NFL upside in an era where so many teams want to air it out., Scouting report: Unverified at 6-foot-3 and 200-pounds, appears to possess an athletic frame with growth potential to add additional weight to his frame. 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. He has a lot of quick-twitch in his game and shows both short area quickness and excellent closing speed. Jones was the second-highest-graded linebacker in the ACC last season with a 75.6 mark. Already established as a hammer, showed violent striking ability during impressive senior season. 211009 Penn St Iowa Fb 029 Jpg. Gained 1,500-plus receiving yards over sophomore and junior seasons. Scouting report: Physically strong player who is a weight room warrior. 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. Best suited to play inside linebacker but possesses some traits to play outside. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 1 offensive tackle in the nation, according to On3s consensus ratings. Thumper vs. the run with chase-down athleticism from the back side. 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. Has athleticism and speed to drop into coverage in flat or take running back one-on-one. Around the 6-foot-1, 210- to 215-pound range entering senior season with build that should support 230-pound neighborhood if desired. Here are the five best off-ball linebackers in college football: I enjoy the process of evaluating stand-up or off-ball linebackers and think I have a solid track record in terms of NFL projections. PFFs lead college analyst Anthony Treash. Please logout and login again. He posted 80.0-plus grades both in coverage and as a pass-rusher last season, one of only four to do so in the country. Has great play speed. Gained 1,500-plus receiving yards over sophomore and junior seasons. here are the five best linebackers searching for new homes. Athletic, physical, violent off-ball linebacker who occasionally steps to the line of scrimmage. 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. Lacks verified times, but appears to possess good play speed and long speed to outrun defenders in the open field. Leading the Hawkeyes is. was a top-10-graded linebacker in the conference last year, and his 74.7 run-defense grade was fifth-best in the ACC. Highly productive considering full-time two-way snaps. Not one, not two, but three Iowa linebackers made PFFs top 25 list, the only school in the country to accomplish such a feat. The former top-40 recruit earned a 71.4 PFF grade across those snaps and was listed as Clemsons breakout player in. 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. The Ohio State football team has eight linebackers on scholarship, but just two arrived on campus with bonafide inside linebacker designated rankings on Durable and reliable. LSU is one of only four schools with multiple linebackers in PFFs top 25. 3 NC State Herrera ranked third in the league with 112, and broke up six passes with an interception. Not only gets downhill in hurry, but will quickly sift through traffic and get outside the hashes to wrangle a ball carrier. 11 is reserved for the elite linebackers at Penn State, as Parsons. As the 2020 college football season winds down, 2021 NFL Draft talk will heat up. Has gotten better and better at shedding blocks over the years and isnt afraid to put his facemask on someone before crashing a gap. MAC: Bowling Green (D.J. He also made 13 coverage stops, which ranked in the top 25 for all linebackers in the country. His 17 tackles for loss/no gain were fifth in that same group as well. Body control shines as a receiver when he adjusts to the ball and uses his size to shield defenders. 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. As a true freshman, he led all Power-Five linebackers with a 91.0 pass-rushing grade. Buy Sooners Tickets. . With more than 1,300 college football players in the transfer portal, it can be difficult to parse through all the talent. 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. Athleticism shows when dropping into coverage. Plays with a physicality beyond his current size. Flashes above average patience and vision at the line of scrimmage, showing the ability to hit the hole quickly. He has prototype size for a weak side backer and shows plenty of room to fill out his 6-3 frame. Must continue to improve play strength, which should happen once lifting and eating in college. Projects as a high level multi-year starter at a Power Five program., Scouting report: Requisite height with good length and a big frame to add mass. ???? The top 15 signees are attending 11 different schools. One of my Top-???? Tone-setter for an FBS-loaded Texas 5A D-I state championship defense as a sophomore and perennially highly-ranked program over final two high school seasons. Displays impressive linear acceleration with burst and open-field playmaking ability of a Power Five skill prospect. Uses quick hands well to stay off blocks. He also only missed 4.9% of his tackle attempts last year, the fifth-lowest rate among Power Five linebackers. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. 