Linebackers On The Rise Across The State

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402293' first='Kyrie' last='Millner'] - Grimsley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At 5'10 and 185 pounds, Kyrie had a productive sophomore year for one of the best teams in the state. Kyrie amassed 79 tackles, with 9 tackles for loss, and he is the leading returning tackler this upcoming season. I have seen Kyrie up close in a showcase, and he is a great athlete with excellent agility and speed in the open field. When you look at the highlight film, Kyrie does a great job of running plays down outside the hashes from his middle linebacker spot. He can also do a good job of sorting through the trash and making tackles in the interior run game as well. I think Kyrie should generate recruiting interest because, despite his size, he is a very strong player with excellent athletic ability - with strong production on a very good team. Smart coaches will see that and jump on board. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854270' first='Jonathan' last='Manson'] - Franklinton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An All-Conference player last season with a 4.25 GPA, I was excited to take a look in-depth into Jonathan. At 5'10 and 180 pounds, Jonathan is primarily an outside linebacker in his school's defensive scheme. Taking a look at the film, Jonathan does a good job with always keeping outside leverage and forcing the action back inside, where he makes several tackles against ball carriers. Versatility is Jonathan's strong suit, as he can cover slot wide receivers in both man and zone coverage, picking up interceptions in both instances. Jonathan is also a sure tackler and shows some nice pop and physicality when he gets the chance to be in the open field. He will be an important piece of his team's defense this upcoming season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='451872' first='Cayden' last='Roscoe'] - Patton</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have been wanting to take a look at Cayden for a while - he is an interesting physically framed prospect, standing at 6'3 and 180 pounds. His team had a bit of a rebuilding year this past year, but as a 2025 prospect, he will be looked at as an important piece next season. From a recent camp, Cayden posted some pretty good measurements including a 4.7 laser-timed 40-yard dash. When you take a look at the film, Cayden makes some nice plays at linebacker - blitzing off of slot receivers and using his excellent speed to pick up multiple quarterback sacks. Cayden also is a good tackler in the open field against both running backs and wide receivers. Cayden also shows his overall athleticism on offense, lining up at wide receiver and running back and making big plays regularly. Cayden also is a kick returner and helped put his team into good field position on several occasions. I think Cayden is an under-the-radar possible steal for colleges who can recognize this athletic ability with his size. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='682099' first='Avery' last='Fleet'] - Rolesville </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As a 5'11 and 210-pound prospect, Avery had a productive season last year. In only 8 games, Avery racked up 81 total tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4 forced fumbles, and 3 sacks. Very good production with an average of 10 tackles per game. Avery does have some recruiting interest from in-state Division 1 schools at the moment. When you take a look at the highlight film, Avery is a very strong and stout player against the run - he can shed blocks quickly and make some strong and secure tackles. Avery plays both some inside and outside linebacker on film - when lined up outside, Avery is an excellent blitzer when walked up on the line of scrimmage. Avery forces fumbles and tackles for loss on multiple occasions from this position. Avery also shows some good speed in the open field when running plays down from the backside. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1368133' first='Brayden' last='Smith'] - Forest Hills</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first thing that stood out when looking at Brayden's profile is a 3.8 GPA - that will always open doors! Standing at 6'0 and 180 pounds, Brayden is an outside linebacker prospect in his school's defense, along with playing some strong safety. Taking a look at the film, Brayden has some excellent sideline-to-sideline speed that results in him making multiple plays outside the hashes against players trying to run outside of the defense. Brayden is also an excellent solo tackler in the open field, demonstrating that numerous times in his highlight package. Brayden also can make plays in the interior run game by flying in off of the edge of the defense and stopping a ball carrier before he even gets started. I am excited to see Brayden up close on the camp circuit coming up this spring and this summer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->