2016 Linebackers

Leonardfan

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Figured I would make a thread for the LBs too!


Good article on the beast LB Ben Boulware from Clemson. I like how he replies to the "experts" via twitter.

http://www.postandcourier.com/20160...re-from-hotshot-teenager-to-defensive-captain


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TwentyTwo

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Gottta love Boulware's fire & intensity! The Pick Six soph. season vs Oklahoma in Bowl Game garnered much respect!

Richie Brown 6'-2" 240 Mississippi State...Butkus Award List...already graduated school & married a softball player
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His 3 INT game vs A&M soph.season
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Nick DeLuca
6'-3" 245 North Dakota State...Top Defender for Powerhouse Bison...forced two turnovers in FCS Championship Game
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Calvin Munson 6'-1 245 San Diego State ...focusing on football only(not baseball) ...one of the top defensive players on the West coast
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Riley Bullough 6'2" 227 Michigan State .....
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celticdb15

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Leonardfan

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That is too bad about Deluca. I hope he gets the medical redshirt and isn't yanked around like Ott was.

After this week's games it will be the quarter point of the season so I am going to see how our guys are doing on defense.
 

Jimmy Chitwood

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Arkansas senior Brooks Ellis embodies just about everything you could ask for in a college football player. an Academic All-American (3.8 gpa as a pre-med student), Ellis is just as instinctive and "heady" on the field. last year, he started every game and played nearly every defensive snap for the Hogs. he not only quarterbacked the defense but also led the charge from a playmaking standpoint, leading the team with 102 tackles with 8.0 tackles-for-loss.

this year in the season opener, he accomplished a first in head coach Bret Bielema's career: a middle linebacker who made ZERO mental errors.

“I don’t think I’ve ever coached a game where I had a (middle) linebacker with zero mental busts,” Bielema said. “(Ellis) was a guy that was locked in every play. Especially for an opener, he was pretty impressive because they gave us new formations, new looks and stuff like that.”

Defensive coordinator Robb Smith added: “If there was one guy that was in the right place all day long Saturday, it was certainly Brooks.”

he followed that up with a dominant effort against the spread passing attack of then-#12 TCU, despite being primarily known as a run-stopper.


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Ellis amassed a team-high 8 solo tackles (and a team-high 13 total tackles), a team-high 3 tackles-for-loss, and an interception (seen above) returned 47 yards for a touchdown. he did all of this despite battling cramps and needing to receive a double IV during the second half.

in game three, against weak Texas State, he once again led the team in tackles with 7 to go along with another tackle-for-loss and a pass break up ... all in the first half. he rested the second half in the blowout.

Ellis, at 6-foot-2, 245-pounds, has been the best Razorbacks defender for the better part of two years (and frequently the only White one). he has a good shot of making it to the next level, although he obviously "lacks affleticism."
 

Leonardfan

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Here are the top 10 LBs in terms of tackles through the quarter point of the season:
Asst Solo Total Sack Int
6. Camerson Smith USC 17 23 43
14. Auggie Sanchez USF 18 22 40 3
14. Nick Cook Char 24 16 40
17. Ty Summers TCU 25 14 39 1
24. Alex Bertando NEV 13 25 38
29. Frank Ginda SJSU 20 17 37 3
41. Quentin Poling Ohio 15 21 36 1
41. Robert Spillane WMU 17 19 36 1 1
49. Joesy Jewell Iowa 17 16 33
49. Ben Gedeon Mich 23 10 33 2
 

celticdb15

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Good article on NCAA all time tackles leader Connor Harris 6ft 243. The Missouri native has racked up 565 tackles so far!

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/blair-kerkhoff/article106353552.html

Ohio LB Quentin Poling is generating NFL interest. 6ft 235 he's a redshirt jr. So he'll likely be around until next year!

http://www.thepostathens.com/article/2016/10/quentin-poling-ohio-football

Both LBs will be labeled as slow and undersized, but that's a lie. Average height for MLB at combine last year was 6'1.
 

Leonardfan

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Ben Boulware was named the National Defensive Player of the week for his performance vs. Louisville last Saturday. He had 18 tackles, 3 TFLS, 1Fumble recovery and 1 PD. Tonight vs. BC had made a great hit on QB Patrick Towles causing a FF. It will be interesting to see if he gets the Scooby Wright treatment or will be a fairly high draft pick. Boulware is one of the best in the country.

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Leonardfan

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Wisconsin LB Jack Cichy named Big 10 Defensive player of the week and Lott IMPACT player of the week for the second time after his performance vs. Ohio St in which he had 15 tackles, 3.5 tfls and 1 ff.

PAB_FB_OSUvsWIS2016_11.0.0.jpg
 

celticdb15

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Leonardfan

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Cichy is out for the rest of the year with a shoulder injury. Not sure who the next LB up is but hopefully it is another one of our guys.
 

celticdb15

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Wisconsin LB Jack Cichy named Big 10 Defensive player of the week and Lott IMPACT player of the week for the second time after his performance vs. Ohio St in which he had 15 tackles, 3.5 tfls and 1 ff.

