A deep and talented position, the linebacker haul was particularly good for teams during the last recruiting cycle. There are a lot of plug and play talents, and a few guys who could really make their presence felt sooner rather than later. There may even be a Roquan Smith or two in this bunch.
This is not a list of the top 10 linebacker recruits, but rather the 10 freshmen with the best chance to make an immediate impact. Positional rankings are included.
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| Penn State's Micah Parsons (PennLive.com) |
1. Micah Parsons/Penn State (DE3) -- Parsons was so impressive during the spring that he has already ascended up the depth chart, though not at defensive end, the position for which he was most touted. PSU is very thin in its linebacking corps, so the athletic, fast Parsons was moved to an outside spot. He will still be counted on to rush the passer, and is also solid in coverage.
2. Ayodele Adeoye/Texas (LB13) -- The Longhorns defense was already trending upward, and the addition of Adeoye will only help. A rangy, quick, hard hitter, Adeoye should be able to find his way onto the field thanks to his combination of talents. Texas has a chance to be the best defense in the Big 12, and the talent is building up quickly.
3. JJ Peterson/Tennessee (LB5) -- Just about every spot is up for grabs under new coach Jeremy Pruett, and the Vols were 126th in the country against the run so certainly need to get tougher in the front seven. Peterson is a mammoth talent who should get into the rotation, and may even take a starting spot since one side is rife with inexperience.
4. Palaie Gaoteote/USC (LB1) -- The top prize among linebackers for 2018, the Las Vegas product chose the Trojans and ascended to Cam Smith's backup in the middle thanks to an excellent spring. USC was middle of the Pac against the run, and Gaoteote brings toughness and a nose for the football that hasn't always been present the last few seasons in Troy.
5. Robert Hicks/Louisville (LB29) -- The Cardinals were somehow able to pry one of the best talents in the Sunshine State from the Big Three Florida schools, and they'll be glad they were. Hicks is already on the depth chart and has excellent instincts and quickness. He should help Louisville recover from a lot of personnel losses on the stop side.
6. Teradja Mitchell/Ohio State (LB4) -- The Buckeyes continue to cast a wide national net, and were able to nab Mitchell out of Virginia. A bone-jarring tackler, Mitchell has great sideline to sideline speed and excellent football instincts. Linebacker is the lone weakness for the OSU D, so don't be shocked if Mitchell makes his presence felt early.
7. Merlin Robertson/Arizona State (LB14) -- Robertson has the speed and size (6-3, 231) to make an immediate impact for a defense that needs all kinds of help. The Sun Devils were 109th in defense in 2017, and 78th against the run, so having a gritty, physical run-stopper can only improve things. At least that's what first year coach Herm Edwards hopes. Robertson could vie for Pac-12 newcomer honors as he should be on the field from the beginning of the season.
8. Alston Orji/Vanderbilt (LB30) -- The Commodores had an excellent defensive recruiting class, and nabbed two top 50 linebackers in the process. There is precious little experience in Vandy's linebacking group, so Orji could be used sooner rather than later.
9. Dax Hollifield/Virginia Tech (LB16) -- The Hokies have always prided themselves in big, physical linebackers who can run, and Hollifield is the latest to fit that mold. One of the top players in North Carolina, Hollifield spurned his home state schools for a chance to play in Bud Foster's aggressive defense.
10. Bumper Pool/Arkansas (LB40) -- Besides having one of the best names in the 2018 recruiting class, Pool also has quite a bit of talent. One of the better players in talent-rich Texas, Pool likely won't get the starting nod behind incumbent De'Jon Harris, but could get onto the field in situational packages.
Just Missed: Cameron McGrone/Michigan (LB12); Payton Wilson/NC State (LB6); Caleb Tannor/Nebraska (NR); Rosendo Louis/South Carolina (LB41); Ale Kaho/Washington (NR); Matthew Flint/North Carolina (NR); Dallas Gant/Ohio State (LB18); Adrian Jackson/Oregon (LB19); Shayne Simon/Notre Dame (LB9); Xavier Peters/Florida State (LB20)
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