Senior Linebackers That Are Flying Under the Radar

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><p>As the first signing day approaches we decided to look at which senior linebackers are flying under the radar in the state of New York. Each prospect was outstanding for their school in 2022, but have yet to receive much college interest at the moment. However, based on what they put on tape this past season, I fully expect that to change in a hurry. Their futures are very bright and I believe they could make a big impact at the next level.</p><span style="font-size: revert;color: initial;font-family: var(--wp--preset--font-family--system-fonts)">If you have any prospects you'd like for me to watch, please DM them to me on Twitter at @hsfbscout!</span></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='528692' first='Benjamin' last='Mann'], 6'4" 200, Chaminade</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mann is a versatile outside linebacker with an innate ability to rush off the edge. His long arms give opposing tackles issues as he can easily rip off and make tackles in the run game. He's a longer kid but has no issues sticking his foot in the ground changing direction.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='229229' first='Dekhari' last='Carter'], 6'2" 245, University Prep</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A big-time playmaker on either side of the football. Carter's size and quickness make him a tough man to block at the point of attack. He can sort through chaos within the box and will stun ball carriers on contact. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='527822' first='Sean' last='O'Brien'], 6' 215, Jamestown</strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Has well-trained eyes to go with a quick trigger. He scrapes down the line from the backside taking advantageous angles to the tackle, to avoid cutback lanes. He's slippery inside the box and can create plenty of disruption as a run-stuffer behind the line of scrimmage. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='237045' first='JT' last='Krivinskas'], 6'1" 220, Archbishop Stepinac</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A throwback mike linebacker that was gifted with an extremely high motor. This is an aggressive prospect who can close ground in a hurry and account for a plethora of TFLs. JT has a strong base and can hold his own at the point of attack against much larger offensive linemen. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Sean Dennehy, 6'2" 210, St. John the Baptist</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His mixture of quickness, burst, and strength make him a nightmare to 1 on 1 block. He's quite cerebral on the field and knows how to fool running backs with head placement when engaged on blocks. Sean has some wiggle that will come out from time to time when evading blocks in space.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='251977' first='Dowan' last='Coachman'], 5'11" 195, Moore Catholic</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dowan has a knack for forcing turnovers, whether that be causing fumbles or intercepting opposing quarterbacks. He's a smooth prospect with good balance and body control. He's a physical kid who can turn on the jets in the blink of an eye and corral a ball carrier.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='251970' first='Charles' last='Battaglia'], 6'1" 220, Chaminade</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This young man gives outstanding effort and shows sideline-to-sideline type range. Charles is a fluid curl/flat dropper that will get hands-on #2 going vertical up the seam. He's a steady in-box tackler who can hold his own on contact. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Isaiah Bretz, 6' 200, Waverly</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A nasty tackler that creates violent collisions on impact. Bretz can take on blocks between the tackles and will halt blockers using brute strength and ideal pad level. He's loose-hipped, with good speed, giving him the coverage skills of a cornerback. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>[player_tooltip player_id='528693' first='Matthew' last='Rappa'], 6' 210, Chaminade</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shows ideal physicality for the inside linebacker position. Was extremely productive in 2022, finishing with 101 tackles to go with 11 TFLs. Plays downhill with a sense of urgency when reading run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->