michigan, which would project him into the top few rounds of the 2027 NFL Draft if he can deliver again for his coach or at another big-time program.
3) Andrew Zock, Mercer
PFSN EDGEi Rating: 92.5 (A)
Andrew Zock logged seven sacks, 14.5 tackles for a loss, and set a school record in quarterback hurries, with 15 on the season. A former three-star recruit, he came to Mercer and balled out in his freshman season. Teams will be excited to try and secure his services, both for how well he played and how early into his career he was able to experience it.
2) Lamont Lester Jr., Monmouth
PFSN EDGEi Rating: 93.2 (A)
Lamont Lester Jr. redshirted his first year on campus at Monmouth, but as soon as his second season began, he exploded onto the scene. He had five sacks in his first five games and ended the season with 9.5 sacks, to go along with two forced fumbles. If he could show this level of consistency against greater competition, he could find himself as a legitimate NFL prospect.
1) Adam Trick, Miami (OH)
PFSN EDGEi Rating: 96.4 (A)
When Adam Trick started his season off with a pair of sacks when the RedHawks visited Wisconsin in Week 1, everyone around Miami knew this would be a special season for him. Showing it on that stage and then keeping that high level of play up for a full season is extremely difficult to do. This fantastic season should have him on NFL draft boards, with him also being a top target for the biggest schools to enhance their defense for the upcoming season.