Nevada 2020 recruiting: Defensive End Prospects to Watch

The Nevada 2020 class of defensive ends fall heavily in the player-to-watch category but several have been impressive athletically bringing high potential. With the season around the corner, here are the key players who should standout:

51 tackles 16 sacks

Entering his senior season with 30 career sacks, Lopez has proven to be a tenacious pass rusher off the edge with impressive acceleration and quickness. Relentless when attacking up the field, he is great at slipping blocks and a strong player versus the run as well.

Holding seven offers from the Minnesota and most of the Mountain West, he is on pace to enter the Nevada career record books as a senior.

An outstanding athlete, Pickett will be looking to have a huge senior season after missing his junior season. He has a great speed, quickness and size combination that should allow him to be very productive.

Pickett logged several major offers as a sophomore and will be looking to finish big this season.

65 tackles 9 sacks

The number two returning sack artist at defensive end, Alston is a shifty pass rusher on the edge that has great pursuit speed. He is a defender that plays with great anticipation and does a good job locating the football. With physical upside, he is a player that can also shift to linebacker in college currently holding a D2 offer.

49 tackles 4 sacks

A player with great length along with good speed and hand quickness, Chiles is a capable pass rusher that will be a senior to watch this season. A great prospect as a defensive end or with a shift to linebacker, he has gained some steam this off-season holding two offers including one from Idaho.

A junior to watch, Washington has a great frame along with great athletic skill. If he puts can put production behind his athletic number, he can rise quickly as a top player in his class.

Henderson is an impressive sophomore-to-be that has the athletic potential to rise in the near future.

72 tackles 4 sacks

Carson lacks great length, but he has been a productive player in the trenches the last two seasons with great tenacity. Adept at taking on blocks and navigating traffic to find the ball carrier, he is a player to watch that should garner looks from smaller programs.

16 tackles 3 sacks

A great looking athlete off the edge, Smith looks that part and has the physical skills to be a dominant pass rusher. He is a bit raw in awareness and technique but he has the potential to be another Agassi star at the collegiate level.

31 tackles 3 sacks

A smart edge player on defense, Gusman lacks length but brings good athletic ability off the edge.

12 tackles 1 sack

Berry lacks a resume with a previous transfer but he has the frame and physical upside to turn heads as a senior. He is a player that projects as a prospect at defensive end but he has the ability to also make noise as an interior defensive tackle.

One of the top raw athletes among defensive end prospects, Hodges is a player that could bloom as a senior.

10 tackles 1 sack

Moving into a primary role as a senior, Barber is a potential breakout star as an edge rusher.