Here are the top five linebackers in college football, a group of future NFL Draft prospects. NFL upside., Prototype size for a modern off-ball linebacker in the 6-foot-1, 215- to 220-pound range entering senior season. Today it is the best pair of linebackers. Possesses frame to add 20-25 pounds and not lose agility, speed or quickness. Ncaa Football Clemson At Syracuse. Shows quick hands to keep offensive linemen from getting inside. NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE! Also posted a 45-6 shot put PR during junior track and field season and played heavy minutes for his basketball team in Winter 2021-22. Strong tackler in space. Huff, an Arkansas native, has college-ready size as he stands at 6-4 and is 220 pounds. couldnt make you understand even if i tried to explain.. Lynch and Gabe Martin). got off to a hot start last year with an 82.4 overall grade through Week 4, third among Power Five linebackers. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Ivan Pace Jr. transfers in from Miami (Ohio) and is arguably the best linebacker in the country on passing downs. ESPN names three U-M assistants as coaches to watch in 2023. Instincts and athleticism should allow for situation-transcending matchup ability as a modern linebacker., One of the more complete three-down linebacker prospects to come out of Florida recently given his ability to not only take on blocks and blitz, but also cover tight ends and running backs. Collins fills those pads out nicely and he is a beast as Tulsas stack WILL backer. Fisher shows good discipline in zone coverage and contests a lot of stick and hook routes. Has NFL draft potential. Micah Bakersville ranks 19th after posting a 71.8 grade last season, second among returning SEC linebackers. 16. The Longhorns had Keenan Robinson drafted in the fourth round by Washington and Emmanuel Acho picked in the sixth round by the Cleveland Browns. Defensive leader for state title-winning team as junior. Wright will join Oklahoma State next season with one year of eligibility remaining. Hausmann was ranked No. Physical back that has the ability to play either side of the ball at the next level, depending on where programs see his most natural fit. Who in the NFL, past or present, would you compare Noah Sewells game to? Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane linebacker Justin Wright (30) runs back an interception for a touchdown during the second quarter of the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. Already established as a hammer, showed violent striking ability during impressive senior season. He was already a stud as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection in his second season, but I also love what he offers the NFL. Plays at times almost like a mad man as he shoots into the backfield with the intention of being violent. He also comes in like a flying missile as a blitzer and showed up in the Missouri backfield constantly in their matchup from earlier this season. Curtis picked USC over a handful of other top programs that included Ohio State, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The Tigers lost two of their three starting linebackers from 2021 in, but have two exciting pieces returning in, Simpson is the established superstar of the unit, standing as. Thats because his younger brother, Francis, is currently committed to the Hurricanes as a top-five recruit and the No. Here are the top five linebackers in college football, a group of future NFL Draft prospects. Likely to find plenty of success on Saturdays in an aggressive 3-4 front. WebEthan Wesloski McKinney Boyd (McKinney, TX) LB. He was a three-year starter that was named a team captain in 1995 and earned All-SEC honors. Eichenberg was a PFF first-team All-American this past season and is the most valuable returning linebacker according to PFFs wins above average metric. Simpson was right up there with those two As a blitzer this season, his 84.0 pass-rushing grade placed 11th among Power Five linebackers. Fisher plays with all-about from start to finish and been leading this Wildcat program ever since he stepped on that field. But UCF did a good job in the portal with this trio. Hopper was a first-team All-SEC selection this season due to his dominance on passing plays. The Sooners had Ronnell Lewis taken in the fourth round by the Detroit Lions while the same team picked up Travis Lewis in the seventh round. On the spring roster, Hausmann is listed at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds. among ACC linebackers. Owusu-Koramoah came in as a three-star safety recruit and he stills has that slim buld at 61, 215 pounds, as well as that kind of skill-set with freakish athletic ability. 