2021 Linebackers

[TwentyTwo]

Strong Linebacker crop for the 2021 season!

Mike Rose (Sr.) 6'-4" 250 Iowa State
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year; 5 INT's led Big 12 in 2020.
Career 248 Tackles; 29 Tackles for Loss! 6 1/2 Sacks; 6 INT's; 7 pass delections
Starter since Day 1; tremendous athlete, who excels against the run and in pass coverage, thanks to a stellar background in basketball. 3 Star out of HS

Payton Wilson (rs Soph.) 6'-4" 235 N.C. State
Pre season Chuck Bednarik, Award Watch list
Racked up 108 tackles in 10 games last season; arguably the best returning linebacker in the ACC in 2021. Led the
Wolfpack in Tackles; TFL and INT's . finished 1st in conference ;13th in the FBS in tackles per game

Nate Landman (Sr.) 6'-3" 235 Colorado
Tackling machine earned various levels of All-America and All-Pac-12 honors
277 career tackles, 25 tackles for loss; 6 Sacks ; 20 tackles for no gain
Suffered season ending leg injury in Dec. vs. Utah. Hopefully gets healthy; should be in the NFL

JoJo Domann (Sr.) 6'-1" 230 Nebraska
Hybrid defender 4th Rated LB according to Pro Football Focus
86.6 coverage grade, 9 forced incompletions and 19 passing stops

Micah McFadden (Sr.) 6'-2" 232 Indiana
Pre-season Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List; 1st Team All Big 10
139 career tackles ; 21.5 TFL; 7.5 Sacks(led Big 10 last year/6.0) ; 4 INT's
From Tampa FL

Jack Sanborn (Sr.) 6'-2" 235 Wisconsin
Last seasoned team with 80 total tackles, including 9.0 TFLs; 5.5 sacks ... matched team high with 3 INT's ; broke up 3 passes ... forced 1 fumble and recovered 1 fumble

Grant Morgan (rs Sr.) 5'-11" 230 Arkansas
1st Team All SEC; Tackling machine made plays all over the field ; 111 tackles in nine games; (19 tackles vs. Ole Miss & TD INT playing w injured elbow)

James Skalski (Sr.) 6'-0 240 Clemson
210 career tackles (16.0 tackles for loss), 7.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, two fumble recoveries (one he returned 17 yards for a touchdown) . Heart n Soul of Clemson Defense; old school nasty bar room brawler!
2nd team All ACC

Chance Campbell (Sr.) 6'-3" 235 Ole Miss (Maryland transfer)
Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a junior in 2020 … Led team with 43 tackles (22 solo) and 5.5 tackles for loss in just four games … Finished 12th in FBS and second in Big Ten with 11.0 tackles per game
Joining former Coach Durkin

Tyler Grubbs (Soph.) 6'-1" 224 Louisiana Tech
Strong Freshman year last season! Ranked second in C-USA and 25th in the FBS in tackles per game at 9.9.

Jake Hansen (Sr.) 6'-1" 230 Illinois
243 career tackles ; 26 TFL; 7 Sacks ; 3 INT's ; 10 forced fumbles are tied for 3rd -most in program history
2020 2nd Team All-Big Ten (media)
From Florida

Just getting started! Plenty more LBers to add to the list.......

 

[Red Raider]

Colin Schooler (SR) Texas Tech 6’2” 230lbs
5 year starter, first 3 years at Arizona before transferring in 2020. Career stats so far are 376 tackles, 51 TFL, 12.5 sacks, 4 INT (202 return yards, 1 TD), 5 FF, 3 FR, 8 pass deflections. Playmaker and great run stuffer has been a stat sheet stuffer throughout his career. Has started 41 of 47 career games. Would be surprised if he isn’t drafted next year.


Malcolm Rodriguez (SR) 5’11” 225lbs Oklahoma State
Was a starting safety in 2018 before moving to linebacker and starting the past 2 years. 2nd Team All-Big 12 in 2019 and 2020. 279 tackles, 16 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 1 INT (pick six), 9 FF, 2 FR. Rodriguez had an impressive 7 forced fumbles in a shortened 2020 season.


Bubba Arslanian (JR) 5’10” 205lbs Akron
Very undersized but is a tackling machine. 197 tackles in his last 18 games. Would like to see more TFL’s but he’s fun to watch, it seems like he makes every tackle for Akron. 2nd Team All-MAC.


Blaze Alldredge (SR) 6’2” 220lbs Mizzou
Transfer from Rice who started career at JUCO. 214 tackles, 29 TFL, 6 sacks, 2 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR in 3 years at Rice. Recorded 88 tackles in his JUCO season. Should step into a starting role in the SEC. 2 time 1st Team All C-USA.


