2026 Rankings: Standout Linebackers

Miller is a tackling machine. The 5'11 185-pound MLB had 131 total tackles (64 solo, 67 assisted), 6 TFL, 2 sacks, 7 QB pressures, 5 PD, 1 FF, and 1 FR. Miller has continued to develop over the past couple of seasons. He has very good athletic ability due to very good acceleration, lateral agility, speed, and good jumping. Miller has very good mental processing. He watches the QB's eyes putting himself in position to make a tackle or disrupt the pass. He uses his lengthy arms to knock the ball off its track. Very good tackler. He's patient not missing tackles. He uses his knowledge of gaps, to get behind the line of scrimmage. He's a great run stopper as well. Meets and stops the running back at the 2nd level. Miller has good lateral quickness to move from sideline to sideline. Miller also has the athletic ability to succeed in zone coverage. A versatile linebacker who will have more heads turning as we go into the off-season.     Souders is seen as a crucial part of Fort Collins' defense. The 6'0 190-pound LB had 98 total tackles (52 solo, 46 assisted), 9 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 7 QB hurries, 5 INT, 1 pick 6, and 2 FF. Sounders has very good athletic ability due to very good acceleration, stamina, change of direction, and good speed. Sounders has very good reactionary speed. He seems, he instantly reacts trusting his instincts. He has very good mental processing. He puts himself in position to make the interception, or rushes the correct gap leading to a TFL. Elite zone coverage skills. He uses his athleticism to stay in stride with wide receivers and tight ends. Very good ball tracking skills and very good catching. He is a ball hawk. Souders is also a very good tackler and good run stopper. He has good tackling form, and very good strength to stop the offense in their tracks. He is a complete linebacker and any college would be lucky to have him.     Viarrial was a dominating force for Lutheran last season. The 6'1 200-pound linebacker had 94 total tackles (60 solo, 34 assisted), 13 TFL, 5 QB pressures, 1 INT, and 3 pass deflections. Viarrial has good athletic ability due to very good lateral agility, acceleration, change of direction, good speed, and jumping. Viarrial uses his athletic ability to give himself good range of the defense. Patrols from sideline to sideline. Has good reactionary skills. Good anticipation in zone coverage. Xavier has very good mental processing by IDing gaps and rushing them, staying patient with tackles/zone, and watches the QB's eyes. Viarrial has very good strength uses that to have good tackling. He's a physical linebacker, and brings the boom to running backs. Keep an eye out for Viarrial.     Measuring in at 6'3 185-pounds, Hageman was the middle linebacker for Erie this past season. The standout linebacker had 75 total tackles (35 solo, 40 assisted), 6 TFL, 2 sacks, 3 QB hurries, 1 INT, and 3 pass deflections. Hageman has good athletic ability due to good lateral agility, change of direction, speed, and acceleration. He has good push off against the offensive line and blockers. Good blocking shedding. Hageman has good tackling, and tackles towards the ball carrier's center of gravity. He is a good run stopper. Good in zone coverage with reading and reacting to what he sees. Hageman had good production and I'm interested to see how he does next season.     Ross measures in at 6'1 210, and had showcased his good run stopping ability all season. He had 82 total tackles (28 solo, 54 assisted), 8 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 PD, and 1 FF. Ross lined up as both a linebacker and defensive end. He has good athletic ability due to very good lateral agility, acceleration, and good speed. He has a quick twitch to him. Good mental processing by IDing gaps and rushing through them with ease. As a defensive end, he uses his good hand placement and hand strength to move the OL out of the way. He has a good spin move and a good bull rush. As a linebacker, he is always watching the ball carrier. He is a hard-hitting linebacker uses his versatility to bring a different element to this defense. Not every day you see a MLB succeed at defensive end.