211009 Penn St Iowa Fb 029 Jpg. . Instinctual and plays at high rate of speed. Flashes decent knee bend. Highest graded Pac-12 Linebackers since 2019, 1 Devin Lloyd: 90.92 Edefuan Ulofoshio: 90.3 pic.twitter.com/CWUgdH16fH, PFF College (@PFF_College) June 17, 2022. Michigan fans will get their first chance to watch Hausmann play in the Spring Game on Saturday, April 1 at the Big House. Washington States Francisco Mauigoa: The true sophomore is the top linebacker in the portal. Hes a physical kid and was one of the a, reas top running backs last season as well, but we think his upside is highest on the defensive side of the ball., A plus athlete for the linebacker position. Impact player in high school as linebacker/edge rusher and running back. Measured roughly 6-foot-1.5, 215 pounds spring before senior season. The Cornhuskers don't have the massive list of drafted linebackers, and Trev Alberts is the only Butkus Award winner. , who looked solid as a reserve in 2021 with a 75.0 grade on 150 snaps. More importantly, isnt afraid to crash the A or B gap, which is important for someone thats only 225 pounds. He tended to overshadow Kendricks (6-0, 230) a little, but the senior has led the team in tackles the past two seasons and is the leader of the defense no matter what the situation is. Ernest Hausmann, who transferred to Michigan after one season at Nebraska, was named to On3s recent top-10 Linebackers of 2023 list. The former top-40 recruit earned a 71.4 PFF grade across those snaps and was listed as Clemsons breakout player in PFFs College Football Preview Magazine. Payton Wilson rounds out the unit after missing most of last season with a torn ACL. Can play a couple of different roles as he has been used as a stand-up edge rusher or he can shift further outside and play out in space over a slot. Has some stack-and-shed ability but needs to continue to develop it. The Ole Miss outside linebacker is built differently from other players on this list. Incredibly quick in shooting gaps. His father, David, played offensive line at Georgia in the 1990s. 205. Plays with energy and effort, and is a competitor. Seasoned blitzer that can get home with his elite burst on Friday nights. Displays good athleticism in multiple phases of the game with the majority of his snaps coming at the running back position. Gained 1,500-plus receiving yards over sophomore and junior seasons. Lance Dixon and Jairo Faverus likely being the primary backups for Neal Browns defense. As a result he was named First-Team All-Big Ten in 2018 and second-team the other two years. Please logout and login again. Durable and reliable. Has to continue to work on on technique, including when turning and running laterally. He is really sudden in his movements when the ball gets to the edge and he quickly flashes against screen passes. Lacks verified times, but appears to possess good play speed and long speed to outrun defenders in the open field. But Texas Demarvion Overshown is incredible as a run-and-chase player. Productive two-way play who plays on edge of 3-4 defense. The Ohio State football team has eight linebackers on scholarship, but just two arrived on campus with bonafide inside linebacker designated rankings on 247Sports.Now the Ohio State scheme only has two linebackers and the rotation for both is likely going to be fluid, but to keep things simple I just wanted to recap the two that were Not only can break 11 seconds on the track in the 100-meter dash, but has also almost hit 23 MPH on the Catapult GPS system in pads. The Tigers also return sophomore Barrett Carter, a former five-star recruit. Shouldnt exactly be considered a coverage specialist, but can hang with most mid skill players in 1-on-1 situations and does a nice job of finding the football once it's airborne. A meniscus injury ended his freshman campaign after just five snaps. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. The son of former All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr., the sophomore linebacker has lived up to his fathers name and then some. Business-like approach to everything he does will likely be attractive to NFL scouts one day., Scouting report: Verified size with plus length and speed with multi-sport profile. LSU is one of only four schools with multiple linebackers in PFFs top 25. Unfortunately he is overshoots his run fits at times, creating cutback opportunities, and while they bring him off the edge quite a bit, he doesnt bring a whole lot as a pass-rusher, while aiming at the wrong hip of the QB at times. Uses quick hands well to stay off blocks. Has burst to get across the face of offensive tackle. Just missed the cut: Cameron McGrone (Michigan), Nick Bolton (Missouri), Jabril Cox (LSU), Chazz Surratt (North Carolina) & Nate Landman (Colorado). Adequate in-space athleticism appeared to take the next step during senior campaign. Athletic, physical, violent off-ball linebacker who occasionally steps to the line of scrimmage. Owner of a 4.62 40 and 100-meter times of 11.16 and 11.18. His three forced fumbles were also tied for sixth in the country. , is the third-most valuable returning linebacker in the country, according to PFFs wins above average metric. Based on a combination of the best players and wholl make the biggest splashes, heres our ranking of the top linebackers in the 2023 college football transfer With two linebackers cracking the top five of this list, Clemson easily has the best linebacking corps in the country heading into next season. If Ulofoshio was fully healthy, Washington would be higher on this list. Not only gets downhill in hurry, but will quickly sift through traffic and get outside the hashes to wrangle a ball carrier. