Dynamic LBs at the Whitewater Mega Camp

Possibly my favorite position group at the Whitewater Mega Camp was the LB group. It was so deep among 2026s with talent that could play at the D3 level or higher. That is high praise considering the D3 football in WI is the best in the nation. Several of the 2026s at the position went on to earn offers from the host school after impressing the Warhawks staffs. There are several incoming seniors to talk about in this group, so let's dive right in.    One of the top athletes of the group, and one of the kids who earned an offer with his performance was [player_tooltip player_id='1220691' first='Nolan' last='Rustler'] of Sun Prairie West. He started the day with a strong combine where he ran 4.79 in the 40, 7.53 in the L-Drill, 4.69 in the shuttle, and broad jumped 9'2". That was just the tip of the iceberg of his overall performance. Nolan really impressed once the pads went on. The '26 has a very intriguing combination of range and instincts to get him everywhere on the field on time, and he has the physicality and violence to fight off blocks and make tackles. His agility and athleticism helped him to play in coverage against the RBs and TEs as well. Nolan came out and proved to be one of the top athletes in attendance at his position.     Owen is an athlete who has grabbed my attention this summer at a couple of camps now. The '26 is undersized for the traditional LB role, but that isn't where he best fits anyways. Owen's strengths are his athleticism and play in space. He started the day verifying that athleticism with a 4.88 40, 7.13 L-Drill, 4.62 shuttle, and a 9'2" broad jump. Athleticism that matches that of a hybrid LB/S athlete that you can utilize on third down. Both as a blitzing LB or a guy who can drop into coverage vs RBs/TEs or roam around a zone and close quickly to make plays on the ball. Hacht didn't shy away from the violence of the position though. He can to hit and run through people when the rep called for it. I'm a big fan of his versatility. Great to see him with a couple D3 offers, so far.     Gabriel was a kid that flashed on multiple reps as I made my way around the position groups and 1v1 battles. The '26 LB is an explosive athlete when it comes to his acceleration whether that be when he triggers downhill, changes direction, or has to turn and run to the sideline to meet the ball. Talla is a kid that looks at home having to play in space. There was no wasted movement in his reps in Whitewater and it matched how he looked on tape back in 2024. I also loved that Gabe seemed to play faster than he tested once the live reps started.     Coming in at 6' 215 lbs was the Muskego LB [player_tooltip player_id='1220676' first='Brody' last='Axelson']. Over and over I was impressed by the incoming seniors physicality, violence and power. He plays like an old-school LB. Someone that is going to attack, punch you in the mouth, and then hustle back for another rep. Obviously at these camps we don't tackle to the ground but in drills where they were able to get hands on to work on shedding blocks or showing that ability to drive your hips through the opponent, Brody was leading the way. The '26 is a tone setter that I can't wait to see flying around the field on Friday nights this fall.     I couldn't wait to see one of the top tackle producers in the state in action at this camp. The '26 delivered starting with a 4.86 40, 7.37 L-Drill, 4.5 shuttle, and a 9'7" broad jump. I loved the way the incoming senior moved with pads on. He is quick to trigger on the football, closes very quickly, and has the balance and agility to avoid traffic while on his path to the football without taking himself out of position to make the play. He has a strong balance of athletic ability and power allowing him to be a three down LB at the high school level and as he continues to add size at the next level he can do that there too. The tackling machine gave a great look at how he was so successful last fall. A big fall is coming in a couple months. Don't miss out on this kid.     Tyler made the drive up from Illinois well worth it with his performance at the Whitewater Mega Camp. The 6' 197 lbs athlete looked the part of a rising LB. He has built a strong frame that is clearly loaded up with explosive athleticism. His combine verified that as he ran a 4.69 40, 7.37 L-Drill, 4.56 shuttle, and broad jumped 9'. All great numbers that carried over to the field. Tyler has a well built, muscular frame that made it so all his movements were also loaded up with power. He was violent shedding blocks and driving his hips through his opponent in drills. In the open field he was just as comfortable keeping up with athletes in space and closing on the catch point. I really like the versatility and explosive athleticism that Tyler brings to the LB position. He definitely fits that mold of a hybrid S/LB.     Another I was excited to see in person for the first time was Mukwonago's [player_tooltip player_id='1311432' first='Connor' last='Kreger']. I have been a fan of his versatility for a long time. Connor is an athlete who can play off the edge or off the ball OLB. Because of that I believe he could have attended either session and been a top performer, but it was great to see him at Session II so we could see him in space. He started the day strong showing off his short area burst and agility running a 7.21 L-Drill, 4.43 shuttle and broad jumping 8'11". That short area burst really shined in the 1v1 run game reps where he covered ground quickly, closed with the proper leverage, and go to the ball quickly before the RB could make a move. The 2026 was another athlete who was able to leave with an offer from the Warhawks following his performance.     Another athlete to leave with an offer from the Warhawks was [player_tooltip player_id='1621802' first='Tevan' last='Bastian'] out of Janesville Craig. The 5'10" 222 lbs incoming senior was an LB who dominated with short area athleticism. He could accelerate, change direction, change his pad level, and close quickly with such fluidity. His combine included a 7.15 L-Drill, and a 4.65 shuttle, along with a 9' broad jump. The incoming senior has built up a thick frame with power packed into it, yet he has maintained the ability to move around the front seven really well. The '26 has earned a few offers from the D3 level and will definitely be a kid I keep a close eye on this fall if he is still uncommitted at that time.     An LB who has crossed my radar multiple times at camps this summer is Robert Piskula. I was pumped to see him at the Whitewater camp and get to focus on his game. He started with arguably the best combine of the position group. He ran a 4.54 40, 7.12 L-Drill, 4.37 shuttle, and broad jumped 9'3" all at 6'1" 205 lbs. The incoming senior definitely checks every athletic box needed to be a game changer at the LB position. Even more impressive, he is putting up these numbers only 6 months after ACL surgery. The kid flies around the field like a heat-seeking missile while also playing with the power to shed blocks and make tackles that quickly end forward progression. The kid can run, cover, and tackle. Don't miss out on him.

Possibly my favorite position group at the Whitewater Mega Camp was the LB group. It was so deep among 2026s with talent that could play at the D3 level or higher. That is high praise considering the D3 football in WI is the best in the nation. Several of the 2026s at the position went on to earn offers from the host school after impressing the Warhawks staffs. There are several incoming seniors to talk about in this group, so let's dive right in.