Tristian Givens

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-foot-3.5 to 6-foot-4 and roughly 215 pounds (he checked in near 200 at the Navy All-American Bowl), Givens is a long-limbed, high-cut athlete with a frame built to comfortably carry 240-250 pounds. His length, snap-quickness out of a two-point stance, and rare lateral agility for an edge defender give him a classic stand-up rusher's build. The two-way background — he also played receiver at Carver — shows up in his fluidity and body control; he moves more like an oversized skill player than a down lineman, which is exactly the athletic profile modern defensive staffs target on the edge.

Play Style

Givens is a speed-and-violence rusher who wins the corner before contact arrives. On film he explodes off the snap, flattens to the quarterback with genuine bend, and hammers finishes when he gets home. Against the run he compensates for lack of bulk with alertness and maneuverability, slipping and out-quicking blockers to make stops rather than stacking and shedding. His two-way athleticism shows up in space — he's comfortable dropping, chasing laterally, and redirecting mid-pursuit, which is why evaluators view him as a scheme wildcard rather than a fixed-position defensive end.

Strengths

• Elite first-step explosion and bend — launches out of a two-point stance and creates negative plays instantly, with closing speed to the quarterback that evaluators have called rare for the position
• Slick lateral quickness and redirect ability — changes direction in pursuit without gearing down, allowing him to counter inside, chase plays from the backside, and win on stunts and games
• Proven production and demeanor — 30 sacks over two seasons against strong Georgia competition, and he plays with a genuinely angry, finish-through-the-quarterback temperament
• Positional versatility — can align on the ball, off the ball as a stand-up backer, or even over the slot depending on matchup, giving coordinators a movable chess piece

Areas to Improve

• Functional mass and anchor strength — at ~215 pounds he struggles to root against heavier offensive tackles in the run game and will need multiple college semesters in a strength program before he can hold an edge on early downs
• Pass-rush plan refinement — much of his prep production came on pure burst and effort; he needs to develop a fuller hand-usage toolbox and counter sequence to win against SEC tackles who can match his get-off

College Projection

Expect a Year 1 role as a situational third-down rusher at Texas A&M while his body catches up — his get-off can contribute in obvious passing situations immediately, but he shouldn't be asked to set the edge against SEC run games right away. With a redshirt-or-rotational freshman season and a full offseason in the strength program, he projects as a starting-caliber edge by Year 2 or 3, and as Mike Elko's highest-rated signee in the 2026 class he'll be developed as a cornerstone piece of the defense.

NFL Outlook

The traits translate: length, bend, first-step quickness, and closing burst are the exact profile NFL teams pay for on the edge, and his composite rating (0.9475) puts him in a historical band that produces drafted players at a high rate. If he reaches 245+ pounds without losing twitch and develops a professional rush plan, he has legitimate Day 1-2 draft ceiling as a 3-4 outside linebacker or wide-9 rusher. The floor scenario — the weight never comes — caps him as a sub-package specialist, but the athletic baseline gives him one of the higher ceilings among 2026 edge prospects.

Best Fit

An aggressive, multiple front that features stand-up edge rushers and attacks with movement — exactly what he's getting at Texas A&M under Mike Elko. He's maximized in odd-front or hybrid schemes that let him rush from a two-point stance, stunt and loop inside, and occasionally drop or align over the slot, rather than a static 4-3 that would ask him to play with his hand down against base run looks before his frame fills out.