Must-See LBs: Prospects with Film that Popped, Part I

The fun part of being involved with state rankings is that I have the chance to come across prospects that I think are total gems. The best part is that I get to celebrate those prospects, write about them, and - hopefully - deliver some deserving attention their way.   Without further adieu, here are a batch of prospects within the position mentioned in the title that deserve a good look by all.    Following in the theme of well-coached prospects out of Wayne Valley, [player_tooltip player_id='1540907' first='Brenden' last='Immediato'] suit that billing as well. As a linebacker, Immediato reads his keys quickly and does a great job tracking the ball carrier's hips. Versatile in a sense, Immediato has been asked to bring pressure off of the edge and has enough awareness to work back upfield when the pocket becomes overset. A good tackler, we see him hit/wrap/drive through contact like coaches have been emphasizing for generations. I liked how Immediato came to balance when defending the pass in order to securely tackle the ball carrier. Something of a double-edge sword, I did not notice Immediato show himself shedding blocks; however, I suspect that might be attributed to how well he reads his keys.      [player_tooltip player_id='1558152' first='David' last='Matesic'] is a true mike backer in every sense. A better-than-solid pass defender, we see Matesic take his drops and get his head on a swivel as he looks to pick off any crossers. He is equally proficient in reading his keys as he prefers to get over the top when stopping the run. I noticed that Matesic refrains from biting on jet motions and false keys, too. No mike linebacker would be worth their weight in salt if he did not tackle well, would he? Matesic does just that has he keeps his feet buzzing and wraps with a vice grip. He is a master of tracking nearside hips and hustles. On a few occasions I noticed Matesic beating playside defenders to the point of attack.      Another mike 'backer that caught my attention was Boonton's [player_tooltip player_id='1540904' first='Drew' last='Cabalar']. Cabalar has the speed and athleticism to get edge on sprintout plays. That same speed manifests itself as a burst through the line of scrimmage, which translates into momentum that allows him to hit opponents hard, not in the hole, but through the hole.      If violence and explosion is what you look for in a linebacking prospect, [player_tooltip player_id='1283772' first='Elijah' last='Wilson'] ought to get your attention. Wilson has a second gear when running that allows him to hit like a ton of bricks. That gear allows him to move backwards, where he tracks the ball very well for a linebacker. In terms of tackling, Wilson is a good wrapper and understands tackling to his leverage.     <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class of 2025 Final Rankings Coverage</h2>   <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/film-evaluation-notes-for-2025s-new-additions-part-i">Film Evaluation Ranking Notes, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/film-evaluation-notes-for-2025s-new-additions-part-i">Film Evaluation Ranking Notes, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/film-evaluation-notes-for-2025s-new-additions-part-ii">Film Evaluation Ranking Notes, Part II</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/film-evaluation-notes-for-2025s-new-additions-part-iii">Film Evaluation Ranking Notes, Part III</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/film-evaluation-notes-for-2025s-new-additions-part-iv">Film Evaluation Ranking Notes, Part IV</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/film-evaluation-notes-for-2025s-new-additions-part-v">Film Evaluation Ranking Notes, Part V</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/rankings-risers-ranked-prospects-whose-stock-shot-up-part-i">Ranking Risers, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/must-see-athletes-prospects-with-film-that-popped-part-i">Must-See Film: Athletes, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/must-see-dbs-prospects-with-film-that-popped-part-i">Must-See Film: Defensive Backs, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/must-see-d-linemen-prospects-with-film-that-popped-part-i">Must-See Film: Defensive Linemen, Part I</a> <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/must-see-lbs-prospects-with-film-that-popped-part-i">Must-See Film: Linebackers, Part I</a>

The fun part of being involved with state rankings is that I have the chance to come across prospects that I think are total gems. The best part is that I get to celebrate those prospects, write about them, and - hopefully - deliver some deserving attention their way.