Under the Radar ’21 – Linebackers

Welcome to part eight of our series highlighting top talent in the Class of 2021 – who do not have many – if any offers – yet. These are all guys we feel will – especially with big senior seasons – have offers down the road. Right now, they are just under the radar. Today we move closer to the ball into what has come to be known as the box – that area within about five yards of the line of scrimmage with the linebackers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1746" first="Tyler" last="George"] – Eden Prairie</strong> George plays physical in between the tackles. He takes on blockers and can get off those blocks and still makes tackles near the line of scrimmage. He shows proper technique when making a tackle – wrapping up instead of just trying to hit the runner. At 6’0" and 200 pounds, George has good quickness to get from sideline to sideline or to explode into the hole. DII and DIII schools are currently looking at the junior. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="18194" first="Brian" last="Pautz"] – Rochester Century</strong> Pautz has a quick first step when he is coming on an outside blitz. As quickly as he makes up ground, he is in control and can breakdown and adjust quickly to ballcarriers. He usually plays outside linebacker but is athletic enough to be trusted as a zone coverage corner in some of the Panthers’ defensive sets. At 5’9" 170 pounds, Pautz’s low center of gravity makes him a naturally good tackler. He mostly has DIII interest at this point. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="18178" first="Isaiah" last="Karels"] Buffalo</strong> Karels has position flexibility. He plays linebacker but was asked to play safety in some defensive formations. Obviously, playing some defensive back should tell you all you need to know about his coverage skills – Karels drops into coverage smoothly. Also, it was not surprising that he has solid lateral movement at linebacker. The 6’2" 200-pound junior can scrape down the line of scrimmage efficiently. He currently has some DIII interest. <strong>Joey Tilzner – Orono</strong> Tilzner played with a broken hand almost the entire season, so he checked the toughness box immediately. He is patient finding the ball carrier and the hole, so he stays in good position. When he diagnoses the play, Tilzner explodes into the hole and is a physical tackler. At 5’9" and 210 pounds, he is always playing downhill and takes on ball carriers and blockers with the same aggressiveness. A good tackler, Tilzner has a strong upper body and can make plays even when the runner’s pad level is lower than his. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="18199" first="Austin" last="Hakanson"] – Park</strong> Hakanson plays tight to the line of scrimmage – much closer to the line than most linebackers. Because he plays so close to the line, he must use his hands efficiently to shed blockers right off the snap. Even though he has limited space to work with, he moves down the line of scrimmage well. At 5’11" and 180 pounds, Hakanson can take on blockers in the hole and still make the play. The Wolfpack junior has caught the interest of a handful of DIII programs.