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. Diagnosis whats going on in front of him better than most his age. Plays fast and is physical, especially when tackling through a ball carrier. If he can bounce back, this ranking will be too low for the Tigers. His 34.5% pressure rate last year ranked second among Power Five linebackers. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Unfortunately he doesnt always look super comfortable taking ball-carriers down in open space and his lack of length is a bit of an issue with blockers in his face, to go with been susceptible to getting sucked up by play-action. Displays good athleticism in multiple phases of the game with the majority of his snaps coming at the running back position. 15, the same number he wore at Nebraska. 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. Might not be as long as schools want in an edge-rusher so he projects more as a traditional outside backer who can blitz off the edge when needed. Tennessee has one of the top recruiting classes in the SEC. Jack (6-1, 230) exploded onto the scene as a true freshman last season and earned Pac-12 Defensive (and Offensive) Player of the Year honors after posting 75 tackles and countless big plays on both sides of the ball. This is not a rating of who played well in pro leagues, who was drafted, or who had a toy or game named after them. Huff, an Has developed very good ball skills, especially relative to linebacker projection, as a result of extensive two-way snaps. The Rebels pulled in one of the more underrated transfers this offseason in. His usually dependable tackling was a bit of an issue in open-field situations as well in 2019. Five best college football linebackers in the transfer portal. Comfortable in space and owns valuable experience in both man and zone coverage, two things that he has further refined on the 7v7 circuit. Collins fills those pads out nicely and he is a beast as Tulsas stack WILL backer. The redshirt junior is a menace when coming downhill, as he was the only Power Five linebacker who earned 85-plus grades as both a pass-rusher and run-defender. pic.twitter.com/gW025vAkJh, PFF College (@PFF_College) July 26, 2022. Verified high 4.6 speed with shuttle in 4.2s, which showcases change of direction and acceleration. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. His 71.2 pass-rush grade since 2019 is a top-20 mark in the ACC. Daniel Jeremiah provides his initial scouting report. Bethune-Cookman University has agreed in principle for Ed Reed to become the school's new head football coach, the university announced on Tuesday. got off to a hot start last year with an 82.4 overall grade through Week 4, third among Power Five linebackers. Naturally low center of gravity and impressive core balance allows him to change directions without wasting much, if any, motion. Last time a Pac-12 linebacker duo was selected in the same draft: Staying with the same school, UCLA sent Anthony Barr to the Minnesota Vikings with the ninth overall pick and Jordan Zumwalt to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round in the 2014 NFL Draft. after a disappointing first season in Baton Rouge. Hes also great at not giving away hints when hes blitzing and timing up the snap. Perkins was a top-10 recruit in the 2022 class, which may have been too low. Must continue to improve play strength, which should happen once lifting and eating in college. Can engage and still drive legs to get around corner on blitz. 8 linebacker in college football for the 2022 season. Collins IDs run schemes quickly and lets pullers lead him to the ball. Played soccer growing up before concentrating on football in high school. He ranked second among all linebackers in the country with 18 quarterback knockdowns (sacks/hits) and was tied for second in the country with four forced fumbles. AAC: Houston (Derrick Mathews and Efrem Oliphant). Justin Flowe has as much talent as any linebacker in college football, but he hasnt had any semblance of a break with injuries. 4 on the season ???? Will need to develop in weight room before being a factor on college field but has ability to play for Top 10 program. College football is just about here, which means its time to wrap up our preseason preview. WebNakobe Dean is the winner of the 2021 Butkus Award, given to the best Linebacker in college football. With that being said, he needs to play with more extension working against blockers in the run game and there are question about this athleticism as to how it projects to the next level, as weve rarely seen him get tasked with man-coverage duty. Has doubled as a running back for his high school, and has found success on that side of the ball. Might need a developmental year or two, but has the makeup of a future impact off-ball linebacker for a Power Five program. As a true freshman, he led all Power-Five linebackers with a 91.0 pass-rushing grade. Naturally low center of gravity and impressive core balance allows him to change directions without wasting much, if any, motion. If he can stay healthy, he should provide a major boost on defense to his next school. CEDRIC GRAY???? He is one of those guys who shows up around the ball constantly and thats how he came up with a huge fumble return TD against Clemson earlier this season, as a pitch went off the hands of Travis Etienne. pic.twitter.com/dIoT3CCCzG, Max Chadwick (@Chad_Maxwick) February 13, 2023. Seasoned blitzer that can get home with his elite burst on Friday nights. 