Q1 Stock-Risers: 2026 Linebackers Moving Up the Rankings

With the season concluded, we've updated our rankings. The 2026 class is on the clock as most colleges have completed their 2025 classes and moved onto the rising seniors. Here, we'll break down several 2026 linebackers who impressed us enough this season to move up in our Quarter 1 rankings update.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2026 Stock-Risers: Linebackers</h2>    Gordon is a prototypical modern linebacker. He looks and plays more like a safety, but I'm really impressed with his ability to play in tight spaces. It's hard for offensive linemen to square him up and when they do engage, he shows excellent power to disengage. He can get downhill (and sideline-to-sideline) in a hurry and he's a big hitter. When he makes a tackle, the offensive player feels it. His recruitment has picked up in recent weeks and he has the look of a Power Four linebacker.     When Austin keys in on the run, he can get downhill in a hurry. But he's also a complete linebacker, able to make plays sideline-sideline-sideline and in both man and zone coverage. He was a productive tackler this season, the best in his division, and he's a guy we think could thrive at the next level. He plays anywhere from middle linebacker to big slot and his athleticism allows Trinity Christian to be multiple on defense.     Kilgannon moves extremely well for his size, which should endear him to college scouts. Unlike most high-upside high school linebackers, he's not going to need much time in a college weight room to contribute at the next level. But he's more than an athlete. He understands what the offense is trying to do and puts himself in position to make plays, especially in the running game.     Faulkner might be the best pure tackler in the state. He's also extremely capable as a fullback and could get some run there, in addition to linebacker, for a school that doesn't want to use a scholarship on the position. I was looking for improvement in pass coverage when watching him this season and he showed that on film. He's a thumper and that's always going to be what draws college scouts, but the upside here is tremendous.     Wurster is a natural linebacker who is getting better and better every season. He's always been a guy who can fly downhill to stuff the run, but he showed tremendous improvement in pass coverage this season. Since the season has ended, he's performed well at the CFI Showcase and continues to impress on and off the field.

With the season concluded, we've updated our rankings. The 2026 class is on the clock as most colleges have completed their 2025 classes and moved onto the rising seniors. Here, we'll break down several 2026 linebackers who impressed us enough this season to move up in our Quarter 1 rankings update.