High-upside, redshirt-freshman edge with real sack-hunting pedigree
Cain Jefferson enters the 2026 season as a 6-foot-3, 220-pound redshirt freshman defensive end at Western Carolina, with a prep résumé that screams disruption: in his senior year at Columbia HS, he posted 70 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks, earning defensive player of the year honors. In 2025, he played in four games on defense and special teams without recording official stats, so the appeal is projection and tools rather than production. He looks like a developmental edge rusher with burst, effort, and a knack for living in the backfield.
