Biggest out-of-state grabs: Linebacker
RELATED: Biggest out-of-state quarterback grabs | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL
Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.
Out-of-state recruiting is especially important if you want to vie for a national championship or even to just contend in your division. In this series, we look at players recruited out of state that will have a big impact on their teams, and conference battles, in 2019. We continue with some of the linebackers that stand out.
Recruiting: Closing in on a dozen offers, Fisher trimmed his list of top schools down to Northwestern and Baylor before committing to the Wildcats during the summer leading up to his senior season. Boston College, Houston, Indiana, Wisconsin, Washington and Maryland were some of his other offers.
Farrell’s take: The big programs in Texas missed on Fisher but Northwestern didn’t and they’ve done a great job of developing him. He’s become one of the best linebackers in the country and his instincts were off the charts in high school.
Recruiting: Gil initially committed to Miami, but continued to keep his recruitment relatively open. After taking an unofficial visit to Michigan, he decommitted from the Canes soon after and flipped to the Wolverines a few days later.
Farrell’s take: Gil is ready for a breakout season living in the shadow of fellow Floridian Devin Bush for the last couple of years. Gil was a safety prospect out of high school but certainly had the size to grow into a linebacker. In fact, his ‘tweener status is what led to his lower ranking.
Recruiting: Kelly took official visits to Oklahoma, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon before committing to the Sooners on National Signing Day. Alabama and USC were also considered major players for Kelly throughout his process.
Farrell’s take: Kelly was a five-star linebacker who could not only tackle and play the run but was excellent in coverage for a bigger man. His coverage skills and skill in space were why we thought Oklahoma and the Big 12 was a good fit for him and he’s getting better every season.
Recruiting: Borland picked up several big offers during the winter and spring after his junior season, which led him to trim his list of top schools down to Ohio State, Wisconsin and Northwestern. While the Badgers were considered the leader by many, an unofficial visit to Columbus quickly changed everything and led to his commitment.
Farrell’s take: Borland had some nice offers but wasn’t recruited on a national level because he wasn’t that tall or long. He’s proven to be a solid out-of-state take for Ohio State as the Buckeyes saw something some of the other bigger programs in the country missed.
Recruiting: Moses, who began accumulating offers while in middle school, was an early commitment to LSU before re-opening his recruitment. He then committed to Alabama after an official visit to Tuscaloosa during his senior season, and stuck with the Tide despite taking later additional visits to LSU, Ohio State and Miami.
Farrell’s take: Moses was a five-star linebacker by the end of our rankings but started off as a middle school prodigy as a running back. His commitment to Alabama was a bit of a surprise because most expected him to stay home and play for LSU. He’s lived up to the hype so far and should have a huge year.
Recruiting: Dye committed to Oregon over Oregon State, Colorado and Nevada during the summer leading up to his senior season. The Ducks’ coaching staff had made him a recruiting priority from the start, which helped make the decision easier for Dye.
Farrell’s take: Dye has become a surprise star at Oregon, a kid who wasn’t recruited heavily but hit the ground running right away in college. His maturity on the field is off the charts and his athleticism has been a bit of a surprise. California is very important for Oregon, so this was a very big get for them.