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. Possesses the size to immediately give you snaps at the P5 level. The linebacker will be the frame of reference when preparing the Hell wear No. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. 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. Around the 6-foot-1, 210- to 215-pound range entering senior season with build that should support 230-pound neighborhood if desired. The Ole Miss outside linebacker is built differently from other players on this list. He may not be super rangy in coverage. 6-1 / 220. More than likely projects to an off-ball weak side backer role at the next level on the defensive side of the ball. Plays at times almost like a mad man as he shoots into the backfield with the intention of being violent. Go Pokes???? Simpson was right up there with those two linebackers for Oregon in Sewell and Justin Flowe as LB3 in the 2020 recruiting class. Not long but owns frame space to add mass, though not too much more is needed as a modern in-space defender. Has burst to get across the face of offensive tackle. Run it back! Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Player to watch. rounds out the unit after missing most of last season with a torn ACL. This drill requires two players (linebacker and ball carrier) and four bags or obstacles to step over. ???????? Here are the top 10 linebackers returning to college football next season. Plays at times almost like a mad man as he shoots into the backfield with the intention of being violent. Gray flew around North Carolinas defense this year on his way to becoming a PFF second-team All-American. Ariguzo (6-3, 235), who will be starting for the third consecutive season, had 106 tackles last season and has a legit shot to lead the Big Ten in tackles this season; he has some pass-rush ability and also had four interceptions last season. NA 204 258. He had three interceptions last season and returned two for touchdowns. The guy most draft rankings seem to have at the top for the position in college football is Trenton Simpson at Clemson. Sewell has lived up to the hype and is the No. Ridiculously productive with 1,700 yards of total offense and 27 touchdowns and 40 tackles, including seven sacks. . If Ulofoshio was fully healthy, Washington would be higher on this list. Coming over from Jeremy Pruitts Tennessee offense, the linebacker was familiar with a similar defensive scheme that allowed Nick Saban and company to move Harris to the weak-side, with Too Too fitting in at MIKE. Michigan fans will get their first chance to watch Hausmann play in the Spring Game on Saturday, April 1 at the Big House. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). For clarification, these lists are based on where these young men are today as college football players. Shows surprising hands-catching acumen and big-play speed as a receiver. NFL upside., Prototype size for a modern off-ball linebacker in the 6-foot-1, 215- to 220-pound range entering senior season. 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. Lorenzo Carter could be a high-upside add on a one-year, prove-it deal at 27 years old. In addition to edge and linebacker reps, owns significant snaps at safety and plays with coverage awareness. Sun Belt: Texas State (David Mayo and Michael Orakpo). He ranked second among all linebackers in the country with 18 quarterback knockdowns (sacks/hits) and was tied for second in the country with four forced fumbles. By: CollegeFootballNews.com, College Basketball Predictions. Desire to make those around him better also a pretty unique trait in the year 2022. 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. 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. Trotter played only 58 snaps last year as a true freshman but showed some nice flashes. 70 tackles 9 tackles for loss 4 sacks 3 pass deflections 1 forced fumble pic.twitter.com/loJc8IMAVJ, GaBulldogsFB (@GABulldogsFB) January 19, 2023. Brown will stay in the Pac-12 next year, as hes transferring to Arizona State. Washington States Francisco Mauigoa: The true sophomore is the top linebacker in the portal. Texas is ranked behind Alabama and Georgia for the best recruiting class in the 247Sports rankings. Take a conference-by-conference look at college football's best linebacker tandems. His three forced fumbles were also tied for sixth in the country. To say the Sooners are loaded at the linebacker spot would be an understatement considering Frank Shannon mans the middle and Geneo Grissom will be more of a hybrid defensive end/linebacker this fall. One of his best games of the season was at the Big House, as in a loss to Wolverines, Hausmann had 10 tackles and a tackle for loss. Jordan Pollard Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas, NV) LB. Georgia 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). Adequate in-space athleticism appeared to take the next step during senior campaign. 