Underrated Linebackers- Who’s Dominating This Season?

We've seen a ton of dominant defenders break out this season, so we thought we'd take a look at some of the leading tacklers in the state!   These guys have been making a ridiculous amount of plays this season, and it's all shown up on tape. As always, make sure you check out their film below. You won't want to miss out on this talent!    [player_tooltip player_id='1906802' first='Kadence' last='Conn'] has been dominant for Locust Fork's defense this fall, racking up stops against every team they've faced.   "Conn is a dominant run defender. He flies downhill, fills in gaps, and takes down RBs by the line of scrimmage for little to no gain every carry. Conn's really impressive in pursuit. He can create sideline-to-sideline stops using his speed, and is an intelligent defender who's always in the right position to make plays."   In eight games, Conn has racked up 144 total tackles (70 solo, 18 for loss), 3 sacks, 4 hurries, and one forced fumble.   Check out some of Conn's tape from earlier this year. He's been terrific for Locust Fork this fall.      [player_tooltip player_id='1127661' first='Luke' last='Brewer'] is a talented sideline-to-sideline playmaker on Ashville's defense who's been dominating his junior year.   "Brewer is a dominant run defender. He's excellent at filling in rushing lanes and making tackles at/behind the line of scrimmage. It's so hard for offenses to find any rhythm in their rushing game with how good he is at identifying and reacting to plays. Brewer is also an excellent tackler. He wraps up really well, can dish out some big hits, and has the speed to make tons of sideline-to-sideline plays all over the field.   One of the most impressive things I saw in Brewer's tape is seeing how he performs on the goal line. Brewer uses his excellent play recognition/run-defending skills to shut down offenses in the red zone. He single-handedly stopped several TD-scoring plays last season, consistently flying into the backfield to create huge plays for loss when it mattered most."   Brewer has been unstoppable this fall. In nine games, he's recorded 144 total tackles (110 solo, 21 for loss), 2 sacks, and two forced fumbles.   Make sure you watch some of Brewer's tape below. He's in the middle of a dominant junior season:      [player_tooltip player_id='1645215' first='Walker' last='Turner'] is a huge piece of Enterprise's talented defense who has consistently dominated every offense he's faced this season.   "At 6'2 216, Turner is quick on his feet, plays with great pursuit, and has a high football IQ that allows him to quickly recognize and disrupt plays. Turner is terrific at reading and making plays in pursuit- he takes great angles and has impressive closing speed he uses to rack up plays all around the field.   On top of that, Turner is really effective on passing downs- he constantly blitzes his way into the backfield to generate tons of pressure and has the ball skills out in coverage to track and break up passes as well."   Through 9 games, Turner has racked up 144 total tackles (122 solo, 7 for loss), 4 sacks, and 2 INTs.   Turner has put together some awesome tape this year. Do yourself a favor and check it out below:      [player_tooltip player_id='1992535' first='Blake' last='Battle'] is a talented LB who's made an unbelievable amount of stops for Sparkman's defense this season.   "Battle is an instinctual defender who thrives off his speed and ability to recognize plays. It feels like Battle is always near the ball. He's an athletic defender capable of creating sideline-to-sideline stops in pursuit; his effort really shows up on tape.   Battle isn't a one-trick pony. He can play the run and pass equally well, making his impact felt on blitzes, out in coverage, and filling in gaps against the run. I've been really impressed with Battles' tape this season; he's become a huge piece of Sparkman's defense."   In nine games, Battle has recorded 139 total tackles (55 solo, 10 for loss), 1.5 sacks, 10 hurries, and one INT/FF.   Battle has been dominant throughout this fall. Make sure you watch some of his tape below:      [player_tooltip player_id='1649063' first='Laquon' last='Whisenhunt'], an Alcorn State commit, is an athletic LB who's been all over the field for Jackson's defense this fall.   “Whisenhunt is a tackling machine who flies to the ball nearly every snap. Whisenhunt is excellent at reading and reacting to plays, is patient and instinctual, and constantly puts himself in great position to create stops. I'm impressed with Whisenhunt's ability to attack the run; he flies downhill, fills in rushing lanes, and takes down the ball carrier for little to no gain on almost every carry.   On passing downs, Whisenhunt has just as big of an impact, providing great coverage over the middle of the field and causing tons of problems behind the line by consistently pressuring quarterbacks off of blitzes.“   Whisenhunt has been terrific this season. Through 10 games, he's recorded 129 total tackles (53 solo, 6 for loss), 2 sacks, 7 hurries, and 2 PBUs.   Be sure to check out some of Whisenhunt's film below. He's been unstoppable this fall.

We've seen a ton of dominant defenders break out this season, so we thought we'd take a look at some of the leading tacklers in the state!