Scouting Report: Miami Edge Commitment Jayden Wayne
Jayden Wayne
External recruiting Ranking: No. 36 Overall, No. 5 EDGE, No. 9 in the state of Florida (On3 Composite).
Size: 6’5”, 240 pounds
Position: EDGE
Hometown: Tacoma, (Wash.) IMG Academy
Recruiting
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal was the first to offer Wayne back in July 2019 during his time in Eugene. Three years later, the national prospect committed to the Canes over the likes of Oregon, Georgia Alabama and LSU. Wayne visited Miami twice and soon after his official visits to Miami and Oregon, he announced he would be transferring across the country to IMG Academy.
Oregon got the final official visit from Wayne, but once he announced his transfer to play high school in Florida, Miami became a more viable option.
Frame
Length is the primary point to discuss. With Wayne's wingspan, he can play on the edge and keep offensive tackles away from his chest with a long-arm technique or two-hand swipe with ease. He still has room to add more muscle mass to his upper torso and keep his speed, but he's already quite strong for his age.
Wayne's lower half is also powerful, as it helps him anchor versus bigger offensive tackles, but he could add more mass below the waist than above. Look for Wayne to top out in the 270-pound range.
Elite First Step
Wayne is the whole package as an edge rusher and it starts with his ball get-off. Coming out of his stance, he's at a different gear than many edge defenders even if they are 20 or 30 pounds lighter than him.
That first step for Wayne is vital in determining his success for any respective play. He often bends the edge around an offensive tackle and reaches the opposing quarterback because of his initial burst.
Wayne’s get-off is elite. As soon as the ball is snapped, he’s almost always the first defender in the backfield. Once he's close to the quarterback, he’s a tough defender to stop. Here is an example of his elite-level speed off the snap.
Strength and Power
Just from the clip above, Wayne has put multiple skills on display in one play. However, we're going to focus on the power he brings to opposing tackles. While his quickness off the line is impressive, what needs to be noted about this play is how he blows up the right tackle by keeping a low base and using his power. Then, he uses his speed to make the tackle behind the line.
Wayne has a strong upper body that allows him to shoot his arms and contain edges on running plays or if a quarterback rolls out of the pocket. He has good speed as an edge rusher, but his strength makes him as versatile as any other edge rusher in the 2023 class.
With that being said, Wayne can use his large frame to have an effective bull rush. Here is a clip of Wayne setting the edge, using the popular pass rush move called the one-arm stab to create distance between himself and the tackle.
Another example of Wayne's edge-setting abilities can be seen in run plays and bootlegs. Wayne contains edges very well and doesn't allow much room to work for any ball carrier, as seen in this clip below. Speed options, which is what looks to be the offensive play call, can be difficult to read as a defender, but not for Jayden Wayne.
Speed off the Edge
Wayne's speed coming off the edge is impressive considering his frame. He does have a high motor that adds more value to what his speed brings. Additionally, he contorts his body in way that provides him leverage around tackles quick enough to apply pressure on the quarterback.
In the clip, Wayne almost overran the quarterback with his speed. For a former Miami player comparison, Wayne has speed that could be compared to Greg Rousseau.
Areas For Improvement
Wayne does have good technique as an edge rusher, but it could most definitely be refined. The fact that Wayne uses the one-arm stab to set an edge is a significant ability, but Wayne still needs to add more pass rushing moves to his arsenal.
Wayne could also benefit from doing a jab and go. The jab and go is essentially shooting the arms, setting the edge and dislodging the offensive lineman to where he is out of the way en route to the quarterback. That's just the start.
Double swipe, club, rip, snatch and a myriad of other moves are ones he's seen and/or used at this point, but receiving college coaching to refine these moves will make him a far better player than he is today. To that point, pad level needs to be more consistent to further maximize his pass rushing moves.
Final Thoughts
Wayne is a testament to Cristobal's national recruiting ties and ability. His addition to the class is a major pickup for Miami. Cristobal made an emphasis in the offseason to revamp the defensive front and Wayne is at the forefront of those efforts.
Now he will be trained by Rod Wright, Jason Taylor and Joe Salave'a in helping him become the best player he can be.
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