Derek Colman-Brusa

Physical Profile

At 6'5" and 267 pounds, Colman-Brusa carries legitimate power-conference defensive line size as a high school senior. The frame is the headline: he is already at base-end/heavy-EDGE weight with the length to set a hard edge, yet has moved well enough to win as a stand-up rusher in the NPSL 4A. That size-athleticism combination gives staffs positional optionality — he can live at strongside end now and grow into a 4i/5-technique or interior sub-package rusher at 285+ without losing his identity as a penetrator.

Play Style

Colman-Brusa plays a violent, downhill brand of football. On film he aligns everywhere from wide-9 to head-up over the tackle, and Kennedy Catholic moved him along the front specifically to hunt matchups. He wins early in downs with a heavy first punch and edge-setting strength against the run — his 63 career TFL are a product of shedding blocks and closing laterally, not just backfield gambling. As a rusher he converts speed to power naturally, walking tackles back into the pocket, and he has a knack for attacking the football once he arrives. He is a tone-setter whose motor and physicality show up on the tape independent of the box score.

Strengths

• Elite production over a full three-year varsity career, not a one-season flash: 75 tackles, 19 TFL and 14 sacks as a sophomore; 68 tackles, 25 TFL and 10 sacks as a junior; 50 tackles, 19 TFL and 8 sacks as a senior while drawing constant slide protection and chips as the 2025 NPSL 4A Player of the Year
• Rare speed-to-power conversion for his size — evaluators describe him as a 'one-man wrecking crew' who beats tackles multiple ways, winning with first-step quickness one snap and long-arm/bull power the next
• Ball-disruption instincts that show up beyond the sack column: 8 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries across his sophomore and junior seasons, indicating he finishes plays with intent rather than just arriving

Areas to Improve

• Pass-rush plan refinement — much of his high school dominance came from being physically superior; he needs a developed counter sequence (inside spin, cross-chop off the speed rush) to win against Big Ten tackles who match his length
• Level-of-competition translation and conditioning at weight — sustaining snap-to-snap effort and lower-body flexibility as he adds mass will determine whether he stays on the edge or kicks inside

College Projection

Committed to Washington, where his frame fits the multiple-front defense as a strongside end/EDGE who can reduce inside on passing downs. Expect a developmental redshirt or rotational true-freshman role in 2026 while he adapts his body to a college strength program, with a path to meaningful rotation snaps by Year 2 and a starting job by Year 3. His floor is a multi-year Big Ten starter at base end; his ceiling is an all-conference disruptor if the pass-rush toolbox catches up to the physical traits.

NFL Outlook

Legitimate NFL draft trajectory. Top-150 composite edge defenders with his frame (6'5", 267 as a prep) and three years of verified TFL/sack production profile as Day 2-caliber prospects if development tracks normally. The traits scouts will chart — length, speed-to-power, positional versatility from wide alignment to the interior — are exactly what the league pays for on the defensive front. A realistic three-year college arc puts him in the 2029 draft conversation, with round projection driven almost entirely by whether he adds a refined rush plan to the raw power.

Best Fit

A multiple-front, pro-style defense that moves its linemen — which is precisely what he chose in Washington. He is maximized in a scheme that uses him as a base 5-technique/strongside end against the run and lets him rush from different alignments on passing downs, rather than a pure wide-9 speed-rush system that would waste his power element. Programs with strong DL development infrastructure and a track record of turning big-framed edges into NFL fronts players fit his profile best.