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. More than likely projects to an off-ball weak side backer role at the next level on the defensive side of the ball. Body control shines as a receiver when he adjusts to the ball and uses his size to shield defenders. You can sharpie in Harold Perkins in for LB1 in 2025. pic.twitter.com/95JJMe0Tgd, Max Chadwick (@Chad_Maxwick) November 12, 2022. Trotter was second in that same group in both passer rating allowed (42.9) and open target rate allowed (47.6%). Multi-sport athlete who excels on the baseball diamond also. Comfortable in space and owns valuable experience in both man and zone coverage, two things that he has further refined on the 7v7 circuit. 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. 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., (Photo: @USC_FB, IG: tackett_curtis4, 247Sports), Nichelson is among the most athletic linebackers in the region. The transfer linebacker has three years of eligibility remaining and will compete with some talented players like Junior Colson, Michael Barrett, Nikhai Hill-Green and Jimmy Rolder for playing time next season. His three forced fumbles were also tied for sixth in the country. Check out the top 10 players from Georgia to play in the NFL. Projects as a high level multi-year starter at a Power Five program.. Its officially time to hit the reset button. 25 after a disappointing first season in Baton Rouge. , but hasnt been able to fully show what hes capable of. , whose 78.5 grade since 2019 ranks fifth among ACC linebackers. Florida produced Jon Bostic (Bears, second round) and Jelani Jenkins (Dolphins, fourth round), while Georgia had Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree both go in the first round to Pittsburgh and St. Louis, respectively. Multi-year starter with possible early-impact ability for Top 20 program. When you want to engage with this guy in the run game, you better have guards who can climb up quickly to him, because he show in the backfield quickly and has a feel for sorting through the trash. He may not be super rangy in coverage. Not only gets downhill in hurry, but will quickly sift through traffic and get outside the hashes to wrangle a ball carrier. Both Pace brothers are among, , the top two linebacker recruits in the 2020 class. University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, who has drawn the eye of a few NFL franchises, said he expects to coach the Wolverines in 2023. 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. 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. among ACC linebackers. UGA allowed third-down conversions at a 40-percent clip. Hes also great at not giving away hints when hes blitzing and timing up the snap. 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. Iowa Hawkeyes First things first, this is not meant to disparage Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell. He joined Troy as an undersized walk-on in 2017 at just 5-foot-9, 210 pounds. 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. 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). In the passing game, he can carry slot receivers down the hashes, blitz off the slot, spy the quarterback and pretty much anything you ask of him, because of how loose he is in space. Strong tackler in space. Perkins was a top-10 recruit in the 2022 class, which may have been too low. 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. 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. Brees is joining the Purdue coaching staff as an assistant for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, the school announced Thursday. Impact player in high school as linebacker/edge rusher and running back. Plays with energy and effort, and is a competitor. pic.twitter.com/igZKc1F8YQ, Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) January 10, 2023. So, what's the book on the Kentucky quarterback? The excitement about Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. is sky-high coming off his sensational 2021 campaign. Has done nothing but produce since he was a freshman at one of the Sunshine States more tradition-rich high school programs totaling over 250 tackles, 12 sacks and 5 interceptions his first three years on varsity. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. Lacks verified times, but appears to possess good play speed and long speed to outrun defenders in the open field. EDGE Position Preview: Can Michigans pass rush remain dominant in 2023? Simpson was right up there with those two Does not quit on plays. Headlining Oregons unit is Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell, the top two linebacker recruits in the 2020 class. Instinctual and plays at high rate of speed. 9 amongst his peers across the nation. Lynch and Gabe Martin). Flashes above average patience and vision at the line of scrimmage, showing the ability to hit the hole quickly. pic.twitter.com/gW025vAkJh, PFF College (@PFF_College) July 26, 2022. Max Bullough, Michigan State 3. Produced good numbers despite playing on a unit with a lot of mouths to feed. Uses length well when breaking down. Comfortable in zone coverage and is quick to anticipate throws. Take a conference-by-conference look at college football's best linebacker tandems. 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. The former Cornhusker had a solid game at the Big House last year and will now suit up in maize and blue. Gambling problem? Traits and pro-like mentality suggests that he can emerge as a trusted contributor for a Top 25 program and eventually an impact player. A face-up tackler with good leg drive that doesnt let many slip ball carriers out of his hands. 214. Thats because his younger brother, Francis, is currently committed to the Hurricanes as a top-five recruit and the No. Subscribe to 247Sports YouTube for the latest college football, basketball and recruiting news including live college commitments. Featured primarily as a stand-up edge player early on in his prep career, which in turn taught him how to win with a chop or a simple dip of the shoulder. Last time a Big Ten linebacker duo was selected in the same draft: It happened in May, when Iowa had Christian Kirksey (third round) and Anthony Hitchens (fourth round) drafted. The Basic Blues Podcast (@BasicBluesPod) February 8, 2023. Jordan Pollard Faith Lutheran (Las Vegas, NV) LB. Shows surprising hands-catching acumen and big-play speed as a receiver. 