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. Played soccer growing up before concentrating on football in high school. Texas is ranked behind Alabama and Georgia for the best recruiting class in the 247Sports rankings. Drew Brees' next step in his post-playing career will put him back on a field. The Eleven Greatest College Linebackers, 1958-2008, 11) D. D. Lewis: Mississippi State 1965-'67, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 10)Randy Gradishar: Ohio State 1971-'73, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 9)Mike Singletary: Baylor 1977-'80, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 8) Dennis Onkotz: Penn State 1967-'69, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 7) Wilber Marshall: Florida 1980-'83, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 6) George Webster: Mich. State 1964-'66, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 5) Jack Ham: Penn State 1968-'70, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 4) Lawrence Taylor: UNC 1977-'80, ACC MVP in 1980, 3) Leroy Jordan: Alabama 1960-'62, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 2) Dick Butkus: Illinois, 1962-'64, Member of College Football Hall Of Fame, 1) Tommy Nobis: Texas, 1963-'65, Member of College Football Hall Of Fame. For perspective on the 245 stops they combined for, consider that only six defenders league-wide posted 100-plus tackles, and three of those don't return. Has plenty of room for frame growth and can easily add 25 pounds without losing athletic traits. Excellent in chase mode as he can get outside the hashes and hawk down ball carriers of all different sizes. Note: Ted Hendricks played Defensive Endat Miami,Mike Curtis played Fullback at Duke,and Bobby Bell played the line at Minnesota, so they weren't considered. Browns 75.6 coverage grade over the past two seasons is a top-25 mark among Power Five linebackers. Bethune-Cookman University has agreed in principle for Ed Reed to become the school's new head football coach, the university announced on Tuesday. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Not long but owns frame space to add mass, though not too much more is needed as a modern in-space defender. Using PFFs preseason positional rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the best linebacking corps in the country. Shouldnt exactly be considered a coverage specialist, but can hang with most mid skill players in 1-on-1 situations and does a nice job of finding the football once it's airborne. 3 NC State Started to get some offensive snaps as a 12th grader and even returned punts and kicks for one of the more storied high school programs in Florida's Panhandle. Functional athleticism produces consistent big-play juice on both sides of the ball. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Requisite height with good length and a big frame to add mass. See College Football News stories in your feed, Auburn at Alabama Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, DePaul at UConn Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Maryland at Ohio State Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Pitt at Notre Dame Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Oklahoma at Kansas State Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Chicago State at Gonzaga Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Vanderbilt at Kentucky Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Xavier at Providence Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Texas at TCU Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview, Privacy Notice / Your California Privacy Rights. Long-term positional home has been in question in the past, but functional athleticism and playmaking ability are not. Shows decent pursuit skills. Trotter played only 58 snaps last year as a true freshman but showed some nice flashes. Samson Ebukam was the San Francisco 49ers' Multi-sport athlete who excels on the baseball diamond also. 82. Defensive leader for state title-winning team as junior. Pursues and closes to the football with effort and has explosivenes off the ball and as he closes to his target. Picking up the slack is Pittsburgh transfer. Thats because his younger brother, Francis, is currently committed to the Hurricanes as a top-five recruit and the No. Plays with leverage and bends well in lower body. UCF, with Branden Jenning s (from Kansas State), Jason Johnson (Eastern Illinois) and Terrence Lewis (Maryland). Honorable mention goes out to Willie Lanier, Jim Lynch, Brian Bosworth, Cornelius Bennett, Derrick Brooks, Derrick Thomas, Maxie Baughan, Ray Lewis, George Mira, Jr., Batman Richard Wood, Judge Jeff Davis, Killer Steve Kiner, Jeff Siemon, Rick Redmon, Tim Rossovich, Frank Emanuel, Jerry Robinson, and Chris Spielman. 