From Shadow To Light: 10 Underrated Linebackers for 2025

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Who are some of the most underrated linebackers for 2025? Here's&nbsp; is our list of 10 that we believe deserve more attention:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137075' first='Lucas' last='Basile'], Hot Springs</strong>: Basile has put together back-to-back impressive seasons for the Tigers. He had 60 tackles as a sophomore in 2023 and added 92 tackles, 10.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks and 4 forced fumbles in 2024. He heads into the 2025 season with an opportunity to end his career with 250+ tackles. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='854299' first='David' last='Chavez'], Santa Rosa</strong>: One of the top two-way players in Class 2A in 2024. Besides rushing for 658 yards and 7 TD, he made 109 tackles with 13.5 TFL on defense. Chavez had a key role in leading Santa Rosa to the 2A state championship game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1600953' first='Zach' last='Friberg'], Ruidoso</strong>: Obviously, Ruidoso was an easy team to root for last season considering everything the town and its players went through last summer. Friberg rose to the occasion with 113 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 8.0 sacks, 4 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries. Clearly, he was always around the football. The Warriors should be a much improved football team in 2025. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853018' first='Santiago' last='Gonzales'], Farmington</strong>: Gonzales first caught our attention as a freshman in 2022 when made over 60 tackles. As a junior in 2024, he pushed his tackle total to 89 with 4.0 TFL and 2 forced fumbles. Big senior season ahead for the Scorpions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267002' first='Jesse' last='Ibarra'], Chaparral</strong>: One of the leaders in Chaparral's revival in 2024, Ibarra had a monster season with 101 tackles. Four of Chaparral's top six tacklers last season return in 2025. Look for the Lobos to continue their upward track. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='853756' first='Mario' last='Molinar'], Bernalillo</strong>: Molinar has been a tackling machine for Bernalillo's ‘Goon Squad' defense the past two seasons. In 2023, he had 122 tackles and 5 INT. Last season he improved his tackle total to 130 with 12.0 TFL, 4 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries. He goes into his senior season with 289 career tackles, putting him on track to reach the rarified air of 400 career tackles. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1267030' first='Kolbe' last='Padilla'], St. Pius X</strong>: Padilla put himself in position to be called one of the top LBs in the Albuquerque Metro Region by making 115 tackles, 16.0 TFL and 14 QB hurries as a junior in 2024. Padilla is a major reason the Sartans are certainly one of the Class 4A title favorites in 2025 after finishing as runners-up last November. He was impressive at the Prep Redzone Stock Up Showcase in Grants in January.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137835' first='Krew' last='Ward'], Hope Christian</strong>: Reached the magical 100-tackle mark in 2024 for a Hope Christian squad that made the 3A playoffs despite competing in arguably the classification's toughest district. Also had 9.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks and 3 forced fumbles. Another LB who makes plays. He was also impressive at the Prep Redzone Stock Up Showcase in Grants in January.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137848' first='Saige' last='Westmoreland'], Thoreau</strong>: Westmoreland made the most of his opportunity at the varsity level in 2024. In 2023, he made 14 tackles as a backup for the Hawks. Last season, he jumped all the way to 94 tackles and 2 INT after earning a starting job. Could 100 tackles be in his future in 2025? &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1137886' first='Brandon' last='Wheeler'], Grants</strong>: &nbsp;The Pirates return their top five tacklers from 2024, offering promise for the upcoming campaign. Wheeler finished with 94 tackles, second most on the team, with 7.5 TFL and 2 forced fumbles. The Grants defense should be&nbsp; strength in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">[player_tooltip player_id='1267030' first='Kolbe' last='Padilla'] CO 2026 Junior year stats<br>68 Solo Tackles |16 TFLs |115 Total Tackles| <a href="https://twitter.com/thecoachflakes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thecoachflakes</a> <a href="https://t.co/vlJ0dtSVv3">https://t.co/vlJ0dtSVv3</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1267030' first='Kolbe' last='Padilla'] (@kolbepadilla9) <a href="https://twitter.com/kolbepadilla9/status/1878460461215093065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/t9Y3PNyN5R">https://t.co/t9Y3PNyN5R</a><br>c/o 2026:<br><br>OLB/ILB<br><br>3.3 gpa<br><br>94 Total Tackles<br><br>7.5 TFL<br><br>3.0 Sacks<br><br>1 INT<br><br>2 Forced Fumbles <br><br>2 Fumble Recovery's <br><br>2nd Team All State LB<br><br>1st Team All District LB<a href="https://twitter.com/GHSCoachBrown?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GHSCoachBrown</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1137886' first='Brandon' last='Wheeler'] (@wheelerb26) <a href="https://twitter.com/wheelerb26/status/1897023542300168519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->