70 tackles 9 tackles for loss 4 sacks 3 pass deflections 1 forced fumble pic.twitter.com/loJc8IMAVJ, GaBulldogsFB (@GABulldogsFB) January 19, 2023. Pursues downhill in the flat and chases plays down from behind. Hes PFFs No. Has to develop strength throughout frame, and particularly in upper body. Likes to lead with his weight and will explode through his hips in hopes of getting ball carriers to get them to the ground. got off to a hot start last year with an 82.4 overall grade through Week 4, third among Power Five linebackers. No returning SEC pair was more productive last year than Georgia's Ramik His 94.1 coverage grade since 2019 ranks first among all FBS linebackers. * Pro Football Hall of Famer. Pick-6 for Tommy Eichenberg. 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. Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Shayne Skov, Stanford 5. If Ulofoshio was fully healthy, Washington would be higher on this list. Willing to fight through double teams. The guy most draft rankings seem to have at the top for the position in college football is Trenton Simpson at Clemson. Telvin Smith, Florida State 4. Already established as a hammer, showed violent striking ability during impressive senior season. Hes also been the most valuable linebacker in the country in that span, per PFFs wins above average metric. 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. Carter is one of college football's most well-rounded linebackers. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 4 on the season ???? He has some good lateral agility to side-step blockers, but rarely fights through creases and stops the momentum of ball-carriers around the line of scrimmage. Oklahoma: Eric Striker and Dominique Alexander. , all were taken within the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. Will need to develop in weight room before being a factor on college field but has ability to play for Top 10 program. The senior got home with five sacks on only 43 pass-rushing snaps. Run it back! 8 linebacker in college football for the 2022 season, PFF's fourth-best linebacker in the country entering the 2022 season. 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. Plays with energy and effort, and is a competitor. Broad, layered athletic profile projects very well in long term. , whose 85.7 coverage grade since 2020 is the highest among returning Power Five linebackers. MAC: Bowling Green (D.J. His 71.2 pass-rush grade since 2019 is a top-20 mark in the ACC. 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. Huff, an Arkansas native, has college-ready size as he stands at 6-4 and is 220 pounds. Might need a developmental year or two, but has the makeup of a future impact off-ball linebacker for a Power Five program. 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. Has athleticism and speed to drop into coverage in flat or take running back one-on-one. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. 3. Honorable mentions: Troy Brown (Central Michigan), Ivan Pace Jr. (Cincinnati), Mikel Jones (Syracuse), Owen Pappoe (Auburn), Ventrell Miller (Florida) & Bumper Pool (Arkansas), You can check out all my other college football positional rankings here or as one piece on halilsrealfootballtalk.com, Be the first one to comment on this story. Fluid in change of direction to drives on ball. I know Im probably a lot higher on Fisher than most people, but I have been following his young mans career ever since his freshman season. The other three, Devin Lloyd, Nakobe Dean and Channing Tindall, all were taken within the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. Naturally low center of gravity and impressive core balance allows him to change directions without wasting much, if any, motion. NA 204 258. Sun Belt: Texas State (David Mayo and Michael Orakpo). The junior was also second among SEC linebackers with a 51.7% open target rate allowed. Athletic enough to compensate for occasional less-than-ideal angles. , but what about the best position groups? Just separating what makes a great college LB versus what translates to the next level isn't easy. 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. 92. Excellent overall athletic profile coupled with strong on-field context. Shows quick hands to keep offensive linemen from getting inside. Nearly all of the top linebackers in the 2023 recruiting cycle made things official during the Early Signing Period, including the top 15 players at the position putting ink to paper. linebackers heading into next season. Jim Mora might have to deal with the loss of Anthony Barr to the NFL, but he's still got a loaded linebacking corps with a duo that is hard for any team to match. There is big-time buzz about Ohio State's C.J. High-level athlete also plays receiver. 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. Using his rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the 10 best linebacking corps in the country. Your login session has expired. Has great play speed. Texas is ranked behind Alabama and Georgia for the best recruiting class in the 247Sports rankings. 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. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Tackler with good leg drive that doesnt let many slip ball carriers to get them to the as. Simpson was right up there with those two Does not quit on plays play in the country a great LB...: can Michigans pass rush remain dominant in 2023 26, 2022 can emerge as a when... Basicbluespod ) February 8, 2023 that span best linebacker in college football per PFFs wins above average patience and vision at the House! 247Sports rankings 247Sports rankings class, which may have been too low Its time! Simpson was right up there with those two Does not quit on plays Anderson Jr. is sky-high coming off sensational. 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