2026 Rankings: Linebacker Class Is Deep And Talented
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It’s general knowledge that a linebacker will typically be the leader of the defense. Toughness. Gritty. Blood coming off their knuckles. We’ve reviewed the film, and we felt the need to rank 28 linebackers for the 2026 Class. There are…
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Continue ReadingIt’s general knowledge that a linebacker will typically be the leader of the defense. Toughness. Gritty. Blood coming off their knuckles.
We’ve reviewed the film, and we felt the need to rank 28 linebackers for the 2026 Class. There are some at the top that are destined to play Power Five football. More could be making that climb this season. But more importantly, there is depth that could make this a special class.
Here is a look at some of the standouts of the class.
Rank
|
Player
|
Height
|
High School
|
Commitment
|
Weight
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
6’2″
|
Gray Collegiate
|
||||
2 |
5’9″
|
Berkeley
|
||||
3 |
6’0″
|
South Florence
|
||||
4 |
6’3″
|
Northwestern
|
||||
5 |
6’1″
|
Westside
|
||||
6 |
5’10”
|
Sumter
|
||||
7 |
5’8″
|
Eastside
|
||||
8 |
5’11”
|
Dillon
|
||||
9 |
6’1″
|
West Florence
|
||||
10 |
5’10”
|
Dutch Fork
|
||||
11 |
5’10”
|
Chester
|
||||
12 |
6’2″
|
Fort Mill
|
||||
13 |
6’1″
|
Trinity Collegiate
|
||||
14 |
6’1″
|
Baptist Hill
|
||||
15 |
5’9″
|
North Augusta
|
||||
16 |
6’0″
|
Berkeley
|
||||
17 |
6’0″
|
North Myrtle Beach
|
||||
18 |
6’0″
|
Ben Lippen
|
||||
19 |
5’8″
|
Myrtle Beach
|
||||
20 |
5’9″
|
Calhoun County
|
||||
21 |
5’9″
|
Ninety Six
|
||||
22 |
5’11”
|
Summerville
|
||||
23 |
6’0″
|
Gilbert
|
||||
24 |
5’11”
|
Newberry
|
||||
25 |
5’8″
|
Riverside
|
||||
26 |
5’9″
|
Ware Shoals
|
||||
27 |
5’11”
|
Dillon
|
||||
28 |
5’7″
|
Lower Richland
|
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Continue ReadingBREAKING DOWN THE TOP FIVE
Michael Boulware Michael Boulware 6'2" | 210 lbs | LB Gray Collegiate | 2026 State SC Gray Collegiate
What’s not to like about Boulware? He’s got the size, strength and lineage to excel at the highest level. His father and uncle played in the NFL and he’s been on the radar since early in his freshman year. He averaged over 12 tackles per game in 2023 and that type of performance should continue.
Marcus Henderson Marcus Henderson 5'9" | 165 lbs | LB Berkeley | 2026 State SC Berkeley
Henderson is a guy that plays with a high motor and has a knack for finding the football. Still a little bit undersized but he can make plays sideline to sideline. He finished with 125 tackles on a defense that returns most of last season’s starters.
Terry Gordon Terry Gordon 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB South Florence | 2026 State SC South Florence
There were other defensive standouts that garnered a lot of headlines last season, but Gordon was a steady presence for the Class 4A runners-up. He’s strong as evidence of his 24 reps on the bench press at the Carolina Coaches Combine in March. He can attack the run and plays pass coverage well.
Tamarion Watkins Tamarion Watkins 6'3" | 195 lbs | LB Northwestern | 2026 State SC Northwestern
Watkins made a huge leap in the rankings because of his production on film and what we’ve seen from him in the offseason. He came on strong at the end of the season and had three tackles for loss in a playoff game.
Jaxx Wilson Jaxx Wilson 6'1" | 190 lbs | LB Westside | 2026 State SC Westside
Wilson totaled 116 tackles on a state championship winning defense. He brings a physical style to the linebacker spot and this Rams team is loaded for another state championship run. Wilson will be a huge part of that in the middle of the defense.
TEN RISING STARS
Cayden Workman Cayden Workman 5'8" | 175 lbs | LB Eastside | 2026 State SC Eastside
Workman finished just north of 100 tackles (102) and added 13 tackles for loss, a sack, one recovered fumble and one caused fumble. He will see an even bigger role this season and will be counted on to help the defense limit opposing offenses to less than the 32 points per game scored in 2023.
