Five 2023 Inside Linebackers to Watch
As I continue my positional previews for the class of 2023, I have moved to the defensive side of the ball. After wrapping up a very talented defensive line class, I will turn my attention to the young men in…
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Continue ReadingAs I continue my positional previews for the class of 2023, I have moved to the defensive side of the ball. After wrapping up a very talented defensive line class, I will turn my attention to the young men in the middle of the defense. With that being said, here are five inside linebackers in the upcoming senior class that should be on the radars of college football programs.
Aiden Jones| 6’3″, 225 lbs.| Covington Catholic High School| Junior Year Film
Jones is a big, athletic inside linebacker that moves laterally very well for his size. He does a great job of flowing to the ball and is a very physical tackler once he gets there. Jones uses his size to his advantage to be a “brick wall” in the middle as there isn’t much movement once ball carriers run into him. He has the versatility and athleticism to rush off the edge and finish at the quarterback while also being very effective at blitzing up the middle. Jones currently holds offers from Eastern Kentucky and Army, and I fully expect many more offers to come as his blend of size and ability will catch the eyes of college coaches this summer.
Cayden Allen| 5’10″, 230 lbs.| Great Crossing High School| Junior Year Film
Allen is a player that has stuck out to me a lot this summer when looking over film. He had an impressive junior season, finishing with 83 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and three defensive touchdowns. Allen is a very physical linebacker that comes down hill and finishes his tackles with a great amount of force. He also does a great job at timing his blitzes, getting a great jump on offensive linemen before they can react. While he is very good at stopping the run, he is also very fluid when dropping in coverage and has shown the ability to break on passes for interceptions. I’m very surprised that Allen doesn’t currently hold any offers and I expect them to start coming in for him soon.
Nikalos Dixon| 5’10″, 207 lbs.| Bryan Station High School| Junior Year Film
Dixon is a key piece of a Bryan Station football team that has been quickly on the rise of the past few seasons. He does a great job of coming downhill out of the snap of the ball and using his speed to shoot the gaps against the run. Dixon also uses that speed to flow to the ball, doing a great job of reading his keys and taking good angles to get to the ball. Once he gets to the ball, he is a very good open field tackler, making sure he secures the tackle and runs his feet on contact. He currently has one offer from Union College and I expect more to come for him as he has the talent to play at the next level somewhere.
Devin Derossett| 6’0″, 215 lbs.| Pikeville High School| Junior Year Film
Derossett is coming off a very successful junior season in which he played a key role in Pikeville’s 2021 State Championship run. He finished the year with 108 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. He has good size for a true inside linebacker and plays with a ton of physicality. Derossett does a great job of reading his keys and flowing to the ball. When he gets to the ball carrier, he is a very good tackler in the open field, driving his feet on contact and not allowing any extra yards. He doesn’t currently hold any offers but I expect them to come soon with a strong summer and senior season.
Davis Fant| 5’11″, 215 lbs.| Bowling Green High School| Junior Year Film
Davis Fant will be looking to build off of an impressive junior season in which he finished with 83 total tackles, 63 of them being solo. Fant shows a high football IQ as he does a great job of reading the play and reacting quickly. He is very smooth when flowing to the ball, putting himself in great position to make plays with the angles he takes to the ball. Once he gets to the ball, he is a very sound tackler, wrapping up and running his feet on contact. He also is his team’s punter and used his athletic ability and speed to run several fake punts successfully last season. While he doesn’t hold any official offers at the moment, I expect them to come his way soon as he has received interest from multiple college programs.