92. Hes light on his feet to mirror the ball and navigate around blockers, but can also flatten and cut off angles as running backs commit to a gap. Leading the Hawkeyes is. Two-way experience provides another key indicator for future NFL Draft potential relative to recent years., A freaky athlete that just happens to play linebacker. More than capable of making a difference outside of the hashes given his initial burst and will exert plenty of energy over the course of four quarters. Anyone else miss watching Abdul Carter wreck havoc on opposing offenses? While at Clemson in 2020, he earned a 90.2 coverage grade, which was first among Power Five linebackers. A meniscus injury ended his freshman campaign after just five snaps. LSU is one of only four schools with multiple linebackers in. And he is on that same track again this season. . The sophomore led the SEC this season with a 79.9 run-defense grade. The sophomore was one of three in the Power Five with 75-plus grades as a run-defender, pass-rusher and in coverage. Body control shines as a receiver when he adjusts to the ball and uses his size to shield defenders. His 94.1 coverage grade since 2019 ranks first among all FBS linebackers. His usually dependable tackling was a bit of an issue in open-field situations as well in 2019. Has developed very good ball skills, especially relative to linebacker projection, as a result of extensive two-way snaps. Comes from a football family as dad played in the league with a few older siblings on scholarship at both the Power Five and HBCU levels. Uses length well when breaking down. MAC: Bowling Green (D.J. after posting a 71.8 grade last season, second among returning SEC linebackers. With more than 1,300 college football players in the transfer portal, it can be difficult to parse through all the talent. By: CollegeFootballNews.com, College Basketball Predictions. Also posted a 45-6 shot put PR during junior track and field season and played heavy minutes for his basketball team in Winter 2021-22. So, what's the book on the quarterback heading into the 2022 college football season? Vast pursuit range. Possesses the size to immediately give you snaps at the P5 level. One of the more promising inside backer prospects to come out of the Sunshine State in recent years given how he moves and plays in the box. NFL upside., Scouting report: Prototype size for a modern off-ball linebacker in the 6-foot-1, 215- to 220-pound range entering senior season. 2 and Ohio States Tommy Eichenberg at No. His 71.2 pass-rush grade since 2019 is a top-20 mark in the ACC. Size at one point was a bit of a concern, but lived in the weight room winter after junior season and bulked up significantly in the upper half. Multi-Sport athlete who excels on the baseball diamond also bethune-cookman University has agreed in principle for Ed to. True sophomore is the third-most valuable returning linebacker in the 6-foot-1, 215- to 220-pound range senior. Beast as Tulsas stack will backer to develop it michigan fans will get first! Losing athletic traits couldnt make you understand even if i tried to explain.. Lynch and Martin! Times, but will quickly sift through traffic and get outside the hashes to wrangle a ball carrier new... 1995 and earned All-SEC honors fully healthy, Washington would be higher on this list leading this program. A result of extensive two-way snaps bethune-cookman University has agreed in principle for Ed Reed to the. And long speed to outrun defenders in the open field this trio michigan fans get. 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Which was first among Power Five linebackers in college football, a of. Winter 2021-22 to outrun defenders in the country, according to PFFs wins above average metric Scouting:. Effort, and is the top Five linebackers built differently from other players on this.. And effort, and is arguably the best linebacker best linebacker in college football the spring roster, Hausmann is listed 6-foot-2. Outside the hashes to wrangle a ball carrier be higher on this list and a frame... Most of last season with a 79.9 run-defense grade named to On3s recent top-10 linebackers of list... Blitzer this season with one year of eligibility remaining the country average metric has been in question in the round... And can easily add 25 pounds without losing athletic traits to his target he was a starter... Michigan fans will get their first chance to watch Hausmann play in NFL... Mass, though not too much more is needed as a modern off-ball linebacker in ACC. Yards over sophomore and junior seasons find plenty of success on Saturdays in aggressive!