Best LBs of the Grand Strand And Pee Dee

Ian Guerin August 3, 2023 @ 08:00 AM

From Darlington County to the coast, these linebackers show just how deep this zone is at the position and how many of them are learning from one another and feeding off each other. Some of them already have rings, and in large part because of a few others, there are realistic hopes to earn one this year.

CLASS OF 2026

Terry Gordon Terry Gordon 5'11" | 225 lbs | LB South Florence | 2026 State SC South Florence - When South Florence was blowing out opponents most of last season en route to the state championship, a young freshman was getting plenty of mop-up duty. All he did was put up 36 tackles and four tackles for loss in 11 games. This time around, he's the Bruins' new starting middle linebacker.

CLASS OF 2025

Avery Todd Avery Todd 6'0" | 190 lbs | LB Loris | 2025 State SC Loris - As a sophomore, the 6-foot, 205-pound middle linebacker started to take ownership of a position he started to get significant playing time at as a ninth grader. He opened 2022 with an 11-tackle performance and then settled in nicely over the next 10 games.

Ashton Keith Ashton Keith 5'10" | 215 lbs | LB Myrtle Beach | 2025 State SC Myrtle Beach - The Seahawks' defense was somewhat out of sorts a year ago, thanks to some positional swaps following some injuries. But Keith has fully transitioned back to his regular spot at linebacker. You'll still see him coming off the edge, and the move should pay off for Myrtle Beach.

Web Barnes Hartsville - After an 82.5-tackle sophomore season, it was apparent that Barnes was going to start moving into a conversation of top linebackers in a region stacked full of them. Barnes covers up a lot of ills around him by being such a solid tackler and knowing what's happening around him.

James Herbert James Herbert 6'4" | 215 lbs | DL Trinity Collegiate | 2025 State SC Trinity Collegiate - Herbert checks every recruiting box, and he's been doing so for more than a year. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he's clearly got the size. Add that to his 96-tackle, 25-tackle-for-loss 2022 season, and you won't get any argument from us about why some NCAA Division-I programs are doing a bunch of research.

CLASS OF 2024

Ben Thompson Ben Thompson 5'10" | 195 lbs | LB Green Sea Floyds | 2024 State SC Green Sea Floyds - In the rebuilding job that new coach Patrick Martin must navigate, he's got a solid and experienced linebacker already in tow. Formerly the team's defensive coordinator, Martin already knows what he has in Thompson, who tallied 61 tackles last fall.

Issiah Brown St. James - Brown is a true middle linebacker in every sense of the position. The defensive coaching staff just wants him to do one thing: Make tackles. In that regard, Brown (58.5 total stops last year) does his job well. With excellent lateral quickness, he gets exactly where he needs to be.

Moses Freshley Moses Freshley 5'11" | 170 lbs | LB Conway | 2024 State SC Conway - Another extremely experienced face that fans have come to know is Freshley, who like his brothers before him has stood out for some time. Freshley will be entering his third year as a starter and should be the Tigers' top tackler this year.

Teague Ward Teague Ward 5'11" | 220 lbs | LB Williamsburg Academy | 2024 State SC Williamsburg Academy - There's a reason Ward (pictured) picked up a whole bunch of honors during last fall's state championship season. On top of his prowess at tailback, Ward is arguably the best senior linebacker in all of the SCISA ranks. He's got one more season to prove it.

Ricky Escobar Ricky Escobar 5'10" | 200 lbs | LB Myrtle Beach | 2024 State SC Myrtle Beach - It's been two years since we saw Escobar on the field, piling up tackles showing he had a bright future. It included a bump in the road, as he missed all of 2022 with a torn ACL. After rehab and a spring with the track and football programs, we think Escobar is back - in a big way.

Jordan Vancise Jordan Vancise 5'10" | 200 lbs | LB Loris | 2024 State SC Loris - What started late in his freshman year when the staff started putting Vancise on the field has worked out nicely for both the 5-foot-9, 185-pound outside backer but for the defense as a whole, too. Every statistical category has improved year after year.

Omar Johnson Loris - Led the Lions last year with 72.5 total tackles from his spot in the middle of the defense. Along with with his teammate (Todd), the Loris 3-4 scheme works more often than not. Last year, this team allowed a respectable 16 points per game. Johnson is a brick, but he doesn't move like one.

Noah Moore Noah Moore 6'0" | 215 lbs | LB South Florence | 2024 State SC South Florence - Moore was the third prong of one heck of a linebacker nucleus a year ago. His 88.5 total stops were better than most teams' leading tackler. He'll start this year on at the weak-side position, and there's no reason to believe he won't continue to excel.

Franklin Emerson Franklin Emerson 6'0" | 220 lbs | ATH West Florence | 2024 State SC West Florence - The Knights' middle linebacker didn't even play the entire 2022 season due to an injury. Yet, he still finished with 103 total tackles. He proved at the Palmetto Combine he's even faster than he was last year. That's not good for opposing ball carriers.

Kelvin Hunter Kelvin Hunter 6'1" | 185 lbs | DB West Florence | 2024 State SC West Florence - The University of South Carolina commit has probably blown up as much as anyone in the past 12 months. A converted defensive back, Hunter is as electric as they come. He make stops (87.5 last year), gets behind the line (19 tackles for loss) and makes high-impact plays (six pass break-ups, four forced fumbles).