Unsigned 2024 Linebackers That Should Be

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In studying unsigned 2024 prospects, I noticed a lot of quality linebackers from the Charlotte area who should be on some college-level rosters next season! These players were leaders on their respective teams, put up some impressive stats, and made game-changing plays on a routine basis during their high school careers. Let's take a look at these guys: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB Jack Yenichek - Christ The King</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jack kind of sums up our opening paragraph for this article when you look at his resume. He has a 4.33 GPA, which consistently plays out in his film. A stunning 130 tackles, with 4 interceptions, and 5 rushing touchdowns on offense. At 5'8 and 200 pounds, these are the kids that you find a spot for and they will find a way to reward you and thrive in their given role. He shows excellent pursuit angles, is a strong open-field tackler, and is disciplined in his drops from a zone coverage perspective. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB Winter Kincaid - South Point</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A little under the radar in my opinion, at 6'1 and 220 pounds, Winter is a productive player that can be an asset to a program on the next level. With a 99-tackle senior season with 6 tackles for loss and 3 forced fumbles, he can make some impactful plays at the right time. Looking at his film, I love that he plays with a lot of emotion - that passion for the game you don't always see in every prospect. He is an excellent open-field tackler, and he shows some speed to run some plays down from the backside. Good player. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB [player_tooltip player_id='147892' first='Caiden' last='Smith'] – Forest Hills</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Caiden was a Queen City Senior Bowl selection and helped lead Forest Hills to their best season in a very long time, making the State Quarterfinals. At 6'2 and 215 pounds, Caiden does have some college interest and offers currently from Wingate, Shaw, and Chowan amongst others. He is an excellent leader who flips the switch from being a calm and well-spoken young man to a terror in the middle of a defense on Friday Nights. Caiden does an excellent job of sifting and shedding blocks to make solo tackles in the run game. He is a strong tackler who caused several fumbles, and he shows an ability to cover the middle of the field in the passing game as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB Elijah Baskin - Chambers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coming from a program that regularly churns out good talent, Elijah certainly continues that tradition. At 6'1 and 205 pounds, he is currently holding offers from both Livingstone and Carson-Newman. When you turn on the tape, he produces 80 tackles with 5 sacks and 4 interceptions. Some strengths of his game in my opinion is pass coverage - he shows excellent coverage skills from a man and zone coverage perspective. He has an excellent short-range burst of speed - notably coming when he lines up outside and comes off the edge. I think a school could get a steal here. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LB [player_tooltip player_id='680331' first='Tyquan' last='Rankin'] – Butler</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tyquan was a Queen City Senior Bowl selection, and he also is a two-time defensive conference player of the year, so he is highly decorated and deservingly so. With 135 total tackles on the season, two interceptions returned for touchdowns, and 29 tackles for loss, Tyquan can diagnose plays quickly, close open windows in the run game, and is a very secure and strong tackler in the open field. He is a team leader and can cover in short spaces over the middle of the field in the passing game. He currently has offers from UNC Pembroke, Johnson C. Smith, and Livingstone. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->