Zach Groves

Physical Profile

Groves carries a prototypical edge frame at 6-foot-4 with a listed playing weight ranging from 220 (junior season) up toward 255 as he's filled out, indicating an ascending body that hasn't finished growing. The long levers and frame project to comfortably hold 255-265 in a college program without sacrificing the loose hips and ankle flexibility that let him bend the corner. That length is a real asset for setting the edge and disrupting throwing lanes, but the lighter junior playing weight is a tell that his frame is still under construction — strength and anchor are projection traits, not finished products.

Play Style

On film Groves wins with quickness and length rather than power, exploding off the snap and using a varied rush tempo to stress offensive tackles before bending tight to the quarterback. He's a chase-and-disruption defender whose backfield production (21 TFL as a junior) reflects range, motor and the ability to track plays laterally. He plays with the loose, bendy lower half teams want in a stand-up rusher, and the forced fumbles and punt block show a knack for impact plays beyond the sack column. Against the run he relies more on length and effort than a stout anchor at this stage.

Strengths

• Explosive first-step athleticism and natural bend around the edge — he can flatten his rush angle and varies his get-off speeds to keep tackles off-balance, the trait scouts most coveted in his evaluation
• Elite high school production that signals a true difference-maker: 65 tackles, 21 TFL, 4 sacks, an INT, 2 forced fumbles and a punt block as a junior, with another 77-tackle, 4.5-sack campaign as a senior — disruption shows up across the box score, not just as a one-dimensional pass rusher
• Scheme versatility as a two-point hybrid OLB or hand-in-the-dirt 4-man end, plus two-way value (his 72 scoring points suggest offensive/special-teams snaps), pointing to rare football athleticism and motor

Areas to Improve

• Functional play strength and anchor — at a frame that played as light as 220, he must add mass and lower-body power to set a hard edge against SEC-caliber run blocking and avoid being washed inside
• Pass-rush plan and hand usage — like most high-volume high school edges, much of his production comes off pure athleticism; he needs to develop a counter-move arsenal, more refined hand placement, and a consistent inside counter to win against college tackles who can match his athleticism

College Projection

Expect a redshirt or rotational developmental path at Tennessee. Year 1 is a strength-and-conditioning project to add 25-30 pounds of functional mass while preserving his bend; realistic on-field impact comes as a situational pass-rusher and special-teamer in Years 1-2, with a starting hybrid-EDGE role attainable by Year 3 if the strength gains and pass-rush refinement track as projected. The athletic and production profile is a starter's baseline — the timeline hinges on physical development.

NFL Outlook

As a 4-star EDGE with length, explosiveness and natural bend, Groves carries legitimate Day 2-3 NFL upside if he maxes out his frame and adds a refined rush plan. The traits that translate — get-off, ankle flexibility, length — are the ones NFL teams pay for at the position, but his draft ceiling is entirely tied to functional strength development and proving he can anchor against the run at the next level. Realistic outcome: a multi-year college developer whose draft stock is decided by how much power he adds to the athleticism.

Best Fit

An odd-front, multiple defense that lets him stand up as a 3-4/two-point hybrid OLB best maximizes his bend and explosiveness while protecting him from being a full-time hand-in-the-dirt run defender early. Tennessee's scheme, paired with an SEC strength program that can add mass without dulling his quickness, is a strong landing spot — he fits any defense that values edge rushers who win the corner with speed and length rather than bull-rush power.