Five C/O 2025 Linebackers with Massive Upside
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The class of 2025 has limitless potential at the linebacker position. The five players I’ll touch on today have all the tools needed to develop into great linebackers who could play Division 2 college football. Reed Blake-Thomas MI #107 LB…
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Continue ReadingThe class of 2025 has limitless potential at the linebacker position. The five players I’ll touch on today have all the tools needed to develop into great linebackers who could play Division 2 college football.
Reed is one of those guys that’s been steadily working since he was a freshman. It wasn’t until this past season that his work started to show on the field. In his first season getting significant Varsity reps, Reed earned All-Region honors as an off-ball middle linebacker. He’s as strong as any linebacker in the state, and his strength allows him to secure his tackles and hit hard. He shows a lot of promise with his overall IQ and feel for the game, as he has good pursuit, and reacts fairly quickly. Right now, I’d say Reed is trending toward D2. In order for him to reach his potential, Reed will have to focus on his athleticism and decisiveness on defense.
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Hunter Conrad Hunter Conrad 5’9″ | 230 lbs | LB Belding | 2025 State MI is a sleeper linebacker. From Belding, Hunter earned all-state honors, dominating the run-heavy OK-Silver. Hutner is a dense 5’10 225 and a brick wall for any opposing running back. He does a good job stopping the run between the tackles and almost never gets driven backward for extra yards. If he goes unblocked, he’s making the tackle. When he does get blocked, he’s able to overpower most. On outside runs, Hunter is faster than I would have thought, considering his size, if Hunter can continue to become more athletic with some competition in the pass game, he could earn some offers late in the offseason.
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Ike is someone I’ve always thought has had great upside. This past season, he played a mix of off-ball and on-ball as an outside linebacker. He also rotated in as a tight end on offense, usually being utilized as a blocker. Standing at 6’2″ 210lbs he’s got the frame to be a great linebacker. He’s strong enough to bring anyone down, and he’s had moments of good pursuit. His game could truly take off if he improved his speed, reaction time, and block shedding when he’s playing on-ball.
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Kasim has all the tools to become a great linebacker this offseason. He’s got the size at 6’1″ 225, he just needs to work on the little things. Against great competition, Kasim totaled 76 tackles and 9 TFLs. He does a decent job at pursuing and securing tackles alongside his teammates. I see a bit of indecisiveness on several reps, though. He sometimes slows way down on his way to a tackle, and he loses a lot of his advantage and strength. His indecisiveness and lack of follow through on tackles sometimes allows opposing runners to get a few extra yards. Luckily, he has a good athletic foundation, he plays for a great program, can defend against the pass, and has every opportunity to get the reps needed to become a bit quicker physically and mentally.
I’m extremely interested in seeing what Vegas is able to do during his senior season. Over the past few years, Vegas has been at all the offseason camps and has been working hard as a running back. Last season as a linebacker, he produced some promising highlights. Vegas is able to work gap-to-gap on inside runs and meet a ball carrier for a minimal gain. He’s also able to work through blocks and secure tackles. His sideline-to-sideline ability is decent, as his pursuit is good, but needs to become faster if he wants to become a great sideline defender and pass defender. Right now, Vegas is trending toward being a Division 3 college football player.