Breakout is a broad term, and in one sense, Werts already did that with a fantastic season-ending performance as a freshman. He had a 12-tackle, three-sack game in a playoff loss to Lake Norman and is back as a sophomore. Unsurprisingly, he’s expected to have a larger role, and I’m intrigued to see what Werts can do with a full season’s worth of work. He’s smooth in the open field and closes in a hurry, making him a potential 100-tackle player.

We first wrote about Werts when breaking down some of the best linebackers in Forsyth County, and then had the pleasure of watching him at our Prep Redzone Exposure Camp. There, we confirmed what we’d seen on film: a young guy with length who can move well laterally. It’s early, but we like what we’ve seen.

Just a freshman, Werts’s only play speed is full speed, and he flies around the field like a man on a mission. He’s already grown a bit, and we expect that by his junior season, he’ll have true middle linebacker size and strength. For now, he’s still extremely effective as an undersized gap-shooter who can get the quarterback as a blitzer and hold his own in coverage.

Werts played well in a couple of early blowouts before earning more consistent varsity run at the end of the season. He has excellent size, speed, and instincts for the linebacker position. Werts has excellent potential, and he’s a guy we’re watching closely over the next few seasons.