Top Triad Linebackers

Our series continues where I am digging into the Triad Area players in the state of North Carolina to spotlight before the season starts. Previously, I focused on the Charlotte Metro Area in a series earlier this year, and my colleague Will Helms dug into the Raleigh area in a similar fashion earlier this year as well. The Triad in North Carolina will feature schools centered near the cities of Winston-Salem and Greensboro for full clarity.   This article will feature some Triad Linebackers worth keeping an eye on this upcoming season. There is definitely room for new stars to move up from Junior Varsity or transfer in from different schools; however, our article will focus on players returning after playing Varsity football for their teams last season.    Kyrie has progressed well throughout his career, and he has grown physically into an important returning piece for the Whirlies coming off their state championship last season. Kyrie has received an offer from Hampden-Sydney College so far from a recruiting perspective, and I think he'll find more attention easily with a strong start to this upcoming season. Kyrie shows good speed and instincts, especially in the running game, and he is a strong tackler in space.     Camereon is an incredibly productive player for a Walkertown team that is on the rise, coming off a breakout season last year. Camereon produced 148 total tackles, 27 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks last season, and there's no reason why he can't duplicate or even surpass that production this season. Per his Twitter/X profile, Camereon has grown to 6'2 from a height standpoint, and he's been active on the camp circuit this offseason, showing good speed and agility in space. I think as long as Camereon remains patient, college football programs will come his way as the season goes along.     Per his Twitter/X profile, Adrian has switched schools over to East Forsyth after having a productive season for Eastern Guilford last season. Playing primarily outside linebacker, Adrian really excels at being a physical player in space and tackling well both inside and outside of the box. You could almost call him a hybrid strong safety in some instances, depending on the defensive scheme. Either way, he's an impact guy with good speed who is most effective in slowing down the running game on the perimeter.     A 2-time All Conference selection, Elijah had a strong season individually for the War Eagles last season. Those efforts have started to be noticed by college football programs this year, with Elijah picking up his first offer from Marshall University at the end of January. East Carolina and Appalachian State have followed up with offers, and there is interest from other Division 1 programs. Elijah has an elite skill of pattern reading when in pass coverage from his middle linebacker position that you don't see often at this level. He comes downhill with good speed in the running game, and he tackles with a big impact. I think he's just getting started from a recruiting perspective, and there's a lot to like about his game.     Selected as his conference's defensive player of the year, Bradley had a big season of production for Oak Grove. Bradley is a tackling machine, totaling 161 tackles last season. Bradley was a big reason the Grizzlies had a strong season overall. Bradley shows very good "eyes" from his middle linebacker position - when windows open in the interior run game, Bradley shuts them quickly, making strong tackles and shedding blocks with good strength. Bradley also shows the ability to run plays down with good speed through traffic in the open field. Bradley also has good instincts in pass coverage, showing the ability to react in zone coverage for interceptions.     All of us here at Prep Redzone North Carolina heard from Robert lately, and when you see a player like him show initiative about recognition, it makes us take a hard look at him. We all LOVED what we saw, and in our next rankings update, we'll reflect that love. That being said, at 6'0 and 220 pounds, Robert was a big reason for the defensive success the Panthers showed last season. He had an incredibly productive season last year with 146 total tackles, 77 total tackles, 37 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks. He recently picked up his first Division 1 offer from Syracuse, and usually when that happens, more offers and attention will be coming his way, and it's all well deserved!     Noah continues the trend of incredibly productive linebackers from the Triad area here, as he had 144 total tackles last season, 41 of those being solo tackles. Add on 15 tackles for loss and 4 sacks, and you have a defensive prodigy who also sports a 4.1 GPA. Noah's pursuit and speed really show up well in space on his film, allowing him to run plays down sideline to sideline. Noah uses that same speed well to support in pass coverage, covering a lot of space in his assigned zone. Noah also shows some excellent tackling ability in the open field.     One of the younger prospects listed in this article, Ty is gaining his notoriety from a recruiting perspective early in his career. Ty picked up his first Division 1 offer from Virginia Tech back in late May, and usually, that is an indicator of a player to watch going forward. Gardner-Webb followed with an offer in late June, and there will be more of those to come sooner rather than later for Ty. When you look at some clips of Ty, you see the impressive speed and athleticism in space. Ty also has elite instincts in pass coverage - sometimes you say guys have "it", I think Ty is one of those guys at the linebacker spot.     Isaiah is an impressive overall player. Last season, he had some nice production in a tough season for Glenn. With 124 total tackles, 75 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, and 3 sacks, Isaiah earned All-Conference honors along with being named his team's defensive MVP for the season. If that wasn't enough, Isaiah sports a 4.2 GPA, which will bode well for any opportunities that come his way from a college football perspective. Isaiah is really athletic in space and does a good job of getting to the football with good speed. Isaiah also shows very good anticipation in zone coverage, showing he has 3-down linebacker ability for the next level.     The High Point Christian prospect received All Area honors last season, and his production reflected the recognition accurately. Cameron had 115 total tackles with 17 tackles for loss last season, and he was probably the best defensive player on the field for his team. Cameron was also named Defensive Player Of The Year for his team and All-Conference. Cameron has numerous college football programs interested in him, and on film, he shows why. Cameron shows good pursuit of the football and good fundamental tackling skills in space, showing the ability to strip the football while tackling. Cameron also shows the ability to blitz and put pressure on the quarterback, with nice bursts of speed in short spaces.     I debated on having three linebackers from the same school in one article, but that is the type of talent Grimsley has right now, coming off their championship. Drew was a big part of their success last season at middle linebacker, and his GPA is an accurate reflection of his football intelligence, with a 3.9 overall. I love how Drew gets to the football in the running game, and the Whirlies can move him around to pressure off the edge as well. Drew shows great speed blitzing from depth in those situations, making him a valuable chess piece defensively. Drew also shows good discipline in pass coverage, making two big interceptions in the championship game last season with nice speed and discipline from a pass coverage perspective.

Our series continues where I am digging into the Triad Area players in the state of North Carolina to spotlight before the season starts. Previously, I focused on the Charlotte Metro Area in a series earlier this year, and my colleague Will Helms dug into the Raleigh area in a similar fashion earlier this year as well. The Triad in North Carolina will feature schools centered near the cities of Winston-Salem and Greensboro for full clarity.