Linebackers: Josh Chandler-Semedo/Exree Loe. Hes also great at not giving away hints when hes blitzing and timing up the snap. Thats because his younger brother, Francis, is currently committed to the Hurricanes as a top-five recruit and the No. 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. got off to a hot start last year with an 82.4 overall grade through Week 4, third among Power Five linebackers. Can engage and still drive legs to get around corner on blitz. A face-up tackler with good leg drive that doesnt let many slip ball carriers out of his hands. Hes a menace as a blitzer, with his 30.6% pass-rush win rate last year leading all FBS linebackers. https://halilsrealfootballtalk.com/2020/12/12/top-five-college-players-at-every-position-defense-edition/. 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. Pursues downhill in the flat and chases plays down from behind. In addition to edge and linebacker reps, owns significant snaps at safety and plays with coverage awareness. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Ability to close gaps without a doubt a strength at this point in his career. UGA allowed third-down conversions at a 40-percent clip. 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. With two linebackers cracking the top five of this list, Clemson easily has the best linebacking corps in the country heading into next season. was a top-10-graded linebacker in the conference last year, and his 74.7 run-defense grade was fifth-best in the ACC. * Pro Football Hall of Famer. He returned to FSU but keeping tabs. Justin Flowe has as much talent as any linebacker in college football, but he hasnt had any semblance of a break with injuries. He was one of four Big Ten linebackers on the list, behind Penn States Abdul Carter at No. His older brother, West, signed with Virginia as a three-star linebacker from the 2021 class before transferring to LSU. 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. One school to keep an eye out for Mauigoa is, . #COMMITTED pic.twitter.com/C6k1UTiS0y, Justin Wright (@JustinWright_30) December 7, 2022. Daniel Jeremiah provides his initial scouting report. Already established as a hammer, showed violent striking ability during impressive senior season. here are the five best linebackers searching for new homes. Also well-rounded basketball player. It was also the best single-season mark by a Power Five player in the PFF College era. Hasnt been asked to cover a ton of tight ends or slot receivers while serving as his schools Mike, but athletic profile suggests that he should be able to run with Power 5 skill players of all different sizes (owns a 1.69 10-yard split and a 4.49 short shuttle). Take a look at the top 10 players from Northwestern to play in the NFL. Naturally low center of gravity and impressive core balance allows him to change directions without wasting much, if any, motion. Ernest Hausmann, who transferred to Michigan after one season at Nebraska, was named to On3s recent top-10 Linebackers of 2023 list. Web8. Highly productive considering full-time two-way snaps. Ulofoshio has missed 10 games over the past three years and will miss at least half of the 2022 season with a knee injury. 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. Simpson was right up there with those two linebackers for Oregon in Sewell and Justin Flowe as LB3 in the 2020 recruiting class. However, it can also be very challenging in terms of what is being asked of guys in the pros compared to the collegiate level. Anyone else miss watching Abdul Carter wreck havoc on opposing offenses? . Go Pokes???? Collins fills those pads out nicely and he is a beast as Tulsas stack WILL backer. pic.twitter.com/9w22mjeZpI, PFF College (@PFF_College) May 15, 2022. 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. For a detailed analysis of nearly every FBS team, check out PFFs 2022 College Football Preview Magazine. Rather effective in pursuit and has also shown that he can get the job done as a face-up tackler. 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. 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. 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. The redshirt junior rounds out the top three and was a, The 2022 college football season has come and gone, and so has the deadline to enter the. Carter is one of college footballs most well-rounded linebackers. Chris Comfortable in space and owns valuable experience in both man and zone coverage, two things that he has further refined on the 7v7 circuit. Willing to fight through double teams. 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! If he can stay healthy and live up to it, Oregon could easily top this list. With two linebackers cracking the top five of this list, Clemson easily has the best linebacking corps in the country heading into next season. 95 overall) all got a draft call. Senior season displayed improved in-space competency as a big-bodied traditional off-ball 'backer who could likely stay there in the long term. He is really sudden in his movements when the ball gets to the edge and he quickly flashes against screen passes. He was named Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year for good reason and has tremendous upside going forward. C.J. The juniors four interceptions led all FBS linebackers, and he tied for second in the Power Five with two fumble recoveries. 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. Working on anchoring against run important. Has great play speed. Carter is one of college football's most well-rounded linebackers. Curtis elected to go to the West Coast and sign with the Trojans. The junior was also second among SEC linebackers with a 51.7% open target rate allowed. Instincts and athleticism should allow for situation-transcending matchup ability as a modern linebacker., Scouting report: 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. Ran for more than 1,000 yards on almost 10 yards per carry while recording 91 tackles as a junior. That dropped to 55.3 last year, which ranked 112th in the Power Five. Plays with energy and effort, and is a competitor. Hes also been the most valuable linebacker in the country in that span, per PFFs wins above average metric. Multi-year starter with possible early-impact ability for Top 20 program. 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. 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. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Georgia signed three of the top five linebackers in the class, including four-star recruit. UCF, with Branden Jenning s (from Kansas State), Jason Johnson (Eastern Illinois) and Terrence Lewis (Maryland). Has developed very good ball skills, especially relative to linebacker projection, as a result of extensive two-way snaps. LSU is one of only four schools with multiple linebackers in PFFs top 25. 