Broad, layered athletic profile projects very well in long term. He quickly proved he deserved that honor, as his six sacks and three forced fumbles were tied for sixth among all linebackers in the country. Functional athleticism produces consistent big-play juice on both sides of the ball. Conference USA: Marshall (Jermaine Holmes and Evan McKelvey). Jordan Pollard Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas, NV) LB. Will need to adjust to the speed of big-time college football, but high football IQ combined with athletic profile (his 7.15 in the L-drill is one of the best in the 2023 class) suggests that he can eventually emerge as an impact player on Saturdays. Now Exree Loe steps up to man the MIKE leaving Chandler-Semedo at the WILL. You want height (61-63) and weight for an Inside Linebacker (ILB) to be around 220-245; to take on guards and h-backs. College football is just about here, which means its time to wrap up our preseason preview. Intelligent player that has a good feel for whats going on around him, which isnt surprising given the fact that his father is an NFL defensive coordinator. Has NFL draft potential. Produced good numbers despite playing on a unit with a lot of mouths to feed. The Cornhuskers don't have the massive list of drafted linebackers, and Trev Alberts is the only Butkus Award winner. He has a lot of quick-twitch in his game and shows both short area quickness and excellent closing speed. 11 is reserved for the elite linebackers at Penn State, as Parsons. On the spring roster, Hausmann is listed at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds. Finally, Seth Benson looked strong in coverage last year with a 79.3 grade that ranked 11th in the Power Five. Justin Flowe has as much talent as any linebacker in college football, but he hasnt had any semblance of a break with injuries. A face-up tackler with good leg drive that doesnt let many slip ball carriers out of his hands. The junior was also second among SEC linebackers with a 51.7% open target rate allowed. His 34.5% pressure rate last year ranked second among Power Five linebackers. But Texas Demarvion Overshown is incredible as a run-and-chase player. , whose 85.7 coverage grade since 2020 is the highest among returning Power Five linebackers. 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. Not long but owns frame space to add mass, though not too much more is needed as a modern in-space defender. Ivan Pace Jr. transfers in from Miami (Ohio) and is arguably the best linebacker in the country on passing downs. At 63, 225 pounds, he is a little bit different in terms of his usage as Brent Venables' STAR backer/hang defender (who left for a head coaching gig in Oklahoma this offseason). Plays fast and is physical, especially when tackling through a ball carrier. We have not seen him asked to drop back and cover as much so that is a part of his game that needs to be furthered evaluated although he looks like a good enough athlete to do that.. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. He joins the Michigan defense after playing 12 games at Nebraska as a true freshman, where he recorded 54 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery. His usually dependable tackling was a bit of an issue in open-field situations as well in 2019. Thats because his younger brother, Francis, is currently committed to the Hurricanes as a top-five recruit and the No. One of the lone bright spots for the Orange in 2022, the Syracuse linebacking corps features two of PFFs top 25 linebackers in Mikel Jones and Stefon Thompson. A downhill inside runner that plays in a triple option offense, Perkins has the ability to project to both a power or zone scheme at the next level. High upside athlete that can potentially provide value on either side of the ball and on multiple special teams units. The sophomore led the SEC this season with a 79.9 run-defense grade. The junior was also second among SEC linebackers with a 51.7% open target rate allowed. Go Pokes???? Telvin Smith, Florida State 4. Has been nothing but productive under the lights on Friday nights racking up 139 tackles and five sacks as a junior. Multi-sport athlete who excels on the baseball diamond also. Has to continue to work on on technique, including when turning and running laterally. CEDRIC GRAY???? Carter is one of college football's most well-rounded linebackers. Run it back! Just missed the cut: Cameron McGrone (Michigan), Nick Bolton (Missouri), Jabril Cox (LSU), Chazz Surratt (North Carolina) & Nate Landman (Colorado). The guy most draft rankings seem to have at the top for the position in college football is Trenton Simpson at Clemson. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. Still, remains at his best playing downhill.. 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. Functional athleticism produces consistent big-play juice on both sides of the ball. His 94.1 coverage grade since 2019 ranks first among all FBS linebackers. Has developed very good ball skills, especially relative to linebacker projection, as a result of extensive two-way snaps. Needs to show he can stack and shed on consistent basis. Georgia just had five defensive players taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but is the best NFL prospect of all still in Athens? Naturally low center of gravity and impressive core balance allows him to change directions without wasting much, if any, motion. Being a highly-regarded four-star safety recruit shows up with how easy his movement is in coverage, to quickly gain depth vertically, but then also redirect and shut down YAC opportunities on crossers or dump-offs in the flats. Does not quit on plays. He signed with the Longhorns after de-committing from in-state rival Texas A&M in November. 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. Huff, an Flowe is the second-highest-rated recruit in Oregon history, behind only. Working on anchoring against run important. Excellent overall athletic profile coupled with strong on-field context. Displays good short area explosiveness and change of direction ability, flashing some make you miss ability in the open field. 1 offensive tackle in the nation, according to On3s consensus ratings. Who in the NFL, past or present, would you compare Noah Sewells game to? Using his rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the 10 best linebacking corps in the country. Vast pursuit range. Will need to develop in weight room before being a factor on college field but has ability to play for Top 10 program. Hes also been the most valuable linebacker in the country in that span, per PFFs wins above average metric. Iowa defensive lineman Deontae Craig (45) gets embraced by teammates Jack Campbell (31) and John Waggoner (92) after sacking Penn State quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson (2) during a NCAA Big Ten Conference football game, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. Comfortable in space and owns valuable experience in both man and zone coverage, two things that he has further refined on the 7v7 circuit. Finished junior campaign with 150 tackles, five INTs, four sacks, and three defensive TDs. Noah Sewell at number one made it fairly easy for me. Already established as a hammer, showed violent striking ability during impressive senior season. Ernest Hausmann, who transferred to Michigan after one season at Nebraska, was named to On3s recent Both Pace brothers are among PFFs top 25 linebackers for the 2022 season. 