Class 3A Senior LB Watchlist for 2025

As we resume our previews of the top upcoming senior prospects in Iowa, we jump back up to a familiar division for us, Class 3A to take a look at some of the best LBs from the division for the class of 2026. This is a stacked group of promising athletes that have made quite an imprint on this division through last season and have really caused havoc for opposing offenses. Here are 8 oncoming senior LBs from Class 3A that you should watch for in 2025!    [player_tooltip player_id='1238514' first='Kasen' last='Thomas'] has been the driving force for Bishop Heelan's football team as a whole, dominating on both sides of the ball. On the defensive side of the ball, Thomas recorded 44.5 tackles (32 solo), 15.5 TFLs, 5.5 sacks, a fumble recovery, and 2 interceptions which were both returned for touchdowns. Thomas is so disruptive off the edge, whether bursting into the backfield untouched or winning against his block, Thomas consistently found a way into the backfield to make a play behind the line. His combination of speed, athleticism, and explosive power hitting the ball-carrier made him deserving of the #1 LB spot in Iowa for this class. Thomas will once again be the centerpiece for the Crusaders as they look to make another playoff run in 2025.     Mount Vernon led all Iowa teams in sacks (68) last season, and it wasn't even a close margin. Among the key players for that defense was [player_tooltip player_id='1241540' first='Jaxon' last='Anderson'], who held a big share of those daunting numbers that the Mustangs put up, recording a team-high 70 tackles (49 solo), 14 TFLs, 8.5 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries, and a pick returned for a touchdown. Despite playing from his natural Inside-Linebacker position, Anderson had a lot of opportunities to blitz and get into the backfield. Anderson made the most of his opportunities, with great closedown speed, pursuit angles, and jarring power knocking over defenders and ball-carriers. Anderson should maintain a key role next season as one of the returning pieces of Mount Vernon's defense.     [player_tooltip player_id='1840781' first='Will' last='Welbes'] play a key role in Wahlert Catholic's run to winning the Class 3A state title. Welbes finished with 88 tackles (58 solo), 11 TFLs, and 5 sacks in 2024. Welbes lined up often as an edge-rusher, where Welbes flashed his strength and athleticism, taking great pursuit angles toward the ball, and he was consistently able to make a play when the ball was on the other side of the field. Welbes plays with great hustle and puts 100% into every play. That showed itself during the state title game, where Welbes recorded 2.5 TFLs, a sack, a pick, and a forced fumble as the Golden Eagles dominated Humboldt for the championship. Welbes certainly shouldn't be overlooked, as he's one of the most important pieces for the top team in Class 3A right now.     While Keokuk has struggled in the last few seasons, they have a gem on their team in [player_tooltip player_id='1188432' first='Mason' last='Claus'], who plays at both LB and WR for Keokuk. Claus finished on the defensive side with 79.5 tackles (51 solo), 11 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks in 2024, an impressive stat-line despite missing the last 2 games of the year due to injury. Playing at MLB, Claus does a great job at finding space and shooting the gap through the middle of the line, showing explosive speed and sharp pursuit angles in getting to the ball-carrier behind the line. Claus currently has 5 D1 offers, and he's bound to receive much more attention by the end of this season.     Another standout from Mount Vernon, [player_tooltip player_id='1841794' first='Caysen' last='Curran'] made plenty of noise as a supporting piece for the Mustangs' dominant defense. Curran recorded 40.5 tackles (28 solo), 12 TFLs, 7 sacks, a fumble recovery, and an interception. Curran has quite a bit of multi-purpose value for Mount Vernon, playing at Outside Linebacker, taking carries and blocking as a Fullback, and proving to be a standout on the kickoff coverage unit. Curran does a good job at deciphering the play, showing solid speed and power against his blockers, and doing a great job at catching the ball-carriers from behind before they break loose. If Curran can improve a bit on his tackling form, he could very well find his way onto the rankings heading into this season, and regardless, he will have a much bigger role in 2025 as a returning starter for Mount Vernon's defense.     [player_tooltip player_id='1840888' first='Cael' last='Donahe'] showed significant growth from his sophomore season, solidifying his spot as one of the central cornerstones of Humboldt's defense as they reached the state title game in 2024. Donahe finished with 76.5 tackles (58 solo), 9.5 TFLs, and 4 interceptions. Donahe was quite a stud to watch, having total control against both the run and the pass. Donahe does a great job bursting through the middle of the line and simply, the ball-carriers run into a brick wall when it comes to going against Donahe, because there is almost no way through. Donahe does an excellent job in pass coverage, reading the QB's eyes all the way through, holding down his zone, and baiting the QB to throw the ball straight to him. Donahe will be vital toward keeping Humboldt in the right direction in 2025 as they look to return to the state title game.     [player_tooltip player_id='1241536' first='Kyler' last='Jensen'] has developed into becoming a solid presence in the middle of Solon's defense. Jensen finished 2024 with 63.5 tackles, 10 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks. Jensen does a great job at using his hands to get off blocks, pushing linemen out of the way consistently to get right in front of the RB to stop the play. I was really impressed with Jensen's vision, and his ability to follow the ball through every play, even through broken and chaotic plays where he kept his eyes on the ball and found the ball-carrier to make the stop. Jensen is a tough defender who could contain on the goal-line, and he also blocked an extra-point attempt during the year, providing value on special-teams. Jensen has plenty of potential, and a big campaign in his senior year could really boost his value upwards in this deep LB class.     [player_tooltip player_id='1847541' first='Luke' last='Argo'] proved to be quite a sneaky standout for Assumption, guiding the team to a late-year resurgence that helped Assumption sneak into the playoffs. Argo recorded 78 tackles (65 solo), 3 TFLs, 2 sacks, and 3 interceptions in 2024. Argo was solid against the run, making good pursuit angles and is one of the most sure tacklers among this group. Argo did quite well against the pass, reading the QB well and made plays to break up the pass like a DB. Argo has also been excelling as a pitcher for Assumption's baseball team, and he boasts the athleticism to make a push for either baseball or football in the next level.

As we resume our previews of the top upcoming senior prospects in Iowa, we jump back up to a familiar division for us, Class 3A to take a look at some of the best LBs from the division for the class of 2026. This is a stacked group of promising athletes that have made quite an imprint on this division through last season and have really caused havoc for opposing offenses. Here are 8 oncoming senior LBs from Class 3A that you should watch for in 2025!