Chris

Rumph II

Rumph II (6’2/244) is the son of the former South Carolina ‘backer of the same name who is a renowned 18-year LBs coach currently employed by the Bears. A former three-star recruit who worked hard to put weight on his slight 215 pound frame, Rumph redshirted as a freshman before being deployed as a passing down havoc creator as a sophomore and junior. His production on a per-play basis was elite, as his 125 tackles, 34.0 TFL and 17.5 sacks shows. As a junior, Rumph terrorized ACC backfields to the tune of 48 pressures, 27 stops 13.5 TFL and 6.5 sacks, earning a 93.7 PFF defensive grade and third-team All-ACC status. Unfortunately, despite the fast twitch capabilities he displayed on the field, he injured his hamstring and couldn’t perform any testing drills at his pro day, where he weighed in 244 pounds, 10 pounds heavier than his billing at Duke. Size is always going to be an issue for the Blue Demons’ standout, as his slight frame causes him to get manhandled on run plays despite his excellent pursuit abilities. He wins with speed and technique while his active hands make him an elusive target on the rush. Despite not being a physical edge setter, there is a place in the NFL for a player who can bring consistent pressure.

As far as winning the game goes, Rumph’s efforts were to no avail. His nine pressures and one sack were not enough to overcome the Duke offense putting up just six points on the day. However, as far as NFL Draft status goes, Rumph (6'4/235) did wonders for himself. Already one of the best defensive end prospects in the class (if he were to declare), Rumph putting up performances wherein he makes the quarterback’s life a nightmare all day are what could solidify him in the first round over the coming months.

“Rumph, the second-best returning edge rusher in college football, is arguably the most underrated player in the country,” Treash writes. Pretty high praise for a player that most of the country isn’t familiar with, but that’s likely to change in 2020. Despite not starting for the Blue Devils in 2020, he was still able to post the third-highest pass-rush grade (92.9) among returning EDGE defenders. Rumph II (6'3/225) was able to post 6.5 sacks in 2019, and he’s likely to blow past that number for Duke this fall.