Kale Edwards has had a peculiar 2024.
In January, he played in the FCS National Championship game with Montana. After falling to South Dakota State and going through spring practices with the Grizzlies, Edwards entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in April. One month later, he committed to New Mexico State.
Most of Edwards’ summer was hampered by injuries and he struggled to make an impact with zero sacks in the Aggies’ first six games. But the senior defensive end had his coming-out party against Louisiana Tech on Oct. 15, earning four sacks and winning Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week honors in a 33-30 double overtime win.
A breakout game could be exactly what Edwards needs to rebound. He wants to be one of the Aggies’ best pass rushers and hopes to reach that standard heading into the NM State’s (2-5, 1-3 CUSA) road contest against Florida International (2-6, 1-3 CUSA) at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
“It does snowball a little bit,” Edwards said. “When you start moving in the right direction, it’s hard to get it stopped. Hopefully, it just keeps rolling in` the right direction.”
Edwards has only played defensive end for a short time. He played quarterback and safety at Coeur d’Alene High School in Idaho, and committed to Montana as a linebacker in 2018. Edwards switched to defensive end as a redshirt freshman in 2020 and began a second transition in as many years.
Edwards started eating more to increase his weight, specifically adding more potatoes to his diet. He also learned how to use his hands more aggressively, unlike the finesse manner he had before.
“It’s like playing dirty down on the block compared to a three-point shooter,” Edwards said. “There’s a lot of fighting down in the trenches. It’s not finesse. It sometimes is, but most of the time, you have to strike with power.”
Edwards grew in his new position and saw more playing time for Montana from 2022-23 seasons, recording 6.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles over both years. But then, Edwards wanted to leave. Many of his friends had graduated from Montana and he also believed he “accomplished everything” he wanted to with the Grizzlies.
He also wanted a new challenge.
“I loved every minute of Montana,” Edwards said. “But, I just wanted to see somewhere new. I’ve never been down to a place like this before, and I love it.”
NM State needed transfers after losing dozens to the portal after 2023. Edwards took a visit and met new head coach Tony Sanchez, defensive coordinator Joe Morris and defensive line coach Eti Ena. He bought into their vision and felt they provided a “welcoming” atmosphere. Just a few weeks after entering the portal, Edwards was on his way to Las Cruces.
Edwards hurt his ankle during Montana’s spring practices and spent most of the offseason recovering after graduating with a master’s degree in business. He couldn’t practice like he wanted to, so he “started mentoring NM State’s younger defensive linemen with junior defensive end Buddha Peleti.
He also started bonding with the Aggies’ tight ends like Jerry Lydiatt and Trevor Stephens and some of NM State’s quarterbacks. But he mostly keeps to himself, saying he’s a “private person.”
“Kale is a super quiet dude off the field,” said junior linebacker Tyler Martinez. “He’s obviously very nice and respectful. But when he gets on the field, I would not want to be in that dude’s way. I love having him on my side.”
Edwards worked on the “basics” and simple pass-rush moves once he got healthy and hoped it would translate to a fast start. However, he and others struggled. Edwards tallied eight pressures in the Aggies’ first six games but couldn’t obtain a sack or a quarterback hit, while NM State recorded a CUSA-worst five sacks.
It took a toll on Edwards, who felt he wasn’t affecting games. Edwards believes focusing on his mistakes, or his “1/11th”, would help the rest of the defense improve for LA Tech.
“It was super frustrating,” Edwards said. “But as soon as you start trying to do more than (your job), it affects the team in a negative way.
“I come out to practice every day with the same attitude. That never changed through any of the weeks, and I always go into the game expecting to do well.”
Edwards got his moment, becoming the first NM State player to record more than 3.5 sacks in a game since Cedric Wilcots II in 2017. His efforts helped the Aggies pull off an emphatic victory to snap their five-game losing streak.
“Kale is a steady guy… He’s purposeful when he gets out there,” Sanchez said. “It’s not shocking that he had a big game like that. I’m happy for him.”
Heading into his final five regular season games of his career, Edwards hopes he can finish it on a high note.
“I hope we reach our potential as a team,” Edwards said. “And I also just want to win. That’s what it’s all about.”
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