Chad Muma (JR) 6’3” 242lbs Wyoming
True middle linebacker. Emerged as a top LB in 2020 after recording 72 tackles, 8 TFL, 3 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in only 6 games. 2021 Preseason Bednarik Award watch list. 2020 1st Team All-Mountain West. NFL eyes are on him, Logan Wilson 2.0?

 

[TwentyTwo]

Excellent write up Red Raider! Seems we have the same list LOL! Curious to see how Blaze Alldredge does in the SEC! Hybrid Malcolm Rodriquez has been hitting the weights! Will have to follow Akron more!

Bumper Pool (Sr.) 6'-2" 230 Arkansas
Career 224 total tackles; (20 tackles vs. Miss St.); 15.5 TFL; battling shoulder issues
Dynamic 1-2 punch w/ Grant Morgan
^One of the Best names in college football!

Baylon Spector (Sr.) 6-2" 230 Clemson
Shined in his first year in a starting role in 2020 … enters 2021 credited with 125 career tackles (17.5 for loss), 6.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two pass breakups in 863 snaps over 42 games (11 starts) … one-half of a linebacker tandem with James Skalski that Dabo Swinney calls “The Bruise Brothers.”

Hayes Maples (rs Soph.) 6'-2" 221 Southern Miss
123 career Tackles ; 10.5 TFL; 1 Forced Fumble & Fumble recovery; C-USA All Freshman Team

Dax Hollifield (Jr.) 6'-1" 239 Virginia Tech
25 career Starts ; 181 Tackles ; 3 INT's; 5.5 Sacks ; 2 FF

Drew White (Sr.) 6'-0 227 Notre Dame
After solid 2 seasons is primed to have his Best season this Fall!
Career 144 tackles;17 TFL; 3.5 Sacks

Jack Campbell (Jr.) 6'-5" 243 Iowa
Preseason 3rd Team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports; set for expanded role in '21
Here is his INT vs. Wisconsin

Carson Wells (Jr.) 6'-4" 250 Colorado
Led the country in TFL per game, at 2.67. He had at least three in four consecutive games, becoming the first CU player to do that since College Football Hall of Famer Alfred Williams in 1990. Capped his year with 2.5 tackles for loss in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
Despite the dominance, Wells didn’t collect many postseason honors – he was named All-Pac-12 honorable mention – but his team recognizes his value.
From Florida

Justin Rice (Sr.) 6'-2" 225 Utah State (via Fresno State/Arkansas State)
Played at Arkansas State in 2020 with COVID nearly shutting down Mountain West Conf. season
First-Team All-Sun Belt Conferece (2020); First-Team All-Mountain West (2019)
Monster season in 19' at Fresno St. ; earned 1st Team all-MWC honors his first full year on the defensive side of the ball... Recorded 112 tackles, 3.0 sacks and 8.0 TFL's, 4 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 2 INT's , eight pass breakups and one safety.
Bednarik Award Watch List

Caden McDonald (Sr.) 6'-3" 235 San Diego State
2020 First-Team All-Mountain West
70 tackles ; 15.5 TFL's; Scored TD somehow in 19' off Punt return

Noah Wilder (Sr.) 6'-0 235 UAB
2020 2nd Team All Conf. USA; 135 career tackles ; 15 TFL; 5 sacks ; INT; 3 PD's

 

[Red Raider]

Damn we have some good linebackers this year! Plenty more young guys yet to break out too.

Chris Bergin (SR) 5’11” 223lbs Northwestern
The last man left from the snow patrol Northwestern deployed the past 2 seasons. Bergin has over 200 career tackles and should pass 300 tackles with a full season. Undersized guy but he makes plays and flies to the football. I hope he gets NFL looks because he’s an athletic guy, played RB/S/KR and was a sprinter in high school. Former walk-on.


Ryan McWood (SR) 6’2” 224lbs Miami (Ohio)
Recorded 34 tackles in 2020 while starting all 3 of Miami’s games. 99 tackles with 5.5 TFL in 2019. Has 2 years of eligibility left due to Covid.


Drew Sanders (SO) 6’5” 230lbs Alabama
The most important Alabama player for us in over a decade. Could easily become a 1st round draft pick over the next few years. Only had 9 tackles in his true freshman season in 2020. Former 5 star prospect and #1 player in Texas/#1 ranked ATH.


