Best Thing on Film- Linebackers

This week we transition from Defensive backs to Linebackers.  As a reminder the purpose of these posts is to give a little insight of what a former college coach sees when he evaluates highlight films.  More specifically there is usually a single play on tape that perks your interest and tells you a little something more about the prospect you are looking at.  It may be the play that puts a staff over the top and earns a kid the offer he has been looking for.  It might be an outstanding show of athleticism, but it could just as easily be a great mental play, or something that shows the prospects coach-ability.  Regardless I hope you enjoy this weeks installment of Best Thing on Film- Linebackers. &nbsp; DeShawn Harrison- (DeLasalle High School) 6’1 175 Lbs. C/o 2023. @deshawnh22 (LB) DeShawn is a long athlete who has a ton of range.  He is particularly good in the blitz game coming off of the edge and does a nice job of avoiding blocks.  He needs to do a better job of defeating blocks when they do get to him and I expect with another year of strength gains he will be able to do that.  What stands out the most is how much of a ball magnet he is.  The first third of his film he is stripping balls, making interceptions and picking up fumbles.  Anytime a defensive player gets you extra possessions it is a huge plus and he seems to have a knack for it.  <strong>Best Thing on Film-</strong> at the 35 second mark he blitzes off of the offenses right side, avoids a block from the running back and instead of going for the big hit on the quarterback he goes straight for the ball creating a big turnover. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="19018" first="Zach" last="Dahl"]- (Farmington High School) 6’3 230 Lbs. C/o 2023. @ZachDahl_ Zach is a true old school Mike linebacker.  He does his best work from tackle to tackle in the box.  He has a good understanding of blocking schemes and can diagnose and react well to what he see’s.  He is big and physical enough to shock and get off of climbing offensive lineman and also shows a good understanding and feel for zone drops against the pass game.  This kid has a frame that I could see some schools possibly moving him to an on the line outside linebacker or even a defensive end down the line.  <strong>Best Thing on Film-</strong> at the 2:59 mark there is a great rep of him taking on an iso block with the proper leverage, blowing it up and finishing on the ball carrier. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="19022" first="Kayode" last="Amusan"]- (Woodbury High School) 6’3 215 Lbs. C/o 2023. @kayode_amusan31 Keyode can possibly translate to a handful of positions on the defensive front.  His size and length are extremely impressive and his frame looks capable of handling more weight to play OLB/DE or inside if needed.  He can run (See the kick-off reps) and finish with physicality on a ball carrier.  This kid will be a stud at the next level and he isn’t just an athlete, he already has a pretty good technical skill-set with how he uses his hands and gets to the quarterback when he is asked to rush the passer.  He takes good pursuit angles and is more physical than most of the blockers he is taking on.  <strong>Best Thing on Film-</strong> there is a lot to choose from but I love the QB hit at :16, he initially drops into flat coverage, but as the quarterback breaks contain in his direction he triggers and finishes extremely well.  The QB gets the ball off, but those types of hits send a message and build up to a point where throws aren’t quite as accurate as the game progresses, it was an absolute tone setter. &nbsp; Erik Anda- (Coon Rapids High School) 5’10 200 Lbs. C/o 2023. @erikanda_ Erik’s best ability is how sound of a tackler he is.  You can tell he has been well schooled on the fundamentals of tackling and he does a great job with his contact point as well as shooting his hands and wrapping up.  He is adept at diagnosing schemes in the box and does a nice job fitting with proper leverage.  <strong>Best Thing on Film-</strong> one thing that an inside linebacker has to be good at is playing off of blocks of offensive lineman in the box.  At the 1:15 mark Erik does a great job shocking and shedding a climbing guard to make a play for minimal gain, not an easy task when you are usually giving up a lot of size and weight. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="300587" first="Noah" last="Rychlick"]- (Wayzata High School) 6’2 200 Lbs. C/o 2023. @NoahRychlick Watching Noahs film the biggest thing I see is how incredibly technically sound he is as an Outside Linebacker.  You can see the proper footwork on rep after rep, you see his understanding of the scheme and the system and how he always keeps proper leverage on the ball carrier or the block coming at him.  He does a nice job against bigger blockers because he plays with his cleats in the ground from a strong position at all times and he is also very good in pass drops because of his discipline and route recognition.  <strong>Best Thing on Film-</strong> it is actually a highlight where he doesn’t make the tackle and shows his understanding of what’s important in team defense.  At the 1:05 mark he sees down block by the tackle and has a counter play coming right at him with a big size disadvantage against the pulling offensive lineman, he uses great same shoulder same leg technique to stone the block while keeping his outside arm free.  This forces the ball back inside to one of his teammates to make the tackle.