Romello Patterson Romello Patterson 6'1" | 190 lbs | LB West Florence | 2026 State SC West Florence
Patterson (pictured) is strong and can play inside or out. He’s quick enough to get around the edge but also powerful enough to fight through blockers. He uses his hands well when engaged with blockers. He could see his numbers jump dramatically this season.
Raleigh Salters Raleigh Salters 5'10" | 190 lbs | LB Dutch Fork | 2026 State SC Dutch Fork
In a nutshell, Salters is a tackling machine. He finds the ball-carrier easily and typically arrives in a bad mood. He finished last season with 91 tackles and eight tackles for loss and by the end of last season, Salters was one of the more vocal leaders of the defense.
Gray Patterson Gray Patterson 6'2" | 190 lbs | LB Fort Mill | 2026 State SC Fort Mill
Patterson had 48 tackles, five tackles for loss and two interceptions. He will easily improve those numbers for a Yellow Jacket team that won two games last season. He should be the unquestioned leader of the defense.
Kelvin Smalls Kelvin Smalls 6'1" | 225 lbs | LB Baptist Hill | 2026 State SC Baptist Hill
Smalls averaged 12 tackles per game and is a hidden gem playing at the Class A level. He plays fast, doesn’t take plays off and is relentless in pursuit of the ball. He’s consistent and could see his numbers increase after a huge offseason.
Donte Bell Donte Bell 5'9" | 160 lbs | LB North Augusta | 2026 State SC North Augusta
Bell might only be 160 pounds, but he plays much bigger. He was the Yellow Jackets leading tackler and moved sideline-to-sideline really well. His fundamentals are strong and he rarely misses making a tackle.
Kevin Rivers Kevin Rivers 6'0" | 185 lbs | LB Berkeley | 2026 State SC Berkeley
Another Stag makes the list and Rivers has a huge upside. He plays physically and registered 65 tackles last season. He was inserted into the starting lineup as Berkeley had a youth movement last season. Rivers should continue to process into one of the better play-making linebackers in the state.
Lamontae Smith Lamontae Smith 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB North Myrtle Beach | 2026 State SC North Myrtle Beach
Smith comes in as the second heaviest linebacker on the list. That extra bulk helps him play inside and make a lot of plays on interior running plans. His role will increase this season and he might be a leader on an improved Chiefs defense.
Drake Porter Drake Porter 6'0" | 175 lbs | LB Ben Lippen | 2026 State SC Ben Lippen
Porters plays at the SCISA level, but the talent is evident the first time you look at film. He has great pursuit speed and shows a burst at the line of scrimmage. He has a chance to be one of the best linebackers in the state in the SCISA ranks this season. He had an eye-popping 133 tackles last season.
Christopher Christopher SC ‘ last=’Glover’] Calhoun County
The Saints lost several key defense players and Glover is the top returning tackler with over 100 stops on the season. Glover will have to be more vocal this season and take a firm leadership role on a younger Calhoun County team.
FIVE DARK HORSE CANDIDATES
JT Williams JT Williams 5'11" | 185 lbs | LB Summerville | 2026 State SC Summerville
Williams will do a little bit of everything for the Green Wave. He should be a force at linebacker, but he also has the ability to play safety. He will see time on offense, and he even ran a kick back for a touchdown against West Ashley. His role will expand even more this season.
Grayson Gunter Grayson Gunter 6'0" | 195 lbs | LB Gilbert | 2026 State SC Gilbert
Gunter will be a two-way player for the Indians, but he is relentless from his linebacker spot. He plays on the outside and attacks well but can drop in coverage if needed. He graded out at over 90 percent for the season.
Julian Senn Julian Senn 5'11" | 195 lbs | LB Newberry | 2026 State SC Newberry
Senn is only going to get better and better with more time on the field. The measurables are there and it’s starting to translate to production. Senn could see his stock rise rather quickly with a huge junior season.
Daniel Capehart Daniel Capehart 5'11" | 180 lbs | LB Dillon | 2026 State SC Dillon
Capehart could quickly morph into a 100-tackle per season guy. He got valuable experience last season, and he should be in line to make a bigger impact after an offseason in the weight room.
Ophir Hill Ophir Hill 5'7" | 195 lbs | LB Lower Richland | 2026 State SC Lower Richland
Hill only played in nine games last season but ended with 58 tackles and two sacks. He fits well in the Diamonds system and will be counted on to make more impactful plays in 2024.