Riley Whimpey (SR) 6’1” 236lbs Boise State
2019 2nd Team All-Mountain West. Will be entering his 4th year as a starter. Took a 2 year mission trip so he’s one of the older college players (class of 2015). 213 tackles, 18.5 TFL, and 5 sacks in his career.


Kyle Harmon (SR) 6’0” 225lbs San Jose State
Started 20 of 29 career games. 2020 1st Team All-Mountain West (along with Chad Muma and Caden McDonald). 78 tackles in 8 games in 2020, 89 tackles in 2019.


Rare picture of 3 white defensive players at once lol!

 

[Bucky]

We've got some studs this season!

 

[TwentyTwo]

Yes indeed Red Raider & Bucky!

Not sure how patient to be with the rangy 6'-5" Drew Sanders. Highly recruited out of HS 37th overall Best player in U.S. Plenty of competition; Alabama has plenty of LB. Hope they do not try to talk him into moving to TE later in career!

Here is a couple of hybrid LBers that started their careers as Safeties.

Luke Masterson (Sr.) 6'-2" 231 Wake Forest
Swiss-Army -Knife of the Defense ; 17 career starts; 138 tackles; 1 INT for 43 yards; 9 Pass deflections
Has put on some weight..started career around 210lbs; hopefully stays healthy;
from Naples FL

Trevor Denbow (Sr.) 6'-1 225 SMU
Preseason: Phil Steele All-AAC Third Team.
142 Career Tackles ; 12.5 TFL's ; 2 sacks; 1 INT ; 7 PD's; 4 Forced fumbles
Started career @ JUCO; key player for Mustangs

 

[Leonardfan]

It's a story as old as the Caste System. Rooting hard for Alldredge - the article below is full of the typical caste speak and the nonsense that a supposedly magical negro linebacker is irreplaceable. Alldrege was actually better than Bolton, the black LB he is penciled in to replace.

https://www.rockmnation.com/2021/8/...uri-tigers-footballis-ready-for-the-spotlight

Blaze Alldredge is the type of story Mizzou fans can appreciate. An under-recruited and unheralded recruit out of high school, Alldredge had to earn everything the hard way. He moved across the country from Orlando to Los Angeles to attend a more prominent junior college in order to earn exposure, and hopefully more FBS scholarship offers.

It worked. Alldredge garnered enough attention to earn offers from multiple FBS programs, including Rice, after just one full season in JUCO. He moved to Houston, and his presence was felt quickly.

Alldredge saw the field as a sophomore, but broke out as a junior in 2019. He racked up more than 100 tackles, more than 20 tackles for loss and added four sacks, for good measure. It was enough to earn him first-team All-Conference USA honors. It put him on every watch list you could ask for, including the Butkus Award watch list, presented to the nation’s best linebacker, prior to the 2020 season.


That season, of course, was cut short. Rice played just five games due to COVID-19. Alldredge once again put up impressive numbers in the limited playing time, earning him a second-straight season as an all-conference player.

But he wanted more.

Alldredge wanted to win. And he wanted to test his abilities against the best of the best. The COVID-19 season allowed him the opportunity to do exactly that. Nick Bolton’s departure to the NFL opened up a spot in the middle of the Tigers’ defense, and Alldredge wanted to be the man to fill it.

Those are big shoes to fill. The reality is nobody - not Alldredge, nor any other linebacker in the country, frankly - could fill it. Bolton will go down as one of the best linebackers in Mizzou football history. Comparing Alldredge to Bolton is a faulty exercise.

Thankfully, it doesn’t sound like Alldredge is putting that kind of pressure on himself. Speaking to the media, Eli Drinkwitz has mentioned Alldredge is comfortable in his own skin, and he’s not trying to be anything more.

It’s more than that, though. Alldredge has clearly made an impression on the program in a very short amount of time. Drinkwitz announced earlier this week that Alldredge will wear the number 25 this season, honoring the late Aaron O’Neal.

“It just went to who’s a guy that can carry on the legacy and tradition of Aaron O’Neal, and who’s a guy he would be proud of wearing that number,” Drinkwitz said. “And Blaze has come in and done a really nice job within the defense, within the team, representing the right way, having the right character and makeup. Plays his butt off every single play, and it’s somebody that we’ll all be proud of representing number 25.”

There might not be a higher honor within the Missouri football program than wearing the number 25. Earning such a distinction within months of arriving on campus is noteworthy. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. This is who Alldredge is, it’s who he’s always been.

Alldredge is ready for the spotlight.

 

[Bucky]

Will be interesting to see Alldredge's numbers compared to Bolton's when it is all said and done.. He's not the Legend they think he is, LOL.

