Not far behind Taegan Hackney Taegan Hackney 5'9" | 190 lbs | LB Mingo Central | 2027 State WV as the most productive freshman linebacker in the state last year was Tug Valley’s Cane Thompson Cane Thompson 6'0" | 185 lbs | LB Tug Valley | 2027 State WV . Thompson led the Panthers in tackles with 106 along with 14 TFLs, 2 sacks, and an interception. He has quality size for a young linebacker at 6’0 170 and plays the position like an experienced player. The first two traits about his game that jumped out were his level of physicality and aggressive tackling ability. Thompson is a downhill thumper who will knock you back and prevent extra yards from being made. He showed good pursuit to the ball which led to his TFL production while having the speed to run ball carriers down. Thompson was also patient when in a spy or zone reading the quarterback before pursuing him with quick reaction. As he continues to get bigger and stronger he’ll take his game to the next level, but Thompson has shown great early signs of developing into one of the higher-ranked linebackers in the 2027 class.