2025 Preseason All-State: Linebackers

There are a ton of fast, strong, athletic linebackers across the state. That's no secret.   One look at the guys on this list, though, will reveal that they're the best of the best. They influence games in a bunch of ways, and they influence their teammates as well, making everyone around them better.   There are guys who are great in coverage, guys who run around and make plays, guys who play behind and beside other standout players, and guys who are capable of taking over all by themselves.   Here's a look at the players on the 2025 Prep RedZone All-State Preseason Team Presented by Johnson & Lambe at linebacker.   [player_tooltip player_id='1165099' first='Darriyarn' last='Baxley']   School: Chester   Class: 2026   Baxley's got one of the biggest luxuries a linebacker can have in an elite defensive lineman who will command a double team nearly every play in front of him. Well, opponents better dedicate a couple guys to Baxley, too. With more than 120 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and a sack, Baxley is just a tackle machine who always seems to be around the ball for the Cyclones. He's at his best when he can run around and make plays. That seems to be almost always.   [player_tooltip player_id='473010' first='Michael' last='Boulware']   School: Gray Collegiate   Class: 2026   How good is Boulware? Well, he's about to be a four-year starter at one of the most difficult positions on the field, for one. You want size, strength, and speed? He's 6-foot-1, 214 pounds, hit 21 mph at the Carolinas Coaches Combine, where he also ripped off 20 reps on the bench. That blend of speed and power serves Boulware well on the field, where he gets downfield in a hurry and brings plenty of physicality when he gets there.    [player_tooltip player_id='1025771' first='Keryien' last='Brown']   School: Dillon   Class: 2026   Brown's a defensive coordinator's dream. He's capable of lining up at both outside linebacker and in the middle, which is where he plays the most. He's a walking defensive stat, with 158 tackles last season. Dillon's got a fantastic crop of LBs, and Brown is the guy who tends to set the pace and the tone on that side of the ball. He's got speed, brains, and plenty of pop, and he never hesitates to let any of it shine through.   [player_tooltip player_id='1594865' first='Brysen' last='Ginn']   Scholol: South Pointe   Class: 2026   Ginn is one of the most athletic guys on this list, and that's saying something. He does all the things you'd expect from a LB on a list like this, but one place he really stands out is in coverage. Ginn has a knack for using his body to make guys running routes near him uncomfortable without drawing penalties, whether he's in coverage or just influencing a play. His awareness is off the charts, as he diagnoses plays and responds immediately. And he's plenty physical, with more than 80 tackles and five for loss last year.   [player_tooltip player_id='816736' first='Terry' last='Gordon']   School: South Florence   Class: 2026   A standout season is one thing, but building a perennial contender is another thing entirely. It takes guys willing to play their roles as they blossom into stars. Enter [player_tooltip player_id='816736' first='Terry' last='Gordon'], who kicked the door down as a freshman at South Florence as somebody the Bruins absolutely couldn't keep off the field. Three years later, Gordon's steady (and spectacular) play at linebacker has been a constant for the Bruins in their run of three straight state title game appearances with two wins. He puts up plenty of numbers, with more than 220 career tackles, but his experience and knowledge of the game and the Bruins system is equally important.    [player_tooltip player_id='1172368' first='Andrew' last='Massey']   School: Hilton Head   Class: 2027   Massey missed some time last season, but he's got incredible upside heading into his junior season. He had 68 stops last season despite missing those games, and the way he plays indicates there's plenty more of that coming. He covers well, he closes on the ball, he makes tackles in space, and he lines up off the edge. It doesn't look like there's much that Massey can't do, and we expect Hilton Head to keep asking him to do more.   [player_tooltip player_id='1592687' first='Jameerion' last='Oliver']   School: TL Hanna   Class: 2026   Ever seen a linebacker who just kind of looks the part? In pregame, before you see his number, "Oh, THAT'S a linebacker"? Yeah. You have a good idea of Oliver. At 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds and playing like he's on fire, Oliver flies to the ball and racks up plays, to the tune of 93 tackles, five tackles for loss, and four sacks last season. He plays on the edge of discipline and reckless abandon, exactly what you'd expect from a top-flight LB. And he's got a chance to be even better as a senior.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267211' first='Gray' last='Patterson']   School: Fort Mill   Class: 2026   You want a comeback story? How about Patterson. He was limited to just six games last season, but his stock has skyrocketed thanks to an incredible performance at the Carolinas Coaches Combines. He can do just about anything you'd ask from a linebacker, and he's versatile enough to be great in coverage or to play with his hand in the dirt in short-yardage situations. The Charlotte commit is one of the reasons for some high hopes for the Yellow Jackets defense.   [player_tooltip player_id='1394986' first='Zyon' last='Ratchford']   School: Gaffney   Class: 2026   Ratchford is, simply, the prototype for a Gaffney linebacker. He's 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, flies to the ball, violent when he gets there. He checks every box, but he brings a whole lot more than that to the table. Ratchford had the luxury of playing alongside a couple of fantastic LBs as he was cutting his teeth, and now it's his show - not that it wasn't already. As a junior, he led the team in tackles with 68, was second in tackles for loss with 18, and added four sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. There's an argument that he was the best player on a very good defense, and he's back.   [player_tooltip player_id='1025776' first='Raleigh' last='Salters'] Dutch Fork   School: Dutch Fork   Class: 2026   The scariest things to consider about last year's loaded, talent-laden Dutch Fork defense is that they might be even better this year, and that Salters might've been the best player on last year's squad. That leaves him as this year's unquestioned gold standard. He had more than 80 tackles with a dozen for loss last year, but his impact goes far beyond numbers. Salters doesn't just know what he's supposed to be doing, he knows what everybody else is supposed to be doing, and he has a knack for making sure everybody's in the right place. He's the kind of leader you want in a linebacker, and his success isn't a surprise.    [player_tooltip player_id='1267200' first='Tamarion' last='Watkins']   School: Northwestern   Class: 2026   [player_tooltip player_id='1267200' first='Tamarion' last='Watkins'] passes every eye-test you could want from a linebacker. He's 6-foot-4, north of 200 pounds, fast, and strong. And then you watch him play, and you realize he lives up to every ounce of promise of those measurables. Watkins had 75 total tackles last year with eight for loss. He notched 2.5 sacks, three interceptions, broke up six passes, forced a fumble and blocked a punt. He can cover, he moves well sideline to sideline, and as much as he filled up the stat sheet, the intangibles the Texas A&M commit brings mean just as much.

There are a ton of fast, strong, athletic linebackers across the state. That's no secret.