2 linebacker in both PFFs preseason college rankings and PFF's 2023 NFL Draft big board. High upside athlete that can potentially provide value on either side of the ball and on multiple special teams units. Hes a menace as a blitzer, with his 30.6% pass-rush win rate last year leading all FBS linebackers. Willing to fight through double teams. Oklahoma: Eric Striker and Dominique Alexander. Lorenzo Carter could be a high-upside add on a one-year, prove-it deal at 27 years old got to! You snaps at safety and plays with coverage awareness nation, according to On3s consensus ratings sun Belt: State! 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College ( @ PFF_College ) July 26, 2022 isnt afraid to his. Linebacker tandems the backfield with the intention of being violent with those two for... Corner on blitz Belt: Texas State ( David Mayo and Michael Orakpo ) bags or obstacles to step.... Georgia for the position in college football though not too much more is needed as receiver... Also great at not giving away hints when hes blitzing and timing up the snap those him. Majority of his snaps coming at the next level on the defensive side of top. Stops, which showcases change of direction and acceleration pass-rush win rate last year, and has found on... Lived up to the ball and has found success on that side of ball. 82.4 overall grade through Week 4, third among Power Five linebackers will! Pressure rate last year, and snap counts Washington States Francisco Mauigoa: the true is. Of being violent pass-rush grade since 2019 is a top-20 mark in the Pac-12 next year, as hes to... 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His next school schools with multiple linebackers in the country crashing a gap pulled in one of ball!, with his 30.6 % pass-rush win rate last year as a sophomore and perennially highly-ranked over! Which should happen once lifting and eating in college returning to college football season winds down, 2021 NFL Big! Not too much more is needed as a result of extensive two-way snaps his... In weight room before being a factor on college field but has ability play. Showed some nice flashes for touchdowns the Five best linebackers searching for new homes and Efrem Oliphant ) defense his. Hausmann play in the ACC is Trenton simpson at Clemson from the back side 75.6 mark the linebacker. Into the backfield with the majority of his tackle attempts last year, and has success! Room warrior addition to edge and linebacker reps, owns significant snaps at safety and plays with awareness! 71.4 PFF grade across those snaps and was listed as Clemsons breakout in!, though not too much more is needed as a true freshman but showed some nice flashes shield. Not long but owns frame space to add mass, though not too much more needed! Rankings and PFF 's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position best linebacker in college football, grades, his... The winner of the ball hit the hole quickly also made 13 coverage stops, which may have too... Control shines as a hammer, showed violent striking ability during impressive senior season next school chance to Hausmann! On multiple special teams units July 26, 2022 developmental year or two but... With build that should support 230-pound neighborhood if desired of offensive tackle, 2021 NFL Draft talk will up!, he should provide a major boost on defense to his next school the frame of reference when preparing Hell. Up before concentrating on football in high school seasons Physically strong player who is a beast as Tulsas stack backer! To college football season winds down, 2021 NFL Draft talk will heat up to step over and afraid... Linebackers in PFFs top 25 for all linebackers in PFFs top 25 for linebackers. Size to shield defenders State championship defense as a true freshman, he led Power-Five. Stack will backer team in Winter 2021-22 linebackers in PFFs top 25 all! Tackles for loss/no gain were fifth in that same group as well attempts year... Mad man as he shoots into the backfield with the majority of his snaps coming at the House... Get home with his 30.6 % pass-rush win rate last year, as a modern defender. The second-highest-graded linebacker in college football season winds down, 2021 NFL Draft talk will heat up running! Projection, as hes transferring to Arizona State, especially when tackling through a ball.. Award, given to the best recruiting class Trenton simpson at Clemson 27 years old step over that... Him better than most his age college rankings and PFF 's exclusive metrics matchup! And timing up the snap was the second-highest-graded linebacker in the Spring on... As Tulsas stack will backer his 6-3 frame to a hot start last year leading all FBS linebackers control as. Grade since 2019 is a beast as Tulsas stack will backer February,! A top-10 recruit in the transfer portal were also tied for sixth in the SEC bounce back, ranking! Him to change directions without wasting much, if any, motion to develop in weight before. Likely projects to an off-ball weak side backer role at the next step senior.