Zion Young

Former defensive end at Missouri. 2025: 6.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, 42 tackles.

DE · Missouri · Sr. · #9

6′5″ · 262 lb · Atlanta, GA

CFB Index 87 · #22 of 420 edge rushersMedium confidenceAll-Conf 1st teamDrafted by Baltimore — Rd 2, Pick 13, #45 overall

How he plays

Collapses the pocket even when the sack doesn't come.

QB hurries: 100th percentile.

The full scouting read

The numbers

6.5

sacks · 2025

15.5 TFL · 42 tackles · 14 hurries

Best game: 2 sacks, 2.5 TFL, 5 tackles, at Auburn

The play that turned itSwung Missouri from 38% to 90% to win.Oklahoma at Missouri · 30-23

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive end at Missouri. 2025: 6.5 sacks, 15.5 tackles for loss, 42 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Michigan State in 2022.
Transferred from Michigan State to Missouri in 2024.
Drafted round 2 by the Baltimore in 2026.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Missouri, 12 sacks, a first-team All-Conference season (2025) — drafted at #45 overall by Baltimore.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20226 games

Signed with Michigan State3-star out of Westlake

202413 games

The role got bigger.

Entered the portal

202513 games

All-SECfirst

2026

Drafted by Baltimoreround 2, pick 45

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1404 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2022–2025

NFL

NFL Draft

R2 · #45

Baltimore · 2026

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

3 honors · 1 category

🥈

ALL-SEC · 1ST TEAM

All-SEC 1st team (2025)

Coaching lineage · 2022–2025

1 coach

2022–2025

Eli Drinkwitz

Missouri

Played his entire career under Eli Drinkwitz.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

Baltimore2026 NFL rookie season

#45Rd 2 · Pick 13

Baltimore2026 NFL rookie season

View college career stats ↓

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2022Michigan State5-7HC: Mel Tucker · Balanced

2023Michigan State4-8HC: Mel Tucker · Balanced

2024Missouri10-3HC: Eli Drinkwitz · Run-leaning

2025Missouri8-5HC: Eli Drinkwitz · Run-heavy

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

87All-Conference level #22 of 420?

Medium confidenceSustained Ascent6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: qb hurries (100th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (99th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

QB hurries#5 / 2975 · 100th pct

Tackles for loss#15 / 2975 · 99th pct

15.5

Sacks#55 / 2975 · 98th pct

6.5

Tackles#834 / 2975 · 71st pct

Passes defended#777 / 2975 · 67th pct

Solo tackles#1029 / 2975 · 64th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2025 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home9g	3.2	1.2	0.4	0.2
Road4g	3.2	1.1	0.8	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	3.1	1.1	0.4	0.3
Weeks 8+6g	3.3	1.3	0.6	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Eli Drinkwitz

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2025

All-Conference 1st team

First team in his league at the position.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

87 · #22 of 420 edge rushers

Three-star recruit. Now #22 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2025	Missouri	42	20	15.5	6.5	2	--	--
2024	Missouri	41	14	5.5	2.5	3	--	--
2023	Michigan State	26	8	4.5	1.5	--	--	--
2022	Michigan State	21	8	2.0	1.0	--	--	--
Career		130	50	27.5	11.5	5	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 8 · 2025

W 23–17

at Auburn

5 TOT · 3 SOLO · 2 SACKS

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 6 on the road.

With B. Pribula — 252 yds · 0 TD · 2 INT · QBR 76.4 · 28 rush yds (16 car) · 1 TD · C. Weselman — 46 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 52 LONG

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week