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. 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. He flashes good instincts in coverage, but at this point its what he can bring as a pressure player on passing downs, with legit speed and the ability to bend around the edge. 2 linebacker in both PFFs preseason college rankings and PFF's 2023 NFL Draft big board. AND THE WINNER IS ???? 2023 Transfer Portal Rankings QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG/C DE/EDGE | DT | LB | CB | Saf | Coaches 15 Jestin Jacobs New School: Oregon Former School: Iowa 14 Ryan Selig New School: Minnesota Former School: Western Michigan 13 DeMario Tolan New School: Auburn Still, remains at his best playing downhill.. Finished junior campaign with 150 tackles, five INTs, four sacks, and three defensive TDs. Closes well on ball carriers. Uses quick hands well to stay off blocks. Trotter played only 58 snaps last year as a true freshman but showed some nice flashes. Drayk Bowen Andrean (Merrillville, IN) LB. His 34.5% pressure rate last year ranked second among Power Five linebackers. Multi-sport athlete who excels on the baseball diamond also. Ivan Pace Jr. didnt allow a TD in coverage last season ???? More importantly, isnt afraid to crash the A or B gap, which is important for someone thats only 225 pounds. The top 15 signees are attending 11 different schools. Please logout and login again. Plus, he is a very dependable open-field tackler, which is why the Crimson Tide use him as a QB spy in certain matchups. Rice was called the next Roquan Smith after the All-American linebacker was drafted following the 2017 season. Watching for Jermaine Johnson (Florida State EDGE 11) but this rep from Amari Gainer (LB 33) caught my eye to start the game vs Clemson. 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. He also made 13 coverage stops, which ranked in the top 25 for all linebackers in the country. 211009 Penn St Iowa Fb 029 Jpg. Rather instinctive in the box as a run defender and is quick to read and react. More than likely projects to an off-ball weak side backer role at the next level on the defensive side of the ball. Tulsas Justin Wright: The new Oklahoma State Cowboy ranks second after his stingy season in coverage. Plays fast and is physical, especially when tackling through a ball carrier. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. There is big-time buzz about Ohio State's C.J. Georgia signed three of the top five linebackers in the class, including four-star recruit Raylen Wilson. Please logout and login again. Looking ahead to the 2014 season, College Football 24/7 took a look at the top triplets on both offense and defense in each of the top conferences. Dumas-Johnson is the next great Georgia linebacker, following past Bulldog greats such as Roquan Smith and Nakobe Dean. Functional athleticism produces consistent big-play juice on both sides of the ball. His 34.5% pressure rate last year ranked second among Power Five linebackers. Using PFFs preseason positional rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the best linebacking corps in the country. Not one, not two, but three Iowa linebackers made PFFs top 25 list, the only school in the country to accomplish such a feat. Player to watch. While at Clemson in 2020, he earned a 90.2 coverage grade, which was first among Power Five linebackers. If you cant make it to the game in person, the game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network. 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. 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. Requisite height with good length and a big frame to add mass. Jones was the second-highest-graded linebacker in the ACC last season with a 75.6 mark. 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. linebackers heading into next season. 3. Has great play speed. Drew Brees' next step in his post-playing career will put him back on a field. Hes No. Isaiah Moore was a top-10-graded linebacker in the conference last year, and his 74.7 run-defense grade was fifth-best in the ACC. Both Pace brothers are among, , the top two linebacker recruits in the 2020 class. Strong tackler in space. 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. Thompson is a hybrid between an off-ball linebacker and an edge defender. Not long but owns frame space to add mass, though not too much more is needed as a modern in-space defender. Wright will join Oklahoma State next season with one year of eligibility remaining. Played soccer growing up before concentrating on football in high school. High-level athlete also plays receiver. Oklahoma signed two top 10 linebackers, including Samuel Omosigho. Colorado and new head coach Deion Sanders made a late offer to Carter, but he elected to stay in his home state and sign with the Vols. 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. Likes to lead with his weight and will explode through his hips in hopes of getting ball carriers to get them to the ground. Pursues and closes to the football with effort and has explosivenes off the ball and as he closes to his target. The Longhorns had Keenan Robinson drafted in the fourth round by Washington and Emmanuel Acho picked in the sixth round by the Cleveland Browns. He signed with the Longhorns after de-committing from in-state rival Texas A&M in November. In the pass game, he has a safety-like skill-set, with a very natural ability to move any direction and take away throwing windows. Pursues downhill in the flat and chases plays down from behind. Just separating what makes a great college LB versus what translates to the next level isn't easy. His 26 pressures in 2021 trailed only Trenton Simpson among ACC linebackers. Injuries are the only thing holding him back. after posting a 71.8 grade last season, second among returning SEC linebackers. pic.twitter.com/b5jXmoItKO, Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) January 5, 2022. 11 is reserved for the elite linebackers at Penn State, as Parsons, NaVorro Bowman and LaVar Arrington all rocked the stix.. Working on anchoring against run important. 6 overall), Kevin Minter (Cardinals, second round, No. Theyre the 15 linebackers in the transfer portal you need to know. Must continue to improve play strength, which should happen once lifting and eating in college. After posting a 71.8 grade last season with a knee injury for Oregon in Sewell and Justin Flowe as in! Also been the most valuable linebacker in college a beast as Tulsas best linebacker in college football! 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