Leading Linebackers in the Indianapolis Area

Yesterday, we showcased some of the playmakers in the front seven from in and around Indianapolis. Today, we continue on with a look at some of the top linebackers that the area has to offer. [player_tooltip player_id="240788" first="Cole" last="Williams"], 6’0, 205 pounds, 2023, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/cole-williams/pxkE9ZjpEemA0ZFtwg1OMQ/videos.htm [player_tooltip player_id="240788" first="Cole" last="Williams"] is an instinctive middle linebacker who sets the tone on defense. Williams does well attacking down hill, but he does not do so recklessly. Instead, Williams finds openings in the offensive line- whether it is the designed hole for the running back or a cut back lane. From there Williams slices through the gap and makes the play. Williams does a nice job of keeping his shoulders square to the line-of-scrimmage. Williams reads the play well, and he flows with the play. Last season, Williams came up with 99 total tackles with ten tackles-for-loss. He had one sack and one quarterback hurry. On top of all of that, Williams snagged one interception, recorded two passes defensed and recovered one fumble. On special teams, Williams made an impact by, unsurprisingly, getting into the backfield where he blocked a pair of punts. Tyler Dikos, 6’2, 195 pounds, 2023, Westfield https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/tyler-dikos/T8bxwRLjEemAy__L_vT5eg/videos.htm Middle linebacker Tyler Dikos is the leader at the center of the Westfield defense. Dikos can handle a wide-variety of assignments and execute them. Dikos has good coverage skills. He knows where he needs to be and plays the pass well. He also showcases the ability to spy on the quarterback and clean it up if they break the pocket. Dikos recorded an incredible 138 total tackles. He showed that he can be a disruptor by compiling ten-and-a-half tackles-for-loss and three-and-a-half sacks a junior. Dikos grabbed one interception to go along with two passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Charlie Dager, 5’10, 2023, Westfield https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/charlie-dager/-G1z3gkGEeuAzqREozo6lw/videos.htm Teaming up with Dikos for the Shamrocks this season will be Charlie Dager. Last year, Dager was extremely impressive, totaling 100 tackles for the season. During his junior campaign, Dager posted seven-and-a-half tackles-for-loss. He also came up with a trio of sacks and a quartet of passes defensed. Dager also recovered one fumble. Charlier Dager is a prospect to watch closely heading into the 2022 season. Tylen Cunningham, 2023, Lawrence Central https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/tylen-cunningham/Q9VVShdhEeqAzqREozo6lw/videos.htm Tylen Cunningham is a lightning-quick linebacker for Lawrence Central. Fast does not just describe the quickness that Cunningham possesses, but rather the way that he plays the game. Cunningham is aggressive. He reads the play well, and once he diagnoses the play, he puts his foot in the ground and attacks. His pace makes him a great blitzer. Cunningham quickly spots the opening and explodes into the backfield. Even when the play goes away from him, Cunningham displays relentless effort to get to the ball and still make the play. Going into 2022, Cunningham will be aiming to build off of a season where he recorded 147 total tackles with 90 of those being solo. Cunningham also added ten tackles-for-loss, half-a-dozen sacks, two quarterback hurries, one interception and four fumble recoveries- one of which, he returned for a touchdown. [player_tooltip player_id="185196" first="Josh" last="Woods"], 6’0, 200 pounds, 2023, Pike https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/josh-woods/4kjSjKdGEemA0ZFtwg1OMQ/videos.htm [player_tooltip player_id="185196" first="Josh" last="Woods"] leads the Pike defense from his middle linebacker position. Woods plays with reckless abandon. He consistently gets good penetration and gives the opposing offensive line all sorts of problems. Woods uses his power to fight off of the block to make the play. On runs to the outside, Woods shows great pursuit to hustle out there. As a junior, Woods finished the season with 109 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss and four-and-a-half sacks. He accrued seven quarterback hurries as well as one forced fumble. Mataio Russell, 5’7, 180 pounds, 2024, Lawrence Central https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/mataio-russell/yUocbADHEeyAz5TgcHt2rg/videos.htm Mataio Russell impacts the game both as a middle linebacker and as a fullback. Russell does a great job of moving laterally. He keeps his shoulders square to the line. When it comes time to make his move, Russell is excellent at finding the hole and filling it- often times, having to fight off blocks to do so. A season ago, Russell posted 109 tackles. Russell added six-and-a-half tackles-for-loss, two sacks and two passes defensed. Russell showed that he is more than capable of taking the ball away by coming up with two sacks, two interceptions, four fumble recoveries and forced fumble. At fullback, Russell carried 28 times for 122 yards with a pair of touchdowns. [player_tooltip player_id="226338" first="Will" last="Heldt"], 6’6, 240 pounds, 2023, Carmel https://www.maxpreps.com/athlete/will-heldt/DsL_tLubEeqAzqREozo6lw/default.htm [player_tooltip player_id="226338" first="Will" last="Heldt"] is excellent both at the line-of-scrimmage and when dropping into coverage. In coverage, Heldt stays disciplined to his assignment, and he reads the eyes of the quarterback. The outside linebacker is exceptional at playing the run. He sets the edge on runs that come his way, and he pursues down the line on runs that go the other way. Heldt can also put his hand in the ground and line up as a defensive end. Last year, Heldt totaled 108 tackles for the Carmel Greyhounds to go along with 11 tackles-for-loss. His impressive junior season included four sacks and six quarterback hurries. He added one interception, two passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.