Top Linebackers across Wichita for 2023: 4A Edition

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ask any old head football lover what their favorite position to watch is, and they will probably tell you the linebackers 90% of the time. For a majority of football history, linebackers were the life source of the defense. If you had successful linebackers, you probably had a successful defense, and vice versa. Because of this pressure, linebackers are given a ton of spotlight to shine, or fizzle out. This list contains five of the best linebacker prospect the city of Wichita has to offer, all playing for different 4A schools across the metro.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Connor Jackson","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2496","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Rose Hill","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Connor Jackson is perfect at getting helmets on knees and footballs. As a middle linebacker, he will fly to the ball anytime it is between the tackles. He is great at being quicker than the blockers moving to the secondary. This allows him to move laterally and get blockers off balance, then using his speed to fly by them and keep all run gains to a minimum. His tackling his fundamentally sound. He drives through plays and wraps his arms around tight. His sideline run coverage is there as well, but does not happen as frequently. He also will drop back into coverage to cover the middle of the field, but can stay upright and not look near as comfortable as when he is looking into the backfield for ball carriers.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["334737"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Cole is a fantastic utility guy that can do it all. There is one place that he excels that though: linebacker. Rickard possesses an amazing frame and size that many colleges love to see. Over 6 feet tall and long arms with the ability to put on more mass. He analyzes plays well and runs to his coverage with the best of them. He has good speed which allows him to cover more ground in both the run and passing game. He has great reflexes too, allowing him to put his hands in passing lanes and even able to come down with a few interceptions in the process. He may overanalyze some plays which causes him to hesitate running into the hole. When he does this, he will still make tackles but with less force behind them as well. So long as he continues running downhill at people though, Lord help anyone standing in the way of him and the football.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Cody Bruce","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'0u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"Arkansas City","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"Cody Bruce is a bad man. Although he does not have as much film as the others on this list at linebacker, Bruce is a bad enough man anywhere else he plays that I see him performing with the best in the city immediately. Most of his highlight plays are on kickoff, where he is fully able to unleash on poor saps trying to either block him or run away from him, both futile efforts. Bruce has great top speed and is able to hawk down most people on the field. Also standing around 190 pounds, it does not take a scientist to know that mass x acceleration equals a bad time for whatever is trying to stop it. He has a great pop with hitting people. Overall his biggest question is just his raw ability. Ark City has some shoes to fill at LB with the graduation of Logan Tyler, and I believe Cody Bruce to be the one to do just that.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["545649"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"I am sure he has heard all of the puns about his first name, but this is a man that gets to the line fast. A very stout linebacker for the 'Birds, McCormack lives in the backfield and thrives off of creating nightmares for running coordinators. Mostly lining up inside, Cannon looks to take care of any running between the tackles. He is quick enough to sidestep blockers and delivers a nice hit on ball carriers. He also will line up on the end and edge rush in the passing game as well. His entire game is centered around him able to be aggressive and maybe even a little reckless. Not to say that as a bad thing, but McCormack lives on his blitz looks. Many plays you can see him leaning or falling forward before the cadence because he is ready to fly. He is a mechanically sound backer on most fronts, aside from things like small bucket steps at the start of each play.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"Riley Nichols","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"2411","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Wellington","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Nichols is a prospect that may not have much film as a linebacker, but will have a great season if given the chances to succeed. For starters, he has what you cannot teach: speed. Everywhere on the field, speed kills. Nichols also has enough size, standing around six feet and roughly 170 pounds. He also runs hard everywhere he is on the field. With most of his film being him running the ball, it is safe to say that he is most comfortable on offense. That is not to say that he cannot pick up where 2023 graduate [player_tooltip player_id='123604' first='Malachi' last='Rogers'] left off. This Crusaders defense is needing someone to come in and fill the shoes of Rogers at the outside linebacker position, and I believe none to be more fit for the job than Riley Nichols.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-63ff8e3f0c499"} /-->