Linebacker is without doubt one of the hardest positions to grasp. An awesome linebacker should be a jack of all trades for a protection. They’re anticipated to defend the run, play in protection and rush the passer, all at a excessive stage.
Here are the ten finest linebacker items as we head into the 2024 school soccer season.
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1. Texas
The Longhorns have the very best linebacker unit in school soccer thanks largely to the very best linebacker in school soccer. Anthony Hill Jr. Since 2023, his 32 protection stops are tied for essentially the most amongst FBS linebackers and his 10 sacks and 5 compelled fumbles are tied for essentially the most amongst Power Four linebackers. Hill racked up 127 performs the place he made first contact on a ball service in that very same span, essentially the most of any returning Power Four linebacker.
Trey Moore is transferring from edge defender to an off-ball position and had eight sacks final 12 months, tied for tenth amongst SEC edge defenders. Texas additionally added Brad Spence from Arkansas within the switch portal and he was eighth within the SEC with an 83.3 run-defense grade in 2024. Liona Lefau can also be again for his junior marketing campaign after beginning for the Longhorns final season. Elijah Barnes will start his collegiate profession this 12 months and was the No. 3 linebacker recruit from the 2025 highschool class.
2. LSU
Whit Weeks is my No. 3 linebacker within the nation following a terrific sophomore marketing campaign. His 21 tackles for loss or no achieve had been the fourth most amongst all linebackers within the nation, whereas his 25 pressures had been a top-15 mark final season.
Harold Perkins Jr. was No. 1 on that checklist getting into the 2024 season and is again for his redshirt junior 12 months. As a real freshman in 2022, he led all Power Five linebackers with a 91.0 pass-rushing grade. He was among the many top-15 linebackers the next 12 months in protection grade (81.1). Perkins is coming off a torn ACL that he suffered in September and can look to re-establish himself as one of many prime linebackers within the nation.
Davhon Keyes is again for his sophomore season and earned 70.0-plus PFF grades each as a run-defender and in protection as a real freshman final 12 months. The Tigers even have three gamers who had been top-10 linebacker recruits popping out of highschool in Tylen Singleton, Charles Ross and Jaiden Braker.
3. Pittsburgh
The Panthers are the one staff with two of my top-10 linebackers in school soccer. Kyle Louis positioned fifth on that checklist and led the Power Four each in interceptions (4) and tackles for loss/no achieve (22) final season. He was additionally one among six FBS linebackers to earn 80.0-plus grades as a run defender and in protection final season.
Rasheem Biles was tenth and tallied 5 compelled incompletions in 2024, tied for essentially the most amongst returning Power Four linebackers. He was greater than only a protection linebacker, although, putting among the many prime 10 Power Four linebackers in sacks (six) and tackles for loss or no achieve (15) final season.
The ultimate starter might be junior Braylan Lovelace, who performed 447 snaps as a sophomore and solely surrendered a 54.7 passer score into his protection. That was the bottom amongst all ACC linebackers.
4. Georgia
After shedding a first-round linebacker in Jalon Walker, the Bulldogs might need one other in C.J. Allen, who can fly across the area. He positioned above the 98th percentile in PFF’s Game Athleticism Score metric. His 89.8 PFF run-defense grade final 12 months additionally ranked seventh amongst all FBS linebackers.
Starting subsequent to Allen might be Raylen Wilson, who performed 420 snaps as a real sophomore final 12 months. His 66.3 protection grade was twelfth amongst SEC linebackers in 2024. The Bulldogs even have three former five-star recruits at linebacker in sophomores Chris Cole, Justin Williams and true freshman Zayden Walker.
5. Notre Dame
Even after shedding a veteran chief in Jack Kiser, the Fighting Irish are nonetheless in a terrific spot at linebacker. It begins with junior Drayk Bowen, my No. 9 linebacker within the nation. No returning FBS linebacker was extra beneficial than him final 12 months, in keeping with PFF’s wins above common metric.
Jaylen Sneed is again for his redshirt junior marketing campaign and earned a stable 70.8 grade on 433 snaps in 2024. Jaiden Ausberry additionally performed over 400 snaps for Notre Dame’s protection final 12 months, posting a 69.6 run-defense grade. Expectations are excessive for true sophomore Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, who had a stable 67.6 PFF grade on 343 snaps as a freshman and was the No. 4 linebacker from the 2024 highschool class. The Fighting Irish additionally welcomed within the No. 4 linebacker from the 2025 cycle in Madden Faraimo.
