Dumas-Johnson is the next great Georgia linebacker, following past Bulldog greats such as Roquan Smith and Nakobe Dean. The star for the Huskies is Edefuan Ulofoshio, PFFs top linebacker heading into next season. The other three, Devin Lloyd, Nakobe Dean and Channing Tindall, all were taken within the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. The guy most draft rankings seem to have at the top for the position in college football is Trenton Simpson at Clemson. Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane linebacker Justin Wright (30) runs back an Has developed very good ball skills, especially relative to linebacker projection, as a result of extensive two-way snaps. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Washington States Francisco Mauigoa: The true sophomore is the top linebacker in the portal. With more than 1,300 college football players in the transfer portal, it can be difficult to parse through all the talent. The No. Has NFL draft potential. 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. Thats because his younger brother, Francis, is currently committed to the Hurricanes as a top-five recruit and the No. He has a lot of quick-twitch in his game and shows both short area quickness and excellent closing speed. Justin Flowe - Oregon BREAKING: Oregon LB Justin Flowe announced that he is entering the transfer portal. 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. Despite losing three of their four best linebackers from a year ago, the Bearcats still field one of the best units in the country. Measured roughly 6-foot-1.5, 215 pounds spring before senior season. Last time an SEC linebacker duo was selected in the same draft:LSU, Florida and Georgia all had multiple linebackers chosen in the 2013 draft. His pass-rush win rate of 31.2% last season was pretty staggering. Likely to find plenty of success on Saturdays in an aggressive 3-4 front. The senior got home with five sacks on only 43 pass-rushing snaps. Owns a rocked-up build at 6-foot, 205 pounds. Displays impressive linear acceleration with burst and open-field playmaking ability of a Power Five skill prospect. 211009 Penn St Iowa Fb 029 Jpg. Has great play speed. Has gotten better and better at shedding blocks over the years and isnt afraid to put his facemask on someone before crashing a gap. 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. this past season and is the most valuable returning linebacker according to PFFs, Dumas-Johnson is the next great Georgia linebacker, following past Bulldog greats such as. Rather effective in pursuit and has also shown that he can get the job done as a face-up tackler. Fluid in change of direction to drives on ball. Here are the top 10 linebackers returning to college football next season. Has doubled as a running back for his high school, and has found success on that side of the ball. 2023 NFL Enterprises LLC. 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. Vast pursuit range. Around the 6-foot-1, 210- to 215-pound range entering senior season with build that should support 230-pound neighborhood if desired. Ivan Pace Jr. transfers in from Miami (Ohio) and is arguably the best linebacker in the country on passing downs. Impact player in high school as linebacker/edge rusher and running back. Displays good athleticism in multiple phases of the game with the majority of his snaps coming at the running back position. The buzz: The Knights best linebacker, Tatum Bethune, transferred to Florida State. If you enjoyed this content, I would really appreciate if you could check out the original full piece - https://halilsrealfootballtalk.com/2020/12/12/top-five-college-players-at-every-position-defense-edition/, Be the first one to comment on this story. WebVisit ESPN to view College Football stat leaders for the current and previous seasons Please note that NFL projection is not taken into account here. 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. Now hell be making plays for @GoBearcatsFB pic.twitter.com/gxdj5GDjOP, PFF College (@PFF_College) June 5, 2022. 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. Has doubled as a running back for his high school, and has found success on that side of the ball. So, what's the book on the quarterback heading into the 2022 college football season? 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. His 71.2 pass-rush grade since 2019 is a top-20 mark in the ACC. 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. Excellent overall athletic profile coupled with strong on-field context. Body control shines as a receiver when he adjusts to the ball and uses his size to shield defenders. Excels on contact, exhibiting excellent play strength and power at the point of attack. 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. He joins the Michigan defense after playing 12 games at Nebraska as a true freshman, where he recorded 54 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery. Plays outside shoulder on the swing pass, creates good separation and delivers a nice tackle on the RB. Thats because his younger brother, Francis, is currently committed to the Hurricanes as a top-five recruit and the No. UGA allowed third-down conversions at a 40-percent clip. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. 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. Productive two-way play who plays on edge of 3-4 defense. Multi-sport athlete who excels on the baseball diamond also. Scouting report: Physically strong player who is a weight room warrior. For clarification, these lists are based on where these young men are today as college football players. Flashes chase-down speed with an exceptionally broad pursuit range. Mike Jones Jr. rounds out the list at No. Rather instinctive in the box as a run defender and is quick to read and react. 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. Not long but owns frame space to add mass, though not too much more is needed as a modern in-space defender. 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. Shaw announced the news after the team closed out the season with a 36-25 loss to BYU on Saturday night, telling reporters he made the decision within the past week. Has some stack-and-shed ability but needs to continue to develop it. 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. Still, remains at his best playing downhill.. The son of former All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr., the sophomore linebacker has lived up to his fathers name and then some. 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. 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. Trotter played only 58 snaps last year as a true freshman but showed some nice flashes. Has been nothing but productive under the lights on Friday nights racking up 139 tackles and five sacks as a junior. 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. Rice was called the next Roquan Smith after the All-American linebacker was drafted following the 2017 season. Flashes solid instincts in the run game. The guy most draft rankings seem to have at the top for the position in college football is Trenton Simpson at Clemson. 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. Displays good short area explosiveness and change of direction ability, flashing some make you miss ability in the open field. Mosley, Alabama 2. Gray flew around North Carolinas defense this year on his way to becoming a PFF second-team All-American. Starting alongside him is senior Ashanti Cistrunk, who looked solid as a reserve in 2021 with a 75.0 grade on 150 snaps. Intelligent player that has a good feel for whats going on around him, which isnt surprising given the fact that his father is an NFL defensive coordinator. 205. Displays impressive linear acceleration with burst and open-field playmaking ability of a Power Five skill prospect. 2 and Ohio States Tommy Eichenberg at No. As just a true sophomore, Francisco Mauigoa was the Pac-12s second-highest-graded linebacker, earning a 75.8 mark. 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. As a blitzer this season, his 84.0 pass-rushing grade placed 11th among Power Five linebackers. Payton Wilson rounds out the unit after missing most of last season with a torn ACL. Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. The Rebels pulled in one of the more underrated transfers this offseason in. Wright will join Oklahoma State next season with one year of eligibility remaining. 82. In addition to edge and linebacker reps, owns significant snaps at safety and plays with coverage awareness. While at. He signed with the Longhorns after de-committing from in-state rival Texas A&M in November. , whose 85.7 coverage grade since 2020 is the highest among returning Power Five linebackers. 1 offensive tackle in the nation, according to. More than capable of making a difference outside of the hashes given his initial burst and will exert plenty of energy over the course of four quarters. 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. Naturally low center of gravity and impressive core balance allows him to change directions without wasting much, if any, motion. 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. Might need a developmental year or two, but has the makeup of a future impact off-ball linebacker for a Power Five program. after a disappointing first season in Baton Rouge. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. 11 is reserved for the elite linebackers at Penn State, as Parsons. The sophomore was one of three in the Power Five with 75-plus grades as a run-defender, pass-rusher and in coverage. Defensive leader for state title-winning team as junior. A meniscus injury ended his freshman campaign after just five snaps. Incredibly quick in shooting gaps. Son of former All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr., the sophomore linebacker has lived up to his name. Baseball diamond also point of attack PFF_College ) June 5, 2022 range entering senior season a room... 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