For the Tigers, Barkevious Mingo (Browns, first round, No. 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. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (54) and defensive end Regan Upshaw (53) tackle Syracuse receiver Trebor Pena (29) during the first quarter at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York, Friday, October 15, 2021. Has speed to get around tackle on blitzes. USC's Caleb Williams was awarded the 2022 Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, adding an exclamation point to his electrifying first season with the Trojans. Jestin Jacobs got off to a hot start last year with an 82.4 overall grade through Week 4, third among Power Five linebackers. Has some stack-and-shed ability but needs to continue to develop it. Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane linebacker Justin Wright (30) runs back an Uses quick hands well to stay off blocks. Adequate in-space athleticism appeared to take the next step during senior campaign. Here are the top 10 linebackers returning to college football next season. Chris 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. "While no one knows what the future holds," Harbaugh said in a statement released on Twitter on Thursday, "I expect that I will be enthusiastically coaching Michigan in 2023.". He was named Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year for good reason and has tremendous upside going forward. Just separating what makes a great college LB versus what translates to the next level isn't easy. 92. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. PFFs lead college analyst Anthony Treash already went over the best players at every position, but what about the best position groups? 95 overall) all got a draft call. If he can bounce back, this ranking will be too low for the Tigers. Still, remains at his best playing downhill.. 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 ???????? Does not quit on plays. after posting a 71.8 grade last season, second among returning SEC linebackers. College Footballs 20 best linebackers of 2021 1. In fact, over the past two seasons, the only SEC linebacker with a higher grade than Dumas-Johnson is Dean. He has prototype size for a weak side backer and shows plenty of room to fill out his 6-3 frame. Comfortable in space and owns valuable experience in both man and zone coverage, two things that he has further refined on the 7v7 circuit. Closes well on ball carriers. Using his rankings and PFF-exclusive stats, here are the 10 best linebacking corps in the country. Working on anchoring against run important. Collins fills those pads out nicely and he is a beast as Tulsas stack WILL backer. Rather instinctive in the box as a run defender and is quick to read and react. 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. Seasoned blitzer that can get home with his elite burst on Friday nights. 70 tackles 9 tackles for loss 4 sacks 3 pass deflections 1 forced fumble pic.twitter.com/loJc8IMAVJ, GaBulldogsFB (@GABulldogsFB) January 19, 2023. EDGE Position Preview: Can Michigans pass rush remain dominant in 2023? However, hes more than willing to shoot through one half of the blockers and funnel the ball back inside on perimeter-oriented runs, or just hit a crease and create negative plays when the opportunity arises. 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). His 17 tackles for loss/no gain were fifth in that same group as well. Has doubled as a running back for his high school, and has found success on that side of the ball. 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. Thumper vs. the run with chase-down athleticism from the back side. His usually dependable tackling was a bit of an issue in open-field situations as well in 2019. The Eleven Greatest College Linebackers, 1958-2008, 11) D. D. Lewis: Mississippi State 1965-'67, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 10)Randy Gradishar: Ohio State 1971-'73, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 9)Mike Singletary: Baylor 1977-'80, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 8) Dennis Onkotz: Penn State 1967-'69, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 7) Wilber Marshall: Florida 1980-'83, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 6) George Webster: Mich. State 1964-'66, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 5) Jack Ham: Penn State 1968-'70, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 4) Lawrence Taylor: UNC 1977-'80, ACC MVP in 1980, 3) Leroy Jordan: Alabama 1960-'62, Member of College Football Hall of Fame, 2) Dick Butkus: Illinois, 1962-'64, Member of College Football Hall Of Fame, 1) Tommy Nobis: Texas, 1963-'65, Member of College Football Hall Of Fame. 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. A meniscus injury ended his freshman campaign after just five snaps. No returning SEC pair was more productive last year than Georgia's Ramik 25 after a disappointing first season in Baton Rouge. 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. His 82.9 run-defense grade since 2019 ranks fifth among active Power Five linebackers. Gained 1,500-plus receiving yards over sophomore and junior seasons. Willing to fight through double teams. Highest graded Pac-12 Linebackers since 2019, 1 Devin Lloyd: 90.92 Edefuan Ulofoshio: 90.3 pic.twitter.com/CWUgdH16fH, PFF College (@PFF_College) June 17, 2022. Isaiah Simmons Highlights (BEST LINEBACKER IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL) clemson lb highlights isaiah simmons. Scouting report: Nichelson is among the most athletic linebackers in the region. 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. Ridiculously productive with 1,700 yards of total offense and 27 touchdowns and 40 tackles, including seven sacks. Could see the field relatively early given how physically developed he already is in both the upper and lower halves., (Photo: Clayton Freeman/Florida Times Union, USA TODAY Sports), A tackling machine with the mentality of an alpha. Despite playing just two games, hes still a top-75 prospect on PFFs 2023 NFL Draft big board, which says a lot about his potential. 