Khary Wilder

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-4, 260 lbs. Taller than 67% and heavier than 19% of 2026 Defensive Line prospects in the SEC Scouts database (227 with a listed size).

Play Style

Wilder is a high-effort, disruptive player who is most dangerous in the first second of the play. On film he gets off the ball quickly, beats the blocker to his spot, and uses his burst and hip flexibility to run the arc or cross inside. When he loses the first step he keeps working, and many of his high school sacks and QB hits came late in the play. He shows natural strength on the bull rush against guards and can toss a lighter blocker to get to the quarterback. Against the run he pursues sideline to sideline and finishes aggressively, which accounts for his tackle numbers and forced fumbles. He is at his best rushing the passer on obvious passing downs, and that is how Ohio State uses him now: as a third-down rusher who can line up anywhere on the line.

Strengths

• Productive for three straight varsity seasons in the Mission League, one of Southern California's toughest: 75 tackles and 14 sacks as a sophomore, 86 tackles, 11 TFL and 4.5 sacks as a junior, then 91 tackles, 20 TFL, 26 QB hits, 10 sacks and 5 forced fumbles in 10 senior games. The 26 QB hits and 5 forced fumbles show he disrupts plays even when he doesn't finish the sack.
• First-step quickness. 247's Andrew Ivins writes that he 'wins primarily with his initial effort.' It already carries over to college: he had 4 pressures on 17 snaps against Illinois and 2 on 5 snaps against Texas, which is a very high pressure rate for a true freshman.
• Relentless motor and pursuit. Scouts call him 'one of those players that just keeps coming' and say he 'plays with his hair on fire' chasing ball carriers. His 91 tackles as a senior are a lot for an edge player and back that up. His pressure against Ball State also led directly to a TJ Alford interception.
• Can rush from the edge or inside. Ryan Day has said Wilder can play on the interior and in Ohio State's 'Rushmen' package, so he can create mismatches against guards on passing downs. That flexibility gives him more snaps early in his career.

Areas to Improve

• Pad level. 247's evaluation says he plays tall, which lets longer offensive tackles get under him and stop his charge on run downs. That matters most if he plays more on the interior.
• Hand technique and a plan of pass-rush moves. In high school he won mostly with effort and his first step. Against Big Ten tackles he needs a reliable go-to move and a counter, so he doesn't depend on winning off the snap. This is also why Day says the staff is still building trust before giving him every-down reps.
• Holding up against the run as an every-down end. At 257 pounds with a tall pad level, he needs to show he can hold the edge and escape blocks on early downs. That is what would move him from a third-down specialist to a starter.

College Projection

He has already reached the rotation. As a true freshman in 2026 he plays third downs and in the Rushmen package, and the staff likes his pressure rate even on limited snaps. Realistic path: a situational pass rusher in 2026 while he refines his hands and pad level with Larry Johnson, a regular rotation role with 25-35 snaps a game in 2027, and a starter at defensive end, or as a hybrid end/3-technique, by 2028. His ceiling depends on building a counter-move package and holding up against the run. If both develop, his burst and production point to an all-conference level player.

NFL Outlook

247's Andrew Ivins projects him as a Round 2-3 pick and compares him to Shemar Turner, a hybrid lineman who played both end and tackle and wins with quickness and motor. That comparison fits his tweener build and his ability to rush from inside. Rivals rated him a five-star and the No. 1 DL, which points higher. Johnson has a long record of developing pass rushers at Ohio State and early in his career, and Wilder is producing as a true freshman, so a Day 2 outcome is reasonable if he develops normally. To reach Round 1 he would need to show he can win consistently on the edge with more than effort, or add weight and become a disruptive 3-technique who wins with quickness. He becomes draft-eligible after the 2028 season.

Best Fit

A multiple front that moves its linemen around and has a pass-rush package where he can rush from the edge or over the guard on third down. That describes Ohio State's current system and its Rushmen package. The ideal staff is a defensive line coach who teaches hand technique well and will give an explosive rusher specific jobs while he learns to play every down, which is Larry Johnson's specialty. A strict two-gap 3-4 that asks him to hold blocks would waste his main strength.