PAB_FB_OSUvsWIS2016_11.0.0.jpg

Former walk-on and tackling machine Jack Cichy will be out rest of the year with a torn pectoral muscle... He'd already racked up 60 tackles so far this year! Best of luck to him in recovery.
 

celticdb15

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Cichy is out for the rest of the year with a shoulder injury. Not sure who the next LB up is but hopefully it is another one of our guys.

Great minds think alike! It looks like Nick Connolly is first up to replace Cichy. Black LB Leon Jacobs will see time as well.
 

Deadlift

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Some stats:

Justin Arndt, WVU: 11 solo tackles and a sack

Ben Humphreys, DUKE: 12 tackles (7 solo) and a sack

Connor Strachan, BC: 9 tackles (4 solo), a sack and FF

Greer Martini, ND: 9 tackles (5 solo) and a sack

Matt Linscott, TULSA: 9 tackles (5 solo)

Ben Boulware, CLEM: 12 combined tackles

Ben Gedeon, MICH: 9 tackles (4 solo)

Josey Jewell, IOWA: 8 tackles (4 solo)

Connor O'Brien, WAS: 4 solo tackles and a sack
 
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OLB
Tj Watt Wisconsin rounds 1-2
Alex Anzalone Florida rounds 2-3
Vince Biegel Wisconsin round 4
Matt Milano Boston College rounds 4-5
Dylan Cole Missouri State round 6
Dylan Donahue West Georgia round 7

ILB

Ben Boulware Clemson rounds 3-5 (walter football projects him going 3-5 while some have him going undrafted)
Richie Brown Mississippi State rounds 3-5
Riley Bullough Mighigan State rounds 5-6
Ben Gedeon Michigan round 7
 

DixieDestroyer

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Depending on his combine &/or pro day results, Watt could definitely go 1st round. They scouts know his brother is the best defensive player in the league. :)
 

TwentyTwo

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Maybe Ben Boulware can follow the footsteps of 5'-11" 240 Seven-time Pro Bowler Zach Thomas...Drafted in the 5th Round

Interesting how like J.J...T.J. started his college career as a TE...Only to be converted into a bad azz Defensive player...& brother Derek is a quality NFL Fullback/Chargers

Don't count out Small school-Sleeper ILB- Connor Harris (D-II Lindenwood)...(virtually the same size as Boulware)... 633 total tackles career, the most in the history of NCAA football at any level

Calvin Munson should be Drafted at least on Day 3

Curious to see which team lands Richie Brown

Hopefully Jack Cichy will be 100% healthy...look for him to be a 1st or 2nd Rounder in 18'
 
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celticdb15

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Good list! I'll be optimistic and say 8+white LBs will be drafted between OLBs and MLBs..

**Not to nit pick but Dylan Cole is another new age light skin mulatto.


OLB
Tj Watt Wisconsin rounds 1-2
Alex Anzalone Florida rounds 2-3
Vince Biegel Wisconsin round 4
Matt Milano Boston College rounds 4-5
Dylan Cole Missouri State round 6
Dylan Donahue West Georgia round 7

ILB

Ben Boulware Clemson rounds 3-5 (walter football projects him going 3-5 while some have him going undrafted)
Richie Brown Mississippi State rounds 3-5
Riley Bullough Mighigan State rounds 5-6
Ben Gedeon Michigan round 7

SDSU Munson should be drafted in mid rounds(3-5). Big fan of underrated but very fast Tulsa hybrid LB/S Matt Linscott(5-7th rd). Arkansas Brooks Ellis is another guy mentioned in this thread with SEC resume and pro size(6'2 245).
 
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Good list! I'll be optimistic and say 8+white LBs will be drafted between OLBs and MLBs..

**Not to nit pick but Dylan Cole is another new age light skin mulatto.




SDSU Munson should be drafted in mid rounds(3-5). Big fan of underrated but very fast Tulsa hybrid LB/S Matt Linscott(5-7th rd). Arkansas Brooks Ellis is another guy mentioned in this thread with SEC resume and pro size(6'2 245).

I looked at the pictures of Dylan Cole and thought that was a possibility, but his hair looked full white boy. If anything I guess he might be a quarter black.
And regarding TwentyTwo's post, yes I know about Connor Harris. I figured he would go undrafted because of the small school label, but I had no idea he had the most tackles in history. Hopefully Harris get's drafted on day 3. So I guess Connor Harris can replace Dylan Cole on this list. I searched for Harris and indeed he looks to be drafted in rounds 6-7.
 

celticdb15

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2 more guys I'd like to shout out are Southern Illinois' Chase Allen(6'4 240) and Wyoming's Lucas Wacha(6'1 230). Both unheralded and disrespected tackling machines out of small schools. In a fair world they'd get a shot in NFL!
 
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