2023 Rankings: Linebackers Who Are Leading The Charge
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Scouring the state for the best linebackers was no easy task. We’ve got stat-stuffing players all over, and some of them have already put up some big numbers. But what we found in the first seven to move into our…
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Continue ReadingScouring the state for the best linebackers was no easy task.
We’ve got stat-stuffing players all over, and some of them have already put up some big numbers. But what we found in the first seven to move into our Class of 2023 rankings were specific tool sets that we believe will make them continue to improve over the course of their final two seasons of high school football.
TJ Wilson TJ Wilson 6'0" | 215 lbs | LB Ashley Ridge | 2023 State SCSchool: Ashley Ridge
Analysis: There are linebackers who headhunt, and then there are guys like Wilson who do it much more precisely. Wilson has been taught to go after the belt line and does it so well that he almost never misses a tackle. It neutralizes opposing momentum and he usually wins the battle.
Kazi Bland Kazi Bland 6'0" | 225 lbs | LB Southside | 2023 State SCSchool: Southside
Analysis: Bland racked up 30.5 tackles, and five for loss. It’s because he’s strong enough to bring down a ball carrier with one hand while seemingly able to scout the field well enough to put him within reach. He does it all while in the middle or creeped up toward the line.
Joshua McPherson (Pictured above)
School: Wilson
Analysis: The Tigers’ linebacker is already adept at adjusting on the fly in what has been the toughest Class 4A region in the state. He doesn’t get juked and can stay put or jump into the backfield when necessary. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he also has a high-end build for the job.
Roshad McAllister Roshad McAllister 6'0" | 200 lbs | LB Lamar | 2023 State SCSchool: Lamar
Analysis: His tackles numbers were through the roof as a sophomore, and it led him to virtually every local awards list in 2020. McAllister will keep racking up those stops, and with an influential senior class now moving on, his impact on the team will rise, too.
Omari Jenkins Omari Jenkins 6'2" | 225 lbs | LB Timberland | 2023 State SCSchool: Timberland
Analysis: Jenkins is the tallest linebacker of this bunch at 6-foot-2 (and 225 pounds). And he plays with the tools he’s been given and worked to achieve. His pursuit angles are solid, which adds to the fact that he’s bigger than most ball carriers he’s attempting to tackle.
Luke Schuller Luke Schuller 6'0" | 205 lbs | LB Greenville | 2023 State SCSchool: Wren
Analysis: Two of the three players on the Wren roster who accumulated more stops than Schuller were seniors, meaning his production is likely going to increase dramatically next year. Considering he also had seven tackles for loss and a pair of sacks, that’s going to help the Hurricanes stave off graduations.
Jalen Rambert Jalen Rambert 6'1" | 240 lbs | LB Powdersville | 2023 State SCSchool: Powdersville
Analysis: Currently the top-ranked player in our overall rankings for the class, Rambert does everything we’d expect from a top-flight linebacker expected to cover the middle of the defense. He tackles, reads the ball carrier’s eyes, keeps an eye on the quarterback and directs his defense.