St. Louis Co. 26s to Watch: LB

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we approach the heat of the summer, the 2025 high school football offseason is in full swing. With that in mind, I wanted to take some time to focus on some of the top incoming seniors in Missouri in specific areas of the state, starting with St. Louis County. After already covering the offensive side of the ball, I have now turned my attention to the defensive side of the ball. With the defensive line already taken care of, here are some notable linebackers to keep an eye on in the class of 2026 in St. Louis County!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["392813"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-683a2dc9cd91c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='392813' first='Keenan' last='Harris'] is one of the top returning prospects in the entire state in his class. He plays outside linebacker at SLUH but has also been viewed as an ideal strong safety prospect. Harris is dominant against the run, showing the ability to read the play then use his speed to run right by opposing offensive linemen on his way to the ball carrier. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he explodes through contact and finishes his tackles with a ton of physicality. Harris finished this past season with 108 tackles. He has also shown the ability to make plays against the pass, finishing his junior year with two sacks and three interceptions. Keenan also made an impact on offense as a junior at wide receiver, catching 23 passes for 328 yards and six touchdowns. Harris is committed to Missouri where I can see him being a true impact player once he gets there. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["604213"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-683a2dc9cd974"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='604213' first='Mason' last='Marden'] is another high-caliber linebacker who is coming off an impressive junior year. Marden lines up at inside linebacker where he is a force against the run. He reads his keys quickly then explodes downhill out of his stance to meet the ball carrier and make the tackle before they can get going. Mason finished his junior season with 170 tackles and 20 tackles for loss. He also showed the ability to rush the passer and drop into coverage to make plays against the pass, finishing the year with three sacks and two interceptions. Marden also played a role on offense at tight end as a junior, catching 15 passes for 194 yards and four touchdowns. Mason is committed to Arizona State where I can see him developing into a key contributor in their defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1316176"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-683a2dc9cd9bc"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1316176' first='Kendall' last='McNutt'] is another inside linebacker who stood out as a junior. McNutt is very reliable against the run, showing the ability to read his plays quickly then use his speed to get to the ball carrier with a sense of urgency. Once he gets to the ball carrier, he does a great job of running his feet through contact, not allowing any extra yards to be gained. Kendall finished his junior year with 93 tackles and 17 tackles for loss. He also showed the ability to put pressure on the quarterback, finishing this past season with four sacks. McNutt currently holds multiple Division I offers and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1585601"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-683a2dc9cda00"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1585601' first='Nathan' last='Davis'] is a player who caught my attention when breaking down junior year film. He lines up at middle linebacker where he is very impressive against the run. Davis has a true nose for the football, showing the ability to read the play quickly then use his speed to run sideline to sideline to make tackles in the open field. He finished his junior season with 133 tackles. Davis has also proven to be an effective blitzer against the pass, showing the ability to time the snap count perfectly then shoot through his gap before the opposing offensive line has a chance to react. He finishes this past season with six sacks. Nathan doesn't currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player who college coaches should have their eyes on this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1128424"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-683a2f7b2e7f5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My final linebacker to watch in the class of 2026 in St. Louis County is [player_tooltip player_id='1128424' first='Yarmon' last='Kirksey Jr']. Kirksey lines up at outside linebacker where he has proven to be a dangerous pass rusher off the edge. He explodes out of his stance and uses his speed to blow by opposing offensive tackles. Kirksey does a great job of finishing at the quarterback, finishing his junior year with eight sacks. He is also reliable against the run, showing the ability to fight through blocks and get to the ball carrier in a hurry to make the tackle. Yarmon finished this past season with 55 tackles. Kirksey doesn't currently hold any offers but I wouldn't be surprised to see some come his way soon as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->