 

[Red Raider]

Will be interesting to see Alldredge's numbers compared to Bolton's when it is all said and done.. He's not the Legend they think he is, LOL.

Yeah I’ve seen Bolton’s highlights and he’s a pretty good player but he’s not some can’t miss incredible linebacker that they think he is. Alldredge will do just fine and probably even better than Bolton, while learning the defense in just a few months. Wonder how the NFL will view Alldredge?

Hell, I’d argue that Cale Garrett was better than Bolton at Mizzou.

 

[Leonardfan]

Fordham LB Ryan Greenhagen broke the NCAA record for most tackles in a game with 31 in their loss to Nebraska.

https://fordhamsports.com/news/2021...-perform-fcs-national-player-of-the-week.aspx

 

[Bucky]

31? That's friggin crazy.

 

[Jimmy Chitwood]

Fordham LB Ryan Greenhagen broke the NCAA record for most tackles in a game with 31 in their loss to Nebraska.

https://fordhamsports.com/news/2021...-perform-fcs-national-player-of-the-week.aspx

here’s a video compilation of every tackle:

 

[Leonardfan]

Top 10 LBs measured by total tackles (number in parenthesis is overall rank):

1. (2) Kyle Harmon San Jose St 134 total - 72 solo/62 assisted 1 sack
2. (3) Chris Bergin Northwestern 132 total - 84 solo / 48 assisted .5 sack 1 INT 1 FF
3. (4) Chad Muma Wyoming 129 total 84 solo / 49 assisted 1 sack 3 INTs (2 returned for TDs)
4. (6) Darren Anders Bowling Green 124 total 56 solo/68 assisted 3 sacks 1 INT (1 returned for TD), 1 FF
5. (9) Jack Campbell Iowa 121 total 51 solo / 70 assisted 1 sack 1 INT (1 returned for TD), 1 FF
6. (10) Bumper Pool Arkansas 120 total 41 solo/79 assisted
7. (21) Malcolm Rodriguez Oklahoma St 106 total 60 solo /46 assisted 3 sacks, 3 FF
8. (25) Justin Rice Utah St 105 total 51 solo/54 assisted .5 sack, 3 INTs
9. (37) Chance Campbell Ole Miss 99 total 39 solo/60 assisted 6 sacks 2 FF
10. (37) Nick Henrich Nebraska 99 total 39 solo / 60 assisted .5 sacks

 

[Bucky]

Appreciate the tackle counts!

Congratulations to Wisconsin's Leo Chenal! 1st Team All Big Ten LB and won Big Ten LB of the year!

 

[TwentyTwo]

Thanks for the stats Leonardfan!

Apologies for not updating the Linebackers...I had put Jack Sanborn at beginning of the thread getting most of the Pre-season hype...but watching Badgers on TV it was easy to see early that Leo Chenal is the NEXT great Wisconsin NFL LBer....following the likes of Chris Borland ; TJ Watt; Joe Schobert; Jack Cichy; Ryan Connelly ; Andrew Van Ginkel; Vince Biegel

THANKS Bucky for the graphic! CONGRATS Leo Chenal (Jr) 6'-2" 261 Wisconsin! Brother John is a Senior Fullback for the Badgers!

These players should have been included a well

Joel Dublanko (Sr) 6'-3" 240 Cincinnati
NFL Prospect ; 106 Tackles (17 vs Tulsa) ; 5.5 Sacks ; 1 INT ; leading Bearcats to the Final 4 CFB Playoffs

Jett Johnson (Jr.) 6'-2" 235 Mississippi State
Leads team in Tackles w 84; 1 INT for 48 yards; 2 Fumble recoveries
Coach Mike Leach said he's NFL caliber

Troy Andersen (Sr) 6'-4" 235 Montana State
Invited to the East-West Shrine game
127 Tackles ; 13 TFL! 2 INT's ; 2 Sacks;
Career Rushed for 1,412 yards & 21 TD's ; passed for 1,195 yards & 3 TD's
Started his college career as a QB and RB; then moved to LBer.....leader on Defense has the Bobcats in the FCS Semi-Finals
https://twitter.com/MSUBobcats_FB/status/1439365415126241282
Pic when he played QB

 

[Bucky]

Leo Chenal finished with 114 tackles and 8 sacks!

Sophomore White/Poly mix Nick Herbig(6'2 230) with 9 sacks on the year. He definitely has that twitch and bend you look for in an edge rusher!

77tackles for Jack Sanborn and 5 sacks!

The forgotten LB in Wisconsin Snow Patrol is Noah Burks. 42 tackles, 4 sacks and an INT.