Ranking the top 25 breakout candidates for 2021 (#2. EDGE BOYE MAFE, MINNESOTA)

BleedGopher

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per PFF:

2. EDGE BOYE MAFE, MINNESOTA

Class: Redshirt Senior
247Sports Recruiting: 2017 3-star (Overall: 1,493rd, WDE: 78th)
Career Snaps: 606

Mafe has yet to stay healthy over the course of a season, but we have seen enough from him to know he’s a monster pass-rusher. He landed on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List last year for his absurd 40.5-inch vertical jump and sub-4.6-second 40-yard dash time at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds. His first step gives offensive linemen nightmares.

He has rushed the passer 324 times in his college career — which is about a normal season's worth for a starter — and recorded an 89.6 pass-rushing grade on those reps. Taking screens, RPOs and play-action passes out of the equation to feature only Mafe's true pass rushes, his career pass-rushing grade jumps to 91.1 and his win rate sits at 21.7%. Among Power Five edge defenders with 200 such pass rushes since 2018, that pass-rush grade ranks sixth.

Mafe played almost exclusively as a stand-up outside linebacker in 2020, but he has proven in the past that he is more than capable of being a force inside at 3-technique.

With a full year as a starter, Mafe could very well become a household name and a top-five player at the position in 2021.


Go Gophers!!
 


Mafe played almost exclusively as a stand-up outside linebacker in 2020, but he has proven in the past that he is more than capable of being a force inside at 3-technique.
Both parts of this sound wrong to me? I don't remember Mafe playing either OLB or DT at all. I realize there is some ambiguity around OLB/Rush End/DE in modern football, but we run a 4-2-5...
 

Nice high praise for Mafe, hopefully they are right. Would be awesome to see Mafe become a beast along the line. Hopefully the upgrades to the interior of the line help that happen.

Just 5 Big Ten guys on this list and Mafe was the highest of the bunch. Ohio State had a receiver at #4 and then another guy a little farther down. Maryland had Tua and a WR make the list.
 

Both parts of this sound wrong to me? I don't remember Mafe playing either OLB or DT at all. I realize there is some ambiguity around OLB/Rush End/DE in modern football, but we run a 4-2-5...
Yeah, was thinking something similar. Feels like the description of a 3-4 Edge player which is not what we do. Probably got some of their info mixed up.
 


I hope he lights up whoever OSU puts under center...
 




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