When the broadcast starts on Sunday afternoon from South Philly, a bunch of big names will be highlighted.

Jalen Hurts.

Brock Purdy.

Saquon Barkley.

Christian McCaffrey.

Kyle Shanahan.

Nick Sirianni.

Vic Fangio.

Robert Saleh.

Trent Williams.

Lane Johnson.

You get the point. Eagles-49ers isn’t just a huge playoff matchup—it’s a star-studded affair. Throw in the lead executive on both sides (Howie Roseman, John Lynch) and some of the most decorated names in the last 30 years of pro football will be present. It’s a dream game for Fox Sports to broadcast. I’m already excited to start the pregame show on WIP.

But sometimes an under-the-radar name pushes its way to center stage. Heck, it might already be happening with this Eagles defense. And it wouldn’t surprise me if this guy became an x-factor in a win on Wild Card Weekend.

I’m talking about Eagles second-year edge rusher Jalyx Hunt, the guy that’s come out of nowhere to be this team’s most consistent edge over the last few months. His rise isn’t unprecedented (we’re talking about a 2024 third-round pick that contributed to last year’s special Super Bowl defense), but few saw this coming.

Hunt led the Eagles in sacks (6.5) and interceptions (3), becoming the first player in franchise history to do that in a single season. Throw in 55 pressures (team high), 24 quarterback hits (team high), and a 21.2 percent pressure rate on third down (eighth-best in the NFL) and the picture of a young, emerging star is being painted right in front of us.

Both Jason Avant (who joined the WIP Midday Show in studio for a full hour yesterday) and Richard Sherman think Shanahan can scheme open throws for Purdy if the 49ers quarterback has time to throw. The Eagles have plenty of guys that can limit that time and create pressure, but Hunt might be the best bet to come off the edge and make the game-changing play on Sunday.

Not bad for a 24-year-old that was playing safety at Cornell five years ago.

We ranked the NFC quarterbacks entering the postseason.

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