Fab 50 Breakdown: The Linebackers

This year's Fab 50 linebacker group has a lot in common - they're all seniors, they're all extremely athletic, and they all rack up a ton of tackles. Even when they're different, they're kind of the same. Some are bigger guys who rely on physicality. Some are technicians who patiently wait for a play to develop before sniffing it out. Some use speed, some use power, but they all fly to the ball and deliver big hits when they get there. Here's a look at each member of this season's group.   [player_tooltip player_id='146380' first='Cameron' last='Avery'], Cane Bay   Avery's the kind of linebacker who's a true stat-sheet stuffer. Got a defensive category? Odds are Avery's got a stat for that. The Shrine Bowler finished his senior season with 133 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a sack, and then added four tackles for the Sandlappers once he got to the Shrine Bowl game. His speed gives him the ability to chase down plays outside the hashes, and he's great in coverage. Avery also seems to adore contact, as a look at his senior film shows.    [player_tooltip player_id='263155' first='Jaylin' last='William Davis'], South Florence   The Bruins' offense was the focus in South Florence's state title season, but Davis appeared on opponents' offensive film almost constantly. The hybrid LB/DE absolutely lived in the opposing backfield, with an eye-popping 17 sacks and 30 tackles for loss. Pair that with 115 tackles, an interception, and two forced fumbles, and it's easy to see why Davis has a spot on this squad.    [player_tooltip player_id='336149' first='Mike' last='Gillard'], Myrtle Beach   Gillard started his career at corner, blew up in the weight room, and then blew up on the field for the Seahawks. As a senior, the Shrine Bowler notched 118.5 total tackles, with 81 solo stops. He added 14.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a defensive touchdown, and a sack. Gillard seemed to save his biggest play for the season's crucial stretch, with more than 70 of those tackles coming in region play and the playoffs.      [player_tooltip player_id='268582' first='Brayshawn' last='Littlejohn'], Gaffney   There's a prototype that springs immediately to mind when you say "top linebacker at Gaffney". You know immediately how that player moves, and how he plays. Well, add Littlejohn to that model. The Missouri commit and Shrine Bowl selection battled through an injury this season and missed some time, but when he was on the field, all he did was create havoc. Littlejohn posted a season with 56 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks, adding an interception. When he wasn't harassing QBs, he was allowing teammates to do it. Gaffney's defensive coaches took the liberty of moving Littlejohn (and his accompanying double-teams) all over the field, freeing up space for the rest of their pass rushers. It helped result in 28.5 sacks as a team.    [player_tooltip player_id='132398' first='Chandler' last='Perry'], Dutch Fork   A Twitter comment during the 5A state championship game referred to Perry as "a heat seeking missile". They're right. He sure blows stuff up. As a senior, Perry had 40 tackles, five tackles for loss, eight sacks, two interceptions, five pass break-ups, and three fumble recoveries. The Charleston Southern commit is physical enough to fly downhill and stop the run, quick enough to play nickel, and can likely be versatile enough to either play as an ultra-quick inside guy or a safety at the next level.    [player_tooltip player_id='89334' first='Luke' last='Schuller'], Greenville   Schuller is, put simply, a tackle machine. He had 131 as a senior, including a mind-boggling 104 solo stops. He added 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, an interception, two pass break-ups, two fumble recoveries, and three blocked punts. His film shows an oustanding ability to read and diagnose plays and fly to the football, and a nasty streak of physicality when he arrives. The three blocked punts showcase a lot about his versatility within the game - he blocks one with a bull-rush through the last protector, another by simply shoving the protector back into the punter, and the third by reading the protection, waiting for a teammate's pressure to flush the punter, then running around the wedge to block the kick.    [player_tooltip player_id='202756' first='Brody' last='Tesimale'], Catawba Ridge   Tesimale's another player who filled up the stat sheet, with his senior year paying off with a selection as a North All-Star. He was a leader for the Copperheads' defense, with 124 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, two defensive touchdowns, and an interception. He can do a little bit of everything, including in coverage, cleaning up plays from the back side, in one-on-one situations, at the line of scrimmage or downfield. And, like most guys on this list, he plays with an intense, physical edge.    [player_tooltip player_id='202737' first='David' last='Wilson'], Spring Valley   Wilson set the tone for the Vikings' defense. He finished with 95 solo tackles, 71 assists, three tackles for loss, an interception, three forced fumbles, and five pass break-ups. In many ways, he plays his position much like a running back - waiting for a crease to open, darting through, and then meeting (and most often stopping) the ball-carrier. His instincts for where a play is going might be the best on this list, something that's reinforced by the sheer volume of stops he makes.

This year's Fab 50 linebacker group has a lot in common - they're all seniors, they're all extremely athletic, and they all rack up a ton of tackles. Even when they're different, they're kind of the same. Some are bigger guys who rely on physicality. Some are technicians who patiently wait for a play to develop before sniffing it out. Some use speed, some use power, but they all fly to the ball and deliver big hits when they get there. Here's a look at each member of this season's group.