Central Texas 2022 LBs to Watch

Alex King

June 25, 2021 @ 08:00 AM

Here are three intriguing linebackers from the central Texas area to keep your eye on moving forward.   <strong>Calvin Harper</strong> - LB - Killeen, TX (Ellison) - Harper plays the game with an aggressive style that you want to see out of a linebacker as he arrives in a violent manner. At 6-foot-1 and 205-pounds or so though he also shows that he is comfortable playing in space with the athleticism he has. Kid is explosive and instinctive with closing speed. Also like the versatility you see from him as he will line up at deep safety at times as well as split out wide over the slot. Uses his hands against blocking WRs in the running game keeping them off his body and chucking them off with ease. Seeing some of the clips of him at the SFA camp recently in the tweet below you will see the impressive change of direction and body control he possesses moving more like a DB than a LB. He may not be the biggest LB but with all he brings to the table he is definitely due offers soon. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13513600/5faaba5dd21c4d1aa098d211" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> https://twitter.com/_calvinharper_/status/1402648159025872897   <strong>Darion White</strong> - LB - Waco, TX (La Vega) - Watching White on film, one of the first things I noticed was the speed that he possesses. As a rusher off the edge he closes in a hurry on the ball from the backside. At 6-foot-2 and 205-pounds he has length on his frame and is lean with plenty of room to put on more weight. You see him utilized in multiple ways being at DE with his hand in the ground, at ILB as well as a stand up edge. Like the smooth, quick and easy lateral movement he flashes with good change of direction as well. . He doesn’t have many clips of him in coverage so would like to see him more in space which is something I’ll be on the lookout for once his SR years gets here. He had a really productive year last year loading up the stat sheet and with what he shows on his Jr film, he is a LB that should be getting more attention moving forward.   <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/13124855/5fb33ab93449400ba0fb5a75" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>   [player_tooltip player_id="130698" first="Jaxson" last="Slanker"] - LB - College Station, TX (College Station) - Talk about a tackling machine, Slanker had 147 tackles last year averaging over 12-tackles a game. Standing 6-foot and 205-pounds he is on the smaller side for a linebacker but he doesn’t play like it on film. Shows impressive sideline to sideline speed with sudden change of direction and is a thumper. Kid flies around all over the field. Fluid lateral movement with good instincts and a non-stop motor. Shows he is comfortable dropping in coverage and see him make plays on the ball or provide good coverage on the man in his zone. The play at 1:35 near the 5-yardline shows you a lot about what this kid is about. See him blow up the underneath WR on a crossing route before jumping back up and getting down the line to help make the stop on the QB at the 2-yard line. Talk about relentless. Yes he may be on the smaller side like I mentioned above but really like the feel he has for the position. He holds a Harvard offer currently but that won't be his last. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11302462/5f84e322ff022717a0ffad56" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>        