6. Texas A&M
Taurean York is my No. 2 linebacker in school soccer and leads all returning Power Four linebackers with 59 run-defense stops since 2023. His 122 performs with first contact on ball carriers are tied for fourth amongst that group. PFF’s lead draft analyst, Trevor Sikkema, just lately broke down why York is one among his early favourite prospects within the 2026 NFL Draft.
Scooby Williams is again for his redshirt senior marketing campaign after beginning subsequent to York final season. His 82.0 run-defense grade was eleventh amongst SEC linebackers. Daymion Sanford additionally returns and was fourth amongst SEC linebackers with a 64.1 passer score allowed in protection. Noah Mickhail additionally enters College Station because the No. 9 linebacker recruit from the 2025 cycle.
7. Ohio State
Sonny Styles is one among only some returning starters from the Buckeyes’ nationwide championship staff and is my No. 6 linebacker in school soccer. The former top-five recruit completed his junior 12 months as one of many 20 most useful linebackers within the nation in keeping with PFF’s wins above common metric and tied for fifth amongst Power Four gamers on the place with 16 protection stops.
Arvell Reese will begin subsequent to him and was ninth amongst Big Ten linebackers in 2024 with a 76.4 PFF grade as a sophomore. Garrett Stover is getting into his sophomore 12 months and was the No. 8 linebacker recruit from the 2024 class, whereas true freshman Riley Pettijohn was the No. 2 linebacker within the 2025 cycle.
8. Alabama
The Crimson Tide did lose a first-round choose at linebacker in Jihaad Campbell, however they nonetheless have one other stud patrolling the center of their protection in Deontae Lawson. My No. 7 linebacker in America has eight compelled incompletions since 2023, tied for essentially the most amongst all returning linebackers in school soccer. His 56 run-defense stops in that very same span stand third amongst returning Power Four linebackers.
Justin Jefferson is again for his senior 12 months after posting a 69.7 PFF grade on 422 snaps final season. Alabama additionally added Colorado linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green from the switch portal, who tied for eighth amongst Power Four linebackers with 53 defensive stops final 12 months.
9. Clemson
The Tigers’ duo of Wade Woodaz and Sammy Brown is an ideal mix of veteran management and a teen with immense potential. Woodaz was the honorable point out on my top-10 linebacker rankings and is extremely versatile in protection as a former security. He compelled 5 incompletions final season and has picked off three passes since 2023. The rising senior can also be a weapon as a blitzer, tallying 22 pressures final 12 months — a top-20 mark within the Power Four.
Brown was a five-star recruit from the 2024 cycle and performed 454 snaps as a freshman. His 5 sacks had been tied for seventeenth amongst Power Four linebackers. Brown might be anticipated to take the subsequent step as a full-time starter throughout his sophomore marketing campaign.
10. Kansas State
The Wildcats return the highest-graded linebacker within the Power Four from final season in junior Austin Romaine, who posted a 91.0 PFF grade as a real sophomore. His 90.7 run-defense grade (third finest) powered that mark, and his 43 run-defense stops had been the fourth most amongst Power Four linebackers. He’s my No. 4 linebacker returning to the game.
Kansas State additionally returns one other starter in redshirt senior Desmond Purnell, who was fifth amongst all FBS linebackers with 30 pressures final 12 months. Rex Van Whyne performed 174 snaps for the Wildcats in 2024 and had a stable 69.7 protection grade. Gabe Powers transferred in from Ohio State and was a top-10 linebacker recruit from the 2022 highschool class, although he’s solely performed 50 snaps in three years for the Buckeyes.
Honorable Mention: Oregon
The Ducks didn’t have a linebacker talked about in my top-10 linebackers piece however nonetheless deserve a point out right here. Bryce Boettcher would’ve definitely been on the checklist if it had been prolonged to fifteen gamers, as he ranked fourth within the nation with an 89.8 PFF grade final season. He was the one Power Four linebacker who posted 80.0-plus grades as a run-defender, pass-rusher and in protection.
Redshirt junior Devon Jackson will begin alongside him and was a superb tackler final 12 months. He missed solely 6.4% of his makes an attempt in 2024, the third-lowest charge within the Big Ten.