Five Linebackers Poised for a very successful Offseason

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're going to be in for a major shakeup of the Linebacker Rankings come next month. Looking at various factors such as size, athletic ability, tackling, pass coverage, and more, I'm completely retooling the way I evaluate Linebackers. Through my increased knowledge of the position comes much more confidence in <em>where</em> these unoffered prospects may end up. Today, I'm taking a look at five linebackers who I see earning D3/D2 offers this Spring. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1538482"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-678f11e93925c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Strengths</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Can scrape, fill, tackle</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Downhill</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Great play speed</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Weaknesses</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Makes wrong read often</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Athletic ability looks just above average</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Bad strength of schedule</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">One of the best off-ball MLBs in Michigan, likely a high D3 or low D2 prospect. Can scrape, fill, tackle- something that most off-ball LBs struggle mightily with. Not much blitzing, not much pass coverage, and not many sideline-to-sideline plays. That said, his athleticism looks average. This is what will hold him back from D2 offers. Another thing that will likely hold Brock back is his size. Looking at rosters from Grand Valley State, Ferris State, and Michigan Tech, those three teams have a combined three (3) sub-6-foot linebackers on roster. Still, a very good off-ball middle linebacker who does a lot of things that most LBs are quite frankly poor at. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["551281"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-678f11e9392de"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Another very good off-ball linebacker who will probably face an uphill battle this offseason simply because of his height. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>However, he has a fighting chance of earning D2 offers. For one, he's one of the better run-stopping linebackers in Michigan while also having a few impressive sideline-to-sideline highlights. Those highlights make me a little more confident of his athletic ability. Generally, he looks much more well-rounded than the vast majority of off-ball Linebackers. A lot will depend on his pass coverage at camps, in addition to his athleticism. Still, I fully expect a ton of D3 attention with a chance for D2 attention. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1528740"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-678f11e939331"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Strengths</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Athletic</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Great speed</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Versatile</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Great production at many positions</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Weaknesses</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lesser experience at OLB</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Inconsistent pursuit angles</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>All-around raw fundamentals</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Easy High D3 prospect. Watched him be a nightmare against Marquette- several run stops from the backside.<br>Athletic as well. Testing numbers tell that story. Explosive, gets off the ball fast, and plays hard. Biggest two knocks are size and general inexperience playing outside linebacker. A few great games against great opponents. Very easy D3 evaluation- would not be surprised if he ends up going D2 with good camps.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Nathen is a super, super interesting prospect. If he's actually 6'0", I could see D2's sending out offers (seems like 6'0" is a hard cutoff for most D2's). I'm also looking forward to seeing Nathen at more camps this offseason. Gut feeling D3, but dang, those testing numbers are good. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["913877"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-678f11e939389"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Dominic should earn Division 3 attention this offseason. It's a little tricky because he's more of a swiss army knife. In addition, he doesn't quite have the size to be a D2 prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Still- Dominic is an absolute sparkplug. Brings the energy, hypes up his team, and makes a good number of plays too. A ton of highlights where Dominic goes unblocked off the edge. With that comes good-looking athleticism and consistently good pursuit. <br>Though Dominic plays mostly on-ball, and most camps have linebackers play off-ball. I'm interested in seeing how Dominic performs this offseason, and I'm even more interested in seeing who extends an offer. My gut says he'll find success earning D3 offers, especially because he seems like such an amazing locker room guy- which is way more valuable than most would expect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1298766"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-678f11e9393d6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Codde is a very similar player to Gavin and Brock. He's an off-ball linebacker who excels in stuffing the run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He can scrape, fill, and tackle. Plus, he's a hard hitter. In addition, I see above-average speed and athleticism. Isaac has a few highlights where he displays excellent pursuit and a good tackle- showcasing that athleticism. Plus, he has far more pass coverage highlights than the average off-ball linebacker. Coupled with his 6'0" height, Isaac has a fighting chance to earn Division 2 attention this Spring. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->