Their volume of tackles also reflects Georgia's defensive struggles on third down, though. Pick-6 for Tommy Eichenberg. Gets off quickly at snap. Has burst to get across the face of offensive tackle. Plays at times almost like a mad man as he shoots into the backfield with the intention of being violent. With that being said, you see him get shielded by slot receivers even on plenty of occasions (see USCs Amon-Ra St. Brown in 2019) and he leaves his feet too much as a tackler for my list in part because his play-strength isnt at the level of those 250-pound inside backers. Campbell is the epitome of an Iowa linebacker - hes rugged, instinctive and as sure a tackler as they come. Lorenzo Carter could be a high-upside add on a one-year, prove-it deal at 27 years old. 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. High upside athlete that can potentially provide value on either side of the ball and on multiple special teams units. However, while I like the patience he displays in reading run schemes, he is a little too conversative for my taste and when big linemen work up to him, he struggles to disengage. Justin Flowe - Oregon BREAKING: Oregon LB Justin Flowe announced that he is entering the transfer portal. In fact, over the past two seasons, the only SEC linebacker with a higher grade than Dumas-Johnson is Dean. University of Oregon pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux has had his priorities as they relate to football questioned mightily during the pre-draft process, but the Ducks standout tells NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe it's a lot of misinformation he's ready to prove wrong beginning once he hears his name called in Thursday's first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. All hes done since then is earn a 94.9 career grade, best among FBS linebackers over the past five years. EDGE Position Preview: Can Michigans pass rush remain dominant in 2023? USC assembled one of the top recruiting classes in the Pac-12 under coach Lincoln Riley. Ernest Hausmann, who transferred to Michigan after one season at Nebraska, was named to On3s recent top-10 Linebackers of 2023 list. 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. Will eventually need to find better leverage and get adjusted to the speed of the college game, but should be viewed as one of the top linebackers in Florida for the 2023 recruiting cycle given how he moves and plays the game. Plays with a physicality beyond his current size. His older brother, West, signed with Virginia as a three-star linebacker from the 2021 class before transferring to LSU. For a detailed analysis of nearly every FBS team, check out PFFs 2022 College Football Preview Magazine. Follow College Football 24/7 on Twitter @NFL_CFB. Perkins is. ???? These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. Seasoned blitzer that can get home with his elite burst on Friday nights. Hes actually on track for slightly better numbers this season. When you think of a true standout college linebacker, whos consistently a step early with how he sees plays happen and seems to get involved in every single tackle, Jack Campbell comes to mind. 8 linebacker in college football for the 2022 season. Defensive leader for state title-winning team as junior. That dropped to 55.3 last year, which ranked 112th in the Power Five. Hes a menace as a blitzer, with his 30.6% pass-rush win rate last year leading all FBS linebackers. Buy Sooners Tickets. 2 linebacker in both. 11 is reserved for the elite linebackers at Penn State, as Parsons. Both are experienced seniors -- and experienced playmakers. Georgia secured its second straight national championship on Monday night, overwhelming TCU in a 65-7 blowout. Has plenty of room for frame growth and can easily add 25 pounds without losing athletic traits. In coverage, he is primarily responsible for shallow zones, but I think he has become much more light on his feet in 2020, in terms of the ground he can cover, which has led to four INTs in seven games (including a pair of pick-sixes), but it also allows him to be more aggressive with shooting gaps, putting him at 7.5 TFLs already, including one for a safety against UCF. Excels on contact, exhibiting excellent play strength and power at the point of attack. Despite playing just two games. He has a lot of quick-twitch in his game and shows both short area quickness and excellent closing speed. Subscribe to 247Sports YouTube for the latest college football, basketball and recruiting news including live college commitments. Should be viewed as one of the top three-down linebacker prospects in the class of 2023 given sideline-to-sideline playmaking ability and overall physical demeanor. It was the third time in the past nine drafts that the Hawkeyes had two linebackers taken in the same year. Both Pace brothers are among PFFs top 25 linebackers for the 2022 season. His 71.2 pass-rush grade since 2019 is a top-20 mark in the ACC. Working on anchoring against run important. Working on anchoring against run important. Georgia Hell wear No. Can re-direct and move along line of scrimmage. His younger brother, Deshawn Pace, is the third-most valuable returning linebacker in the country, according to PFFs wins above average metric. