5 Linebackers from the 2021 Class Ready to Breakout in 2021
Today, we continue our look at the defensive side of the ball as I spotlight five linebackers who need more recruiting attention and I expect to bust onto the scene with a dominant 2020 season! The basis to make this…
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Continue ReadingToday, we continue our look at the defensive side of the ball as I spotlight five linebackers who need more recruiting attention and I expect to bust onto the scene with a dominant 2020 season! The basis to make this article was that I wanted to find five linebackers who have strong film, but don’t have an abundance of offers. For each player we will review the current offers and then take a look at what traits they consistently show on tape. So let’s dive into our first linebacker’s recruitment and film!
Orion Boe Orion Boe 6'0" | 235 lbs | LB D.C. Everest | 2021 State WI – D.C. Everest, 6’0″ 215
Orion has been doing exactly what you want to see out of a player who isn’t receiving the recruiting attention they deserve. According to his twitter page, Orion has been hitting the football camp circuit extremely hard to get his name and abilities in front of as many teams as possible. If he performed similarly to his film, I have no doubts that he impressed during his time at each camp and could start to see some offers come in thanks to those performances. Currently, Boe holds offers from Loras College and St. Norbert’s College, both of which are solid programs, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see more D2 interest for him after getting to several D2 camps.
When you pop in the film you see an LB with a nice frame who can handle adding more size to get to the point of where he would need to be at the next level. He also has a good level of athleticism for the position. He can flow sideline to sideline and has the range to fill every assignment he could get on a play. He also translates that speed into some very hard hits and is a consistent tackler overall. Against the run game, Orion does a nice job of shooting gaps before linemen can react and when linemen do get in front of him he does a great job of holding his ground and getting off of the block to make a play. Orion doesn’t have a ton of film against the pass, but what he does have available you can see that he plays with good spacial awareness and overall awareness when playing in zone coverage. I have complete confidence he can hold his own at the next level in coverage thanks to that awareness and his physical traits for when he would be in a man coverage situation.
Sammy Smith Sammy Smith 6'0" | 220 lbs | LB Sun Prairie | 2021 State WI – Madison West, 6’0″ 220
Sammy is a football player first, linebacker second. This kid is everywhere on the field and does his job at 100 mph every snap. It is so fun to watch. The potential he has is immense, which makes it even more shocking that he currently holds one offer, which is from Upper Iowa. He must be one of the better kept secrets in the state or he has somehow been overlooked thus far. That ends today. Smith has the traits to be a special college athlete at least at the D3 level, but I think he could hold his own at the D2 level as well. Let’s talk about exactly what the film shows us.
The first thing that jumps out and hits you right in the face is that Sammy plays at a different speed and level of tenacity compared to everyone else on the field. He is an impressive athlete, but also an enforcer and he is going to make sure you remember when he hits you. The most impressive part of his tape is that you can tell he is still raw because he didn’t play a specific position. He lined up at TE, Edge, and ILB and flew around and made plays. When he finds a home at the next level and can master one spot he has the traits to be a game changer. At the next level, I think he would be best as an edge defender who can focus mostly on rushing the passer and setting the edge against the run. While he doesn’t have off the charts length, Sammy has shown that he has the traits to rush the edge. His flexibility and ability to bend around the edge along with his multiple pass rush moves such as he spin, and swim make him a dangerous pass rusher. Against the run, Sammy’s speed to pursue down the line of scrimmage and make plays from behind is eye opening and his speed and strength combination are more than enough to shock linemen and set a strong edge against runs to his side. Sammy is going to a player to watch this year and in the future. Immense talent.
