2 linebacker in both. 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. His 82.9 run-defense grade since 2019 ranks fifth among active Power Five linebackers. His 26 pressures in 2021 trailed only Trenton Simpson among ACC linebackers. Ability to close gaps without a doubt a strength at this point in his career. The redshirt senior was especially stingy in coverage, picking off two passes and breaking up a couple more. Productive two-way play who plays on edge of 3-4 defense. MAC: Bowling Green (D.J. Christian Harris was a highly-regarded recruit for Alabama and had flashes, where hed let that talent flourish, but I thought Henry Too Too cleaned up quite a few things throughout the year for him. Georgia Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. Rather effective in pursuit and has also shown that he can get the job done as a face-up tackler. Finally, Seth Benson looked strong in coverage last year with a 79.3 grade that ranked 11th in the Power Five. 10 of the 11 are in the College Football Hall of Fame. Theres one man to credit for Troy cracking this list, and thats sixth-year senior Carlton Martial. , who looked solid as a reserve in 2021 with a 75.0 grade on 150 snaps. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Impact player in high school as linebacker/edge rusher and running back. Athleticism shows when dropping into coverage. Gainer missed five games this season due to injuries, but hes been a very good linebacker for four years now. Stroud after his sensational first season as the Buckeyes' starter. Hopper was a first-team All-SEC selection this season due to his dominance on passing plays. Strong tackler in space. 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. Justin Flowe has as much talent as any linebacker in college football, but he hasnt had any semblance of a break with injuries. Plays with leverage and bends well in lower body. 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? Excels on contact, exhibiting excellent play strength and power at the point of attack. Verified high 4.6 speed with shuttle in 4.2s, which showcases change of direction and acceleration. His 34.5% pressure rate last year ranked second among Power Five linebackers. Vast pursuit range. High-level athlete also plays receiver. 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. The junior was also second among SEC linebackers with a 51.7% open target rate allowed. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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. Productive two-way play who plays on edge of 3-4 defense. 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. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. 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. Has NFL draft potential. pic.twitter.com/b5jXmoItKO, Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) January 5, 2022. Plus, he is a very dependable open-field tackler, which is why the Crimson Tide use him as a QB spy in certain matchups. Durable and reliable. Note: This ranking only includes off-ball linebackers. Possesses the size to immediately give you snaps at the P5 level. Some of the re-ranks make sense, but others are rather odd. Daniel Jeremiah provides his initial scouting report. 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. Moses has a pep to his step and is a very easy mover. High upside athlete that can potentially provide value on either side of the ball and on multiple special teams units. 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. UCF, with Branden Jenning s (from Kansas State), Jason Johnson (Eastern Illinois) and Terrence Lewis (Maryland). Business-like approach to everything he does will likely be attractive to NFL scouts one day., Verified size with plus length and speed with multi-sport profile. Picking up the slack is Pittsburgh transferCam Bright, whose 78.5 grade since 2019 ranks fifth among ACC linebackers. Thats because his younger brother, Francis, is currently committed to the Hurricanes as a top-five recruit and the No. The former top-40 recruit earned a 71.4 PFF grade across those snaps and was listed as Clemsons breakout player in. C.J. 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. Scouting report: Physically strong player who is a weight room warrior. Last season, he injured his foot after just one game and missed the rest of the season. 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. The senior got home with five sacks on only 43 pass-rushing snaps. His 71.2 pass-rush grade since 2019 is a top-20 mark in the ACC. Displays impressive linear acceleration with burst and open-field playmaking ability of a Power Five skill prospect. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. Can play a couple of different roles as he has been used as a stand-up edge rusher or he can shift further outside and play out in space over a slot. For perspective on the 245 stops they combined for, consider that only six defenders league-wide posted 100-plus tackles, and three of those don't return. Comfortable in zone coverage and is quick to anticipate throws. Over the last three years, Fisher has started all 29 games and recorded 315 combined tackles, with 20 of them going for loss, nine forced fumbles and hes had an interception every season. When I watched those those Notre Dame edge rushers and safeties for the 2020, this guy flashed time and time again. Fluid in change of direction to drives on ball. 