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. The sophomore led the SEC this season with a 79.9 run-defense grade. Has athleticism and speed to drop into coverage in flat or take running back one-on-one. Functional athleticism produces consistent big-play juice on both sides of the ball. Pursues and closes to the football with effort and has explosivenes off the ball and as he closes to his target. For the Tigers, Barkevious Mingo (Browns, first round, No. , all were taken within the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. If you cant make it to the game in person, the game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network. Moses has a pep to his step and is a very easy mover. Now a month into the 2022 college football season, I decided it was time to rank the five best players for each position at this very moment. Comfortable in zone coverage and is quick to anticipate throws. Alexander really came on strong as a true freshman last year, making 19 tackles in his first start against Texas and forcing a big fumble in the Sugar Bowl against Alabama. . You can sharpie in Harold Perkins in for LB1 in 2025. pic.twitter.com/95JJMe0Tgd, Max Chadwick (@Chad_Maxwick) November 12, 2022. Highly productive considering full-time two-way snaps. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Here are the top five linebackers in college football, a group of future NFL Draft prospects. Vast pursuit range. Excellent overall athletic profile coupled with strong on-field context. Ability to close gaps without a doubt a strength at this point in his career. Hes ready to go on the outside, and leading tackler Noah Sewell can do it all in the middle. Take a look at the top 10 players from Northwestern to play in the NFL. Shows speed to chase play down on back side. Collins IDs run schemes quickly and lets pullers lead him to the ball. Long-term positional home has been in question in the past, but functional athleticism and playmaking ability are not. 6-1 / 220. CEDRIC GRAY???? Micah Bakersville ranks 19th after posting a 71.8 grade last season, second among returning SEC linebackers. More importantly, isnt afraid to crash the A or B gap, which is important for someone thats only 225 pounds. If Ulofoshio was fully healthy, Washington would be higher on this list. No returning SEC pair was more productive last year than Georgia's Ramik Productive two-way play who plays on edge of 3-4 defense. Possesses the size to immediately give you snaps at the P5 level. Should be viewed as one of the top three-down linebacker prospects in the class of 2023 given sideline-to-sideline playmaking ability and overall physical demeanor. Owner of a 4.62 40 and 100-meter times of 11.16 and 11.18. Has speed to get around tackle on blitzes. Willing to fight through double teams. Gained 1,500-plus receiving yards over sophomore and junior seasons. Rice quickly attacks downhill against the run, while not being afraid to stick his nose in the face when it comes to countering blockers and working to get their hands off himself. Weve already seen him bat passes into the air and for his secondary players to dive for. While at Clemson in 2020, he earned a 90.2 coverage grade, which was first among Power Five linebackers. Theres one man to credit for Troy cracking this list, and thats sixth-year senior, He joined Troy as an undersized walk-on in 2017 at just 5-foot-9, 210 pounds. Conference USA: Marshall (Jermaine Holmes and Evan McKelvey). Between 2020 and 21, he combined for 134 total tackles, 13.5 of those for loss, three sacks, nine passes broken up and two intercepted. 45 overall) and Sam Montgomery (Texans, third round, No. Trotter played only 58 snaps last year as a true freshman but showed some nice flashes. WebDee Winters Highlightsbest linebacker college football nfl draft The West Virginia defense was a top unit in all of college football but they lost one of their top defenders in Tony Fields. The Longhorns had Keenan Robinson drafted in the fourth round by Washington and Emmanuel Acho picked in the sixth round by the Cleveland Browns. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Measured roughly 6-foot-1.5, 215 pounds spring before senior 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 Fisher shows good discipline in zone coverage and contests a lot of stick and hook routes. Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Lacks additional length, but is already pretty developed from a physical standpoint in the upper half even though hes young for his grade. The Tigers also return sophomore Barrett Carter, a former five-star recruit. Last season, he injured his foot after just one game and missed the rest of the season. pic.twitter.com/k0mGKNqZ0w, tarheelupdate (@tarheelupdate) September 10, 2022. Who in the NFL, past or present, would you compare Noah Sewells game to? The junior has allowed only 172 receiving yards in that span, the fifth fewest for Power Five linebackers. If you enjoyed this content, I would really appreciate if you could check out the original full piece - https://halilsrealfootballtalk.com/2020/12/12/top-five-college-players-at-every-position-defense-edition/, Be the first one to comment on this story. The brother of Detroit Lions stud offensive tackle Penei Sewell, Noah became the crown jewel of Oregon once his brother decided to sit out 2020 and then became a top-ten pick. Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane linebacker Justin Wright (30) runs back an Played soccer growing up before concentrating on football in high school. Mike Jones Jr. rounds out the list at No. Tuakoi has sky-rocketed up the recruiting rankings going from an unranked prospect to a 4-star recruit on Rivals and the college offers have flooded in accordingly. Lynch and Gabe Martin). Weeks picked LSU over a handful of schools that includes Georgia, Boston College, Duke, Miami, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Stanford and Tennessee. Has to develop strength throughout frame, and particularly in upper body. 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. Potential mid-round NFL draft pick., Requisite size for modern off-ball linebacker who can thrive in space and stay on the field in myriad situations. This site is not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with these schools or teams. Plays fast and is physical, especially when tackling through a ball carrier. Using his rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the 10 best linebacking corps in the country. transfer was one of four Power Five linebackers who held top-15 grades both as a pass-rusher and in coverage this past season. Ernest Hausmann, who transferred to Michigan after one season at Nebraska, was named to On3s recent Still, remains at his best playing downhill.. He has a lot of quick-twitch in his game and shows both short area quickness and excellent closing speed. The top 15 signees are attending 11 different schools. Excels on contact, exhibiting excellent play strength and power at the point of attack. Can re-direct and move along line of scrimmage. was a top-10-graded linebacker in the conference last year, and his 74.7 run-defense grade was fifth-best in the ACC. , who looked solid as a reserve in 2021 with a 75.0 grade on 150 snaps. Im in the business of projecting forward and evaluating them as draft prospects, but for this exercise, I tried to isolate them from their team and purely judge them on who could help me win games at the CFB level right now. Note: This ranking only includes off-ball linebackers. 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. 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. Lacks verified times, but appears to possess good play speed and long speed to outrun defenders in the open field. Since 2019, the former walk-on has earned 80.0-plus coverage, run-defense and pass-rush grades, the only returning Power Five linebacker to accomplish that feat. WebEthan Wesloski McKinney Boyd (McKinney, TX) LB. Needs to continue to develop upper body strength to handle physical nature of college game in the box. was named to On3s recent top-10 Linebackers of 2023 list, Maize n Brew Podcasts rebranding, heading to Fan First Sports Network, J.J. McCarthy and the value of high-leverage experiences under his belt, DT Spring Preview: Taking the next step forward, Out of the Blue: The Hunter Dickinson legacy shot keeps Michigan basketball alive. Athleticism shows when dropping into coverage. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Has been nothing but productive under the lights on Friday nights racking up 139 tackles and five sacks as a junior. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. Northwestern: Chi Chi Ariguzo and Collin Ellis. His 71.2 pass-rush grade since 2019 is a top-20 mark in the ACC. The son of former All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr., the sophomore linebacker has lived up to his fathers name and then some. Grade was fifth-best in the middle on the outside, and his 74.7 run-defense grade was fifth-best in power. Grades in each facet of play it was the third time in the middle and excellent speed! Nights racking up 139 tackles and Five sacks as a true freshman but showed some nice flashes possesses the to. A supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience in Harold Perkins for. 2023 list championship on Monday night, overwhelming TCU in a 65-7 blowout 58 snaps last year as three-star. Outrun defenders in the same year conference last year leading all FBS.! His target it to the football with effort and has explosivenes off the and! Profile coupled with strong on-field context seasons, the only SEC linebacker with a 75.0 on... 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