2026 Linebackers That Raised Their Stock This Fall

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's semifinals week and the season is well on its way to coming to a close. With it soon wrapping up, I wanted to look at which junior linebackers have raised their stock this fall. These are guys that aren't highly recruited but have had big 2024 campaigns and college coaches could soon take notice.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As always, If you have someone you think I need to see, please DM them to me on Twitter at @hsfbscout!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Liam McCarthy, 6" 200, St. Thomas</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This young man is most certainly the hammer and not the nail, he can come to balance &amp; tackle in space and is an extremely destructive block shedder at the point of attack. He takes great angles to the tackle and can close ground in a hurry. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Gavin Owens, 6'2" 215, Lake Belton</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Owens scrapes down the line with his pads square to the line of scrimmage, he utilizes the gator roll tackle when out-leveraged and is a thumper on contact. He's got the quickness &amp; deception to defeat second-level blocks and can sift though traffic to make tackles behind the line of scrimmage. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Donovan Wagner, 6'1" 205, Tomball Memorial</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A throwback mike linebacker that can shoot an open gap and make tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He's a tough, dependable, physical presence that will chase the football from sideline to sideline. He gets his hands up if he can't get to the quarterback and will quickly sniff out potential screens. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1905208' first='Jaylyn' last='Manning'], 6'1" 235, Duncanville</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This kid can stuff a ball carrier right in his tracks and make them feel it. He rolls his hips on contact &amp; speeds his feet, he's a smooth hook dropper with quality hands and shows exceptional range. I think this kid is a power four talent and I'm shocked he hasn't picked up any offers yet. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Cole Flanagan, 6'1" 205, College Station</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On tape, Cole reads and reacts, he's got excellent lateral agility and is a highly effective blitzer. He has the speed to chase plays down from behind, he's willing to get dirty within the box and showed that he can consistently penetrate and cause disruption in the backfield. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Cedric Thornton, 6'4" 210, Wakeland</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thornton has impressive size, he moves well, shows good flexibility, and has noticeable closing burst. He baits quarterbacks into poor throws in zone and can shed blocks at the point of attack. He's a bit raw, but I think he'll continue to develop nicely over the next few seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>[player_tooltip player_id='1905781' first='Kamryn' last='Williams'], 6" 205, Mesquite Horn</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams relishes contact, he can flip his hips &amp; turn and run in zone and has a penchant for creating turnovers. This young man can fill between the tackles, he reads his keys then triggers, and always seems to be around the football. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->