Elijah Rushing

Elijah Rushing is a true freshman EDGE/LB hybrid at Oregon and one of the most physically gifted long-term prospects in the 2027 class, a former five-star Tucson product whose recruitment topped national boards before he signed with the Ducks. At a listed 6-6 and 275 pounds with the kind of frame typically reserved for power-five tackles, Rushing offers a rare blend of length, leverage, and bend that pops on tape from his Salpointe Catholic days and during early Oregon practice reps. He grades as a top-20 linebacker in the class with a projected first-round outlook, landing on every credible 2027 watch list before ever logging a full college season. His freshman production is minimal by design (3 tackles, 1 solo across limited snaps behind a deep Ducks edge room), so the evaluation rides almost entirely on traits, projection, and pedigree. Scouts love the get-off, the natural leverage he wins despite his height, and the positional flexibility to play with a hand down on early downs and drop into spy/zone looks on passing downs. He is the kind of developmental swing piece NFL teams will track closely as he grows into a full-time starter role in 2026 with a chance to vault into the top of his class.