Summer Bay Area Linebacker Preview: Part I

<strong>The Bay Area is home to some top tier linebackers with FBS caliber abilities with the likes of multi-offer [player_tooltip player_id="141940" first="Sam" last="Ross"], [player_tooltip player_id="141927" first="Clayton" last="Lynam"], [player_tooltip player_id="141988" first="Camilo" last="Arquette"], Jake Ripp and San Jose State commit [player_tooltip player_id="141922" first="Damonie" last="Perkins"] leading the way. While these players are some of the best talent in the state, there are plenty of other athletic and physical second level defenders that are looking for college homes and can make a nice impact at the college level. Below, we will breakdown the film of some of the top available Bay Area linebackers going into the Fall season from the ’22 and ’23 classes.</strong> <hr /> &nbsp; &nbsp; <em><strong>Isaiah Smiley, McClymonds HS</strong></em> [caption id="attachment_170308" align="alignleft" width="344"]<img class=" wp-image-170308" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-13-at-5.31.17-PM-300x290.png" alt="" width="344" height="332" /> Photo: Chris Jackson , West Coast Preps[/caption] Smiley is one of the hardest hitters in all of Northern California and is very active from his inside linebacker position. He has terrific natural instincts and reads plays quickly while displaying strong closing speed and fills gaps with good physicality and pad level. Playing tough in the box, he can run sideline to sideline and takes good angles in the open field while forcing ball carriers to take bad angles. He is fluid in space while able to run and cover backs when needed and plays with a high motor and good toughness consistently. He is a FCS caliber player that is very under-recruited and was definitely impacted by the pandemic. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong>Douglas Adams III, Menlo-Atherton HS</strong></em></p> [caption id="attachment_170312" align="alignright" width="227"]<img class=" wp-image-170312" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-13-at-5.33.20-PM-206x300.png" alt="" width="227" height="330" /> Photo: Douglas Adams III Twitter[/caption] Adams has great size for the position and is versatile in that he can play both inside or outside linebacker at the next level, depending on the system. Playing for one of the top teams in Northern California, he has good length and range with the ability to pack on more weight at the next level. He is a very strong tackler and has good open field speed while tackling through his target and consistently making big plays. He is also athletic enough to cover slot receivers and understands zone coverage responsibilities while holding the edge well and playing with a high motor. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <em><strong>Kenny Olson, Foothill HS</strong></em> [caption id="attachment_170313" align="alignleft" width="266"]<img class=" wp-image-170313" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/redzone/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-13-at-5.36.28-PM-244x300.png" alt="" width="266" height="327" /> Photo: Kenny Olson Twitter[/caption] Olson is another very versatile linebacker that could find his home on the outside at the next level due to size and coverage abilities in space. He plays with a low pad level in the box and is a strong tackler while coming downhill quickly and shocking bigger blockers with heavy hands and foot drive. In coverage, he can cover backs and slot receivers while also showing nice ball skills and return ability with good open field speed and a natural nose for the ball. He is very active in the backfield and shows nice pursuit backside while understanding his reads and scraping effectively over the top. He will make an impact at the next level and should see colleges show interest as he moves through his last season for Foothill. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><em><strong>Other Linebackers To Note...</strong></em></span> <em><strong>Santino Acevedo, Cardinal Newman HS</strong></em> <em><strong>Br</strong><strong>yce Pazdel, Vacaville Christian HS</strong></em> <em><strong>Andrew Stewart, Serra HS</strong></em> <em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145235" first="Jerry" last="Mixon"], Sacred Heart Cathedral HS</strong></em> <em><strong>Rocco Schramm, Monte Vista HS</strong></em> <em><strong>Collin Borelli, Liberty HS</strong></em>