704 Junior Bowl Linebacker Candidates

The Queen City Senior Bowl honors 80 of the top seniors in the Charlotte Metro Area. Prep Redzone North Carolina takes a look at a hypothetical "704 Junior Bowl" - players that had a strong junior season that would be considered for a selection if such a game existed in the Charlotte Metro Area. In Year 1 of this series, I went ahead and selected who would be on my Junior Bowl team. This year, I am going to give you a list of candidates for consideration, then we'll do a final release of the full team once all position candidates have been released. So, let's take a look at our linebacker candidates for selection.   **For full transparency, the 704 Junior Bowl will consider players from the following counties: Cleveland, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Iredell, Cabarrus, and Union counties.**    Playing as a pass rusher off the edge and as a 2nd level linebacker, Jace had a highly productive season for the state champion Chargers. 64 tackles, 23 hurries, 20 tackles for loss, and 17 sacks speak to the high level of disruption Jace caused against opposing offenses this past season. At the moment, Jace has offers from West Virginia State and Delaware State, and I think more attention will come his way. Jace has nice speed off the edge and can play some off-ball as well, so another highly productive season should catch the attention of more college football programs for sure.     Matthew is a player that a number of us here at Prep Redzone North Carolina have showcased, and it's because he's been a prospect who has been on the rise overall. He really came on strong last season, and he impressed me with his movement and overall athleticism at the Prep Redzone Winter Showcase back in December. It will only be a matter of time before college football programs take notice and jump on board with us in thinking Matthew will be a legitimate prospect to play at the next level. All that being said, he is a strong consideration for this 704 Junior Bowl team as well.     One of the big stories this offseason has been player movement, and Michael has switched schools from West Charlotte to Hough. There's no doubt that he fits seamlessly into the Huskies projected defense next season, as Michael is an absolute talent as an inside linebacker. The hustle and skill in getting to the football in the running game is impressive, and we've seen Michael command the middle of the field well in pass coverage, also. The speed, agility, and explosive movements on the 2nd level have also impressed numerous college programs. Louisville, Wake Forest, Liberty, and Oklahoma have been the latest programs to offer this young man.     Chris may not be a name you know because there are a lot of talented linebackers in North Carolina, but the physicality combined with the speed Chris shows on film is why I've got him as a candidate for this 704 Junior Bowl team. This past season, Chris had 85 Tackles (60 solo) and 15 tackles for loss. Add a 4.4 GPA on top of that, and you've got a complete package kind of player right in front of you. Chris can shed blocks from linemen and backs well on the interior of the defense. And then, Chris can line up on the edge and be disruptive in the backfield there as well. That kind of versatility is important on defense, and Chris excels in both of those areas.     Justin has been one of my favorite linebackers in Charlotte for a while now, and it's been a steady improvement for him from a young prospect who has been the most impressive. Every time I see his film, he gets better and better, and I think this past season was the best version of himself that Justin has put on film so far in his career. Justin was selected both All-Conference and All-State this past season and had over 100 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks for the state champion Chargers. The thing that really stands out about Justin on film is his closing speed - whether he is blitzing from depth or tracking a ball carrier in space, Justin gets from his position to where he needs to go in a hurry. And he usually arrives with bad intentions; his tackling is excellent from a fundamentals standpoint.     Positional versatility is a trait that keeps popping up with this group of linebackers, and that trend continues with Memphys. This past season, Memphys tallied 92 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks - impressive production. I remember specifically highlighting Memphys as a player of the week for 3 sacks he had against Independence - no slouch there at all. So obviously, Memphys shows the ability to get to the quarterback when lined up on the edge of the defense. Memphys can also play off-ball at middle linebacker, and he shows some excellent ability to shed blocks and scrape to get the football against the interior running game in that role. Memphys should start to see some college football program interest coming this offseason, in my opinion.     Shelby is known for their high-flying offense and big-time production on that side of the ball, but you don't win championships with just offense. Landon brings the balance and physicality from his linebacker spot on defense, and was a big reason the Golden Lions walked away with another state championship this past season. For the season, he totaled 140 tackles, an impressive 35 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks. Once again, versatility is present here with Landon, as he shows he can line up on the edge on occasion and impact the running game, as well as show good speed in chasing down quarterbacks for sacks.     Once again, another versatile linebacker is on our 704 Junior Bowl candidate list! I observed Brayden at the CFI Carolinas Winter Showcase in December, and the way he moves for a player at his size is impressive. Brayden can play on the edge as a pass rusher or off-ball as a linebacker. Brayden also gives you some value on offense as a tough short-yardage running back who has enough speed in the open field to make some big plays with the ball in his hands. I know he'll be a big piece of the Stuart Cramer defense next season, and he's a legitimate candidate for this 704 Junior Bowl team.     Evan is just a steady force in the 2nd level of the Marvin Ridge defense. Game in and game out, you know you are going to get an absolute tackling machine that is going to stop plays before they turn into touchdowns. This past season, Evan had an outstanding 141 total tackles, and he showed an impressive ability to get to the football using intelligent pursuit angles and knowing how to scrape and shed blocks well. Evan shows impressive speed in getting to the football from his middle linebacker position, and he's not afraid to arrive with some strong physical contact. It was fun to watch the effort and passion come through his highlight film for sure.     I've seen Markalen a couple of times in person, and his speed and athleticism continue to impress me from his linebacker position. Markalen is excellent in tracking ballcarriers in the open field, and is a sure tackler in those one-on-one situations. Markalen had an impressive 102 total tackles this past season, and I'm sure he will have the opportunity to improve on those stats even more coming into his senior season at Burns. A 3.7 GPA reflects his overall intelligence on and off the field, and in due time, college football programs will begin to show more interest as well.

The Queen City Senior Bowl honors 80 of the top seniors in the Charlotte Metro Area. Prep Redzone North Carolina takes a look at a hypothetical "704 Junior Bowl" - players that had a strong junior season that would be considered for a selection if such a game existed in the Charlotte Metro Area. In Year 1 of this series, I went ahead and selected who would be on my Junior Bowl team. This year, I am going to give you a list of candidates for consideration, then we'll do a final release of the full team once all position candidates have been released. So, let's take a look at our linebacker candidates for selection.