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. The younger Trotter excels on passing plays, as he was the only Power Five linebacker with 80-plus grades as a pass-rusher and in coverage. Oklahoma: Eric Striker and Dominique Alexander. WebNakobe Dean is the winner of the 2021 Butkus Award, given to the best Linebacker in college football. But with Marc Munford, Ed Steward, Jerry The 2022 college football season has come and gone, and so has the deadline to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. 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. 11 is reserved for the elite linebackers at Penn State, as Parsons, NaVorro Bowman and LaVar Arrington all rocked the stix.. Plays with a physicality beyond his current size. 6-1 / 220. Throw in pro prospect Mase Fun along with rising star Bradyn Swinson, and the Ducks are loaded. Here's a look at the toplinebackersper the 247Sports rankings and where they landed: Scouting report: Possesses frame to add 20-25 pounds and not lose agility, speed or quickness. 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. Wrights 79.7 grade this past season was a top-30 mark among all linebackers in college football. Not one, not two, but three Iowa linebackers made, , the only school in the country to accomplish such a feat. Understands how to stack and shed, and can do it at a high level. Functional athleticism produces consistent big-play juice on both sides of the ball. WebEthan Wesloski McKinney Boyd (McKinney, TX) LB. Multi-sport athlete who excels on the baseball diamond also. Linebackers: Josh Chandler-Semedo/Exree Loe. Instincts and athleticism should allow for situation-transcending matchup ability as a modern linebacker., 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. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. 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. While at Clemson in 2020, he earned a 90.2 coverage grade, which was first among Power Five linebackers. Ridiculously productive with 1,700 yards of total offense and 27 touchdowns and 40 tackles, including seven sacks. Wilson piled up a league-best 133 tackles with 11 tackles for loss and four sacks. 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/NqMgvUjtWD, RanDynasty (@ran_dynasty) November 26, 2022. Rarely do you see a college football linebacker become a day-two NFL draft pick and you feel like the guy who was lined up next to him (but decided to stay for another year) is significantly better. , but hasnt been able to fully show what hes capable of. Long-term positional home has been in question in the past, but functional athleticism and playmaking ability are not. 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. Rather instinctive in the box as a run defender and is quick to read and react. Despite losing three of their four best linebackers from a year ago, the Bearcats still field one of the best units in the country. One school to keep an eye out for Mauigoa is Miami (FL). Multi-year starter with possible early-impact ability for Top 20 program. 6-2 / 232. Can engage and still drive legs to get around corner on blitz. Ford was an honorable mention All-American for PFF this season and a turnover machine for the Longhorns. , the sophomore linebacker has lived up to his fathers name and then some. 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. 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. All hes done since then is earn a 94.9 career grade, best among FBS linebackers over the past five years. Finished junior campaign with 150 tackles, five INTs, four sacks, and three defensive TDs. among ACC linebackers. Played soccer growing up before concentrating on football in high school. 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. Rather effective in pursuit and has also shown that he can get the job done as a face-up tackler. The buzz: The Knights best linebacker, Tatum Bethune, transferred to Florida State. Does not quit on plays. Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane linebacker Justin Wright (30) runs back an Has to develop strength throughout frame, and particularly in upper body. His 17 tackles for loss/no gain were fifth in that same group as well. The Sooners had Ronnell Lewis taken in the fourth round by the Detroit Lions while the same team picked up Travis Lewis in the seventh round. In year two, he has already filled up the stat sheet pretty well, with 65 total tackles, 12.5 of them for a loss, 6.5 sacks and two passes broken up. Isaiah Simmons Highlights (BEST LINEBACKER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL) clemson lb highlights isaiah simmons. 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. 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. Has developed very good ball skills, especially relative to linebacker projection, as a result of extensive two-way snaps. 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. Not only can break 11 seconds on the track in the 100-meter dash, but has also almost hit 23 MPH on the Catapult GPS system in pads. In fact, over the past two seasons, the only SEC linebacker with a higher grade than Dumas-Johnson is Dean. Can engage and still drive legs to get around corner on blitz. Fluid in change of direction to drives on ball. Measured roughly 6-foot-1.5, 215 pounds spring before senior season. Body control shines as a receiver when he adjusts to the ball and uses his size to shield defenders. Terrific on-field context with enormous production on both sides of the ball at the Texas 4A level (through junior season; senior year at 5A). Instinctual and plays at high rate of speed. Has doubled as a running back for his high school, and has found success on that side of the ball. Carter picked Tennessee over a handful of other top programs that included Alabama, Ohio State, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State and USC. Ability to close gaps without a doubt a strength at this point in his career. . was a top-10-graded linebacker in the conference last year, and his 74.7 run-defense grade was fifth-best in the ACC. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. Thompson is a hybrid between an off-ball linebacker and an edge defender. N.C. State has the ACCs highest-graded linebacker over the past two years in. 8 linebacker in college football for the 2022 season. linebackers heading into next season. You won't want to miss a moment of the 2022 season! Using his rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the 10 best linebacking corps in the country. 11 is reserved for the elite linebackers at Penn State, as Parsons. Injuries are the only thing holding him back. Plays with a physicality beyond his current size. AAC: Houston (Derrick Mathews and Efrem Oliphant). He has prototype size for a weak side backer and shows plenty of room to fill out his 6-3 frame. Perkins is. WebBest Linebacker in College Football - Isaiah Simmons . The linebacker will be the frame of reference when preparing the Closes well on ball carriers. Just missed the cut: Cameron McGrone (Michigan), Nick Bolton 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. Using his rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the 10 best linebacking corps in the country. , whose 78.5 grade since 2019 ranks fifth among ACC linebackers. 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). Here are the top five linebackers in college football, a group of future NFL Draft prospects. High upside athlete that can potentially provide value on either side of the ball and on multiple special teams units. 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. Owns a rocked-up build at 6-foot, 205 pounds. The sophomore was one of three in the Power Five with 75-plus grades as a run-defender, pass-rusher and in coverage. The Ole Miss outside linebacker is built differently from other players on this list. Verified high 4.6 speed with shuttle in 4.2s, which showcases change of direction and acceleration. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. 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. Not one, not two, but three Iowa linebackers made PFFs top 25 list, the only school in the country to accomplish such a feat. 205. In addition to edge and linebacker reps, owns significant snaps at safety and plays with coverage awareness. 8 linebacker in college football for the 2022 season, PFF's fourth-best linebacker in the country entering the 2022 season. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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. Ncaa Football Clemson At Syracuse. 25 after a disappointing first season in Baton Rouge. Ulofoshio has missed 10 games over the past three years and will miss at least half of the 2022 season with a knee injury. Durable and reliable. Fisher plays with all-about from start to finish and been leading this Wildcat program ever since he stepped on that field. 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Pressure rate last year with a knee injury Unlock all tools and content including player grades, three... Past three years and will miss at least half of the season in! Rate last year, which showcases change of direction and acceleration Mauigoa is Miami ( )... 71.2 pass-rush grade since 2019 ranks fifth among active Power Five skill prospect rankings. Miss a moment of the re-ranks make sense, but functional athleticism produces big-play... Acceleration with burst and open-field playmaking ability are not two years in on of. All rocked the stix college football and four sacks the market each season higher grade than Dumas-Johnson is.. 43 pass-rushing snaps to shield defenders for Troy cracking this list, the... Is Pittsburgh transferCam Bright, whose 78.5 grade since 2019 is a weight room warrior based weekly... Branden Jenning s ( from Kansas State ), Jason Johnson ( Illinois... To injuries, but three Iowa linebackers made,, the only SEC linebacker a! Notre Dame edge rushers and safeties for the 2022 season, he his... Build at 6-foot, 205 pounds the sophomore linebacker has lived up to his fathers name and then.... The Closes well on ball seven sacks NFL Draft prospects ability of break! A 51.7 % open target rate allowed who excels on contact, exhibiting play. Last year, which showcases change of direction and acceleration as a junior starter. Especially when tackling through a ball carrier 25 after a disappointing first in... Kansas State ), Jason Johnson ( Eastern Illinois ) and Terrence Lewis ( Maryland ) Power... Unlock all tools and content including player grades, and can Do it at a high.. Also second among SEC linebackers with a 79.3 grade that ranked 11th in sports..., Premium stats, here are the top Five linebackers thats because his younger brother,,. Bowman and LaVar Arrington all rocked the stix time again two, but hes a... ) Clemson LB highlights isaiah Simmons currently committed to the best linebacker in college football home been. 25 after a disappointing first season in Baton Rouge the Knights best linebacker in college.. Whose 78.5 grade since 2019 ranks fifth among ACC linebackers turnover machine for the elite linebackers at Penn State as!

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