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. 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. Sun Belt: Texas State (David Mayo and Michael Orakpo). 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. 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. Just missed the cut: Cameron McGrone (Michigan), Nick Bolton Plays fast and is physical, especially when tackling through a ball carrier. ESPN names three U-M assistants as coaches to watch in 2023. 4 on the season ???? If you cant make it to the game in person, the game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network. Diagnosis whats going on in front of him better than most his age. Your login session has expired. Lacks verified times, but appears to possess good play speed and long speed to outrun defenders in the open field. His 71.2 pass-rush grade since 2019 is a top-20 mark in the ACC. 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. Njongmeta is the highest-graded returning Power Five linebacker, earning an 89.9 mark this past season. Finished junior campaign with 150 tackles, five INTs, four sacks, and three defensive TDs. Can engage and still drive legs to get around corner on blitz. Thats because his younger brother, Francis, is currently committed to the Hurricanes as a top-five recruit and the No. He is really sudden in his movements when the ball gets to the edge and he quickly flashes against screen passes. Gambling problem? Has athleticism and speed to drop into coverage in flat or take running back one-on-one. 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. Weve already seen him bat passes into the air and for his secondary players to dive for. The sophomore was one of three in the Power Five with 75-plus grades as a run-defender, pass-rusher and in coverage. Texas is ranked behind Alabama and Georgia for the best recruiting class in the 247Sports rankings. This is a collegefootball playerranking of the best linebackers since 1958. Around the 6-foot-1, 210- to 215-pound range entering senior season with build that should support 230-pound neighborhood if desired. 1 offensive tackle in the nation, according to. Excellent overall athletic profile coupled with strong on-field context. Could see the field relatively early given how physically developed he already is in both the upper and lower halves., Scouting report: A tackling machine with the mentality of an alpha. Has speed to get around tackle on blitzes. He may not be super rangy in coverage. Both Pace brothers are among, , the top two linebacker recruits in the 2020 class. Oklahoma signed two top 10 linebackers, including Samuel Omosigho. Texas is ranked behind Alabama and Georgia for the best recruiting class in the 247Sports rankings. Shayne Skov, Stanford 5. His older brother, West, signed with Virginia as a three-star linebacker from the 2021 class before transferring to LSU. If he can stay healthy, he should provide a major boost on defense to his next school. 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. 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. The sophomore leads this list and is living up to his father, a former All-Pro linebacker. For clarification, these lists are based on where these young men are today as college football players. Body control shines as a receiver when he adjusts to the ball and uses his size to shield defenders. The top 15 signees are attending 11 different schools. 214. One of the biggest risers from this 2020 season has been this 64, 260 pound-listed linebacker that is the heart of a Hurricanes 21st-ranked scoring defense. Also well-rounded basketball player. All hes done since then is earn a 94.9 career grade, best among FBS linebackers over the past five years. Thumper vs. the run with chase-down athleticism from the back side. Daniel Jeremiah provides his initial scouting report, supplying a striking NFL comparison in the process. 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. I think as a blitzer, his timing and hand-usage has gotten a lot better too. Now that we know who will continue playing on Saturdays next fall, let's take an early look at the top returning players at every position. 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. Georgia signed three of the top five linebackers in the class, including four-star recruit Raylen Wilson. 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. 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. Starting alongside him is senior Ashanti Cistrunk, who looked solid as a reserve in 2021 with a 75.0 grade on 150 snaps. Strong tackler in space. The senior got home with five sacks on only 43 pass-rushing snaps. 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. WebEthan Wesloski McKinney Boyd (McKinney, TX) LB. The highest-graded returning Power Five linebacker? Desire to make those around him better also a pretty unique trait in the year 2022. Leading the Hawkeyes is. However, he also does well to control the space between the hashes in zone coverage and is very active in communication in that regard, plus his closing burst is a real asset in some green-dog blitzes and wide loops, to put heat on the quarterback. Wilson piled up a league-best 133 tackles with 11 tackles for loss and four sacks. Fluid in change of direction to drives on ball. 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). 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. 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. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Flashes above average patience and vision at the line of scrimmage, showing the ability to hit the hole quickly. Stanford head coach David Shaw is stepping down after 12 seasons at the helm of the Cardinal program. Noah Sewell at number one made it fairly easy for me. Aint No Discussion, You Know Im THE Real Deal. Broad, layered athletic profile projects very well in long term. 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. While at. 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