Stats: 10 Tackles, 2 TFLs, 1 Sack

I love watching this kid play the LB position. Instinctive, fast, high motor/IQ, and he is going to run through the ball carrier when he arrives. Brendan’s mental side boosts his physical tools even more, making it seem like he knows where the ball is going before the snap because he arrives so quickly. Even when linemen get to him the 210 lbs athlete has built the power to be able to shed the blocks of OL. Foley checks every box of being the QB of the defense from leadership to physical tools. Game changing talent.

What a career the Arrowhead LB has been building over the past few years. He is a leader on and off the field, perfectly personifying the QB of the defense mentality. The senior has the football IQ to beat you before the ball even snaps. He is so quick to read and react, closely violently and fast, and hits with bad intention. Foley brings that scary combo required to star as a 3 down LB. Athleticism and agility to drop in coverage and the power and tenacity to shed blocks and run between the tackles.

To this point the nightmare inducing LB has 93 tackles, 13 TFLs, 1 FF, 2 FRs, and 5 sacks. The senior LB feels like he is everywhere all at once and you can’t get away from him. A special talent, and a terrifying athlete to face off against.

Army football has a great commit on the way in LB Brendan Foley Brendan Foley 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Arrowhead | 2026 State WI . The 2026 jumps off the tape while playing in the best conference in WI. He is so quick to diagnose plays and just as quick to get to the ball to make plays and stops. He is a hard hitter, quick to shed blocks, and has the sideline to sideline range to give offenses fits trying to gain yards in the run game or quick passing game. The QB of the Arrowhead defense is going to put up numbers that could have him in the running for this honor.

Brendan put together one of the best defensive seasons in 2024. We already talked about him in the previous article where we looked at the top tacklers. Now the dominant LB is back with his production as a pass rusher. His 10 sacks in 2024 were tied for 14th overall, and they have him at 7th among athletes returning to the field in 2025. When Brendan went QB hunting it was his timing, elite burst, and speed that got him home in a hurry. Foley is such a versatile athlete that is on his way to developing himself into a D1 level three-down LB.

Total Tackles: 131

Brendan Foley Brendan Foley 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Arrowhead | 2026 State WI secured himself a strong 131 tackles in 2024 through just 12 games. That equals out to almost 11 tackles per game. The tackling machine is a talented ILB who does a great job of flowing laterally while still coming downhill to the ball. He shows off strength to disengage from linemen and drops the hammer on kids when he makes contact, quickly ending any forward progression. Foley’s feel and instincts for the ILB position are some of the best in the state. There is no wasted movement, he reads, triggers, and finds the quickest path to get to the ball. On top of it you can trust his athleticism to drop into coverage over the middle zones of the defense. He is a talented 2026, and one of the best uncommitted players in the class.

Rankings Jump: 33 Spots

The inside LB group in the Class of 2026 is one of the strong points in this Class. Despite the talent in the group, Brendan was still able to launch himself into LB2, a Top 15 overall spot, and 33 spots up from where he was preseason. The All State LB has what you look for in the QB of your defense. He has a high football IQ, is able to make adjustments and call things out pre-snap. He also is very talented at quickly diagnosing plays and triggering downhill to attack. The ’26 LB is a nightmare to land a block on too. Because he is able to flow so quickly and pick through the trash in the trenches OL can’t get to him before he is slicing through the line to make tackles. The junior brings the athleticism needed to thrive at the next level as well. Quick to close, sideline to sideline speed, and the ability to naturally drop into coverage. Brendan put out tape that proved he is a future three down LB at the next level. Check it out below.

Find the ball and you will find Brendan. Foley is so good at diagnosing plays and instantly attacking where the ball is going. The junior LB has the speed to easily go sideline to sideline and can make tackles near the sideline for little to no gain because he can get out there so fast. Brendan’s acceleration also helps him roam around the tackle box very effectively. You see him go across the formation and still get through gaps to make a tackle for loss because of that quick diagnosis and trigger to attack. We need our LB that we are building to be able to attack the entire field like Brendan Foley Brendan Foley 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Arrowhead | 2026 State WI can.