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 Capable of consistent sideline-to-sideline pursuit with proven blitzing ability. ???? Max Bullough, Michigan State 3. NFL upside in an era where so many teams want to air it out., Unverified at 6-foot-3 and 200-pounds, appears to possess an athletic frame with growth potential to add additional weight to his frame. Requisite height with good length and a big frame to add mass. Shaw announced the news after the team closed out the season with a 36-25 loss to BYU on Saturday night, telling reporters he made the decision within the past week. Despite playing just two games. Still, remains at his best playing downhill.. https://halilsrealfootballtalk.com/2020/12/12/top-five-college-players-at-every-position-defense-edition/. The Ohio State football team has eight linebackers on scholarship, but just two arrived on campus with bonafide inside linebacker designated rankings on I think as a blitzer, his timing and hand-usage has gotten a lot better too. Broad, layered athletic profile projects very well in long term. A meniscus injury ended his freshman campaign after just five snaps. Jones was the second-highest-graded linebacker in the ACC last season with a 75.6 mark. Despite losing three of their four best linebackers from a year ago, the Bearcats still field one of the best units in the country. Senior season displayed improved in-space competency as a big-bodied traditional off-ball 'backer who could likely stay there in the long term. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Plus, if you scheme open a lane for him (as Texas does at times) to wrap around, hell arrive at the passer in a hurry and knock that guy down. 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. 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. Willing to fight through double teams. Nick Jackson was ejected for targeting on this hit, PFF College (@PFF_College) September 24, 2022. Has great play speed. Martial is listed as, PFFs top 25 linebackers for the 2022 season, hes still a top-75 prospect on PFFs 2023 NFL Draft big board, PFFs best linebacker prospect in the 2023 Draft, PFFs top linebacker heading into next season, PFFs No. linebackers heading into next season. pic.twitter.com/NqMgvUjtWD, RanDynasty (@ran_dynasty) November 26, 2022. 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. Moses was supposed to head the Alabama defense in 2019 after a lot departures in the front-seven, but with him missing the entire season, that entire unit suffered and did not live up to their usual standards. Comfortable in zone coverage and is quick to anticipate throws. Isaiah Simmons Highlights (BEST LINEBACKER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL) clemson lb highlights isaiah simmons. Injuries are the only thing holding him back. Using PFFs preseason positional rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the best linebacking corps in the country. In addition to edge and linebacker reps, owns significant snaps at safety and plays with coverage awareness. 3 NC State If he can bounce back, this ranking will be too low for the Tigers. , who looked solid as a reserve in 2021 with a 75.0 grade on 150 snaps. No returning SEC pair was more productive last year than Georgia's Ramik UCLA: Myles Jack and Eric Kendricks. He returned to FSU but keeping tabs. Plus, he is a very dependable open-field tackler, which is why the Crimson Tide use him as a QB spy in certain matchups. Multi-year starter with possible early-impact ability for Top 20 program. Theyre the 15 linebackers in the transfer portal you need to know. But in Striker (6-0, 221), Bob Stoops has one of the best pass rushers in the country and a player who has enough athleticism that he's actually getting reps at nickelback (the corner spot, not the band). But with Marc Munford, Ed Steward, Jerry Gainer missed five games this season due to injuries, but hes been a very good linebacker for four years now. here are the five best linebackers searching for new homes. Ernest Hausmann, who transferred to Michigan after one season at Nebraska, was named to On3s recent top-10 Linebackers of 2023 list. With more than 1,300 college football players in the transfer portal, it can be difficult to parse through all the talent. Will need to cut down on the few mistakes he makes and keep mastering his craft, but should be viewed as one of the top backers in the class of 2023. This joker for the Notre Dame defense plays the ROVER spot primarily, where he can cover slot receivers one-on-one and shows no discomfort playing in space, plus he looks like a cannonball when coming on blitzes off the edge. His younger brother, Deshawn Pace, is the third-most valuable returning linebacker in the country, according to PFFs wins above average metric. Picking up the slack is Pittsburgh transferCam Bright, whose 78.5 grade since 2019 ranks fifth among ACC linebackers. Weve already seen him bat passes into the air and for his secondary players to dive for. Now that we know who will continue playing on Saturdays next fall, let's take an early look at the top returning players at every position. Flashes chase-down speed with an exceptionally broad pursuit range. Hes No. 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. Despite playing just two games, hes still a top-75 prospect on PFFs 2023 NFL Draft big board, which says a lot about his potential. Perkins was a top-10 recruit in the 2022 class, which may have been too low. Intelligent player that has a good feel for whats going on around him, which isnt surprising given the fact that his father is an NFL defensive coordinator. C.J. Hopper was a first-team All-SEC selection this season due to his dominance on passing plays. The redshirt senior was especially stingy in coverage, picking off two passes and breaking up a couple more. Texas is ranked behind Alabama and Georgia for the best recruiting class in the 247Sports rankings. He also made 13 coverage stops, which ranked in the top 25 for all linebackers in the country. Fluid in change of direction to drives on ball. Likes to lead with his weight and will explode through his hips in hopes of getting ball carriers to get them to the ground. Has plenty of room for frame growth and can easily add 25 pounds without losing athletic traits. Instinctual and plays at high rate of speed. Lacks additional length, but is already pretty developed from a physical standpoint in the upper half even though hes young for his grade. 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