2026 Stock-Risers: Linebackers

We're almost ready to move to the class of 2027, but before we do, we're finishing our series on 2026 Stock-Risers. Here, we're taking a look at a few linebackers who moved up our rankings in the latest 2026 rankings update. If you missed that, you can find it here, with 126 new players and plenty of reshuffling of the order.   Here are a few 2026 linebacker stock-risers.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2026 Linebacker Stock-Risers</h2>    Brannon made the biggest leap among all defenders in our rankings, moving up 54 spots from 68th to his current position at 14th. He earned a few offers last offseason, then his recruitment exploded after his sophomore year, giving him over two dozen offers to choose from. On the field, Brannon is versatile, able to line up as a box safety, in the slot or in the middle of the defense and he excels both as a run-stuffer and in pass coverage for Independence.     Our top-ranked linebacker in the state moved up several spots. He's athletic enough to play safety and strong enough to play on the edge, but he's settling in nicely at middle linebacker. It has benefitted Davis to have plenty of talent around him because it's allowed him to learn the nuances of the middle linebacker position rather than simply win on athleticism at the high school level, like he's capable of doing.     Wurster is a fun evaluation. An old school thumper in the middle, Wurster plays with a ton of energy: before, during and after the play. He gets downhill in a hurry once he commits and he finishes tackles with authority. He's one of the best in the class at sorting through the mess and finding ball carriers in the running game. If I see a bit more in pass coverage this year, I'm ready to push him way up our rankings in the next update.     Manson is fearless as he usually plays against guys who are a bit bigger than him, but as he gets bigger he hasn't lost much quickness. Mostly a slot corner early in his high school career, he's developing more into an outside linebacker or box safety. That's probably where he ends up at the next level, so we've got him listed as a linebacker. He's a sure tackler and wraps up well, leading to a lot of solo tackles, even on bigger running backs and receivers.     Brooks operates mostly as a standup edge rusher, but his future is probably as an off-ball linebacker. He reads and diagnoses plays well, even in a primarily pass-rushing role and he rarely overpursues. He doesn't have a ton of varsity film, but it will be interesting to watch his progression as a junior and we continue the evaluation process on what looks to be a solid linebacker.

We're almost ready to move to the class of 2027, but before we do, we're finishing our series on 2026 Stock-Risers. Here, we're taking a look at a few linebackers who moved up our rankings in the latest 2026 rankings update. If you missed that, you can find it here, with 126 new players and plenty of reshuffling of the order.