Logan Ertl Logan Ertl 6'1" | 215 lbs | LB Wauwatosa West | 2021 State WI – Wauwatosa West, 6’1″ 200
Logan is an interesting player to study. He is more of a tweener than he is a one position player. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him build interest as an LB or as a safety. His position doesn’t worry me a ton. He will find a role to make an impact in. That is why I included him here in this article. He is too talented to not have a lot a interest, so I wanted to get him into one of these position articles somewhere. The hype train for Ertl might just be getting started as he has landed offers from Augustana and Northern State in the past two weeks. Let’s keep that hype going and take a look at what his film tells us.
Logan has the body type of a safety, but his play when he goes down into the box resembles an LB that has 15 lbs on him. Ertl is a player that you want to just make sure is on the field for your team. He has excellent range, both from the LB spot and the safety spot. He also makes just as much of an impact against the pass as he does the run. Logan is the ultimate matchup piece. He could cover a slot or tight end in man coverage, cover a deep half in zone coverage or he could fill the B gap against the run. Against the pass, Ertl is impressive. He has excellent ball skills, he reads and reacts very quickly, and has the loose hips to turn and run with the majority of athletes on the field. Against the run, Ertl turns into an aggressive punisher. He is a sound tackler who does a great job of reading the play and flying through his run fit to make the play. Just get him on the field and let him fly around and make plays on the ball and the ball carrier.
Cole Yanke Cole Yanke 6'0" | 210 lbs | LB Middleton | 2021 State WI – Middleton, 6’0″ 210
Cole is a tackling machine for Middleton at the linebacker position. He has the frame to handle the additional size that he will need to succeed at the next level and I believe that he has the athleticism to be able to play at the next level. Right now I would say he is a prime D3 target and should have quite a bit of interest from those schools. Yet, Yanke current list of offers is St. Norbert’s College. That is a good start, but it can’t be the end of the list. He is too reliable, too technical, and has too much of an ability to get to where the ball is to overlooked by this many teams.
The first trait that consistently jumps out from Cole’s tape is that he plays with exceptional closing speed. When he gets his sights set on a target he is shot out of a cannon and ends the play before the ball handler can make a move. Against the run, Cole does a good job of bursting through his gap faster than the offensive linemen can work up to him or react to him. He is a reliable tackler and will lay the hammer when he gets a chance to. If he can continue to grow and develop his strength he will be make a huge impact as a run stuffer at a minimum at the next level. Against the pass, Cole plays with sufficient awareness in zone coverage and can move well. He is best in zone coverage instead of running with a player in man coverage. That way he can rely more on read and react than on his pure athleticism. He is a heady player that can cut out a role for himself on a lot of teams.
Ryan Verstegen Ryan Verstegen 5'11" | 210 lbs | LB Little Chute | 2021 State WI – Little Chute, 5’11″ 203
Verstegen is an interesting case. I’m not exactly sure where he fits best, but he is a legitimate player and should have a lot more interested than reported on his twitter page. Ryan’s best position might be more of a nickel role or a similar hybrid-LB role. He has an impressive knack for always being where the ball is, whether in the run or pass game and his services could be useful on many D3 programs and potentially even D2 programs. At this point Ryan doesn’t have any reported offers, but he is receiving some interest. Hopefully that can turn into offers as he continues his strong play into his senior season.
Based on Ryan’s film, I believe that at the next level he will best playing in space. This is why I believe if he plays a nickel role where he can play in the slot or at the end of the line of scrimmage where he can use his athletic gifts to make an impact instead of having to win with strength while being undersized. We want to get him in the best position for success as possible. Ryan is a fun film to watch though. Against the run, Vertegen has the range to pursue all over the field and make tackles. Ryan also does a great job of reading the play as it develops. He doesn’t get caught out of position by misdirection and he does a great job of picking through the jumble of bodies in front of him to make plays. Against the pass, Ryan, similar to other guys on this list, is best when he can read what is happening in front of him and then come downhill, close quickly, and make a play. He has the athletic ability to play in man coverage, but that doesn’t show up a ton on film. Ryan is an interesting one to watch as he continues to build interest.
Make sure to tune back in for the next part in this series as we look at the defensive back group!