Four 2020 LBs under consideration for fifth star
The postseason rankings update is just around the corner and multiple outside linebackers will be discussed as potential five-stars. Rivals.com analysts debate what could make these players five-stars and where their recruitment is headed.
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"There are few players in this class as athletic as Simpson. He started out his high school career as a running back before seeing action on both sides of the ball last year. Simpson is every bit the 6-foot-3 he is listed at and he has plenty of room to add solid weight to he 225-pound frame.
"What makes Simpson so special is his ability to cover sideline-to-sideline while playing with the aggressiveness and physicality necessary to become a big-time college linebacker. He can drop in space and play man coverage or zone, using his length to his advantage. Simpson has the skill set to play in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense and that should be very useful for his defensive coordinator at the next level.
"North Carolina is the prohibitive favorite for the former Auburn commit, but a commitment time frame is still up in the air." -- Adam Friedman, Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst
"Kennedy continues to grow as a player and he has put himself right in the thick of that five-star discussion this season. He is a versatile defender that has shown the ability to rush the quarterback with his hand down, drop into coverage at outside linebacker or fly down the field on special teams to deliver a big blow.
"The Alabama commit could be next in line at that position to come out of Tuscaloosa as a top NFL Draft pick. He checks a lot of the boxes. He could project outside or inside due to his size, speed, strength and versatility. The more you see Kennedy, the more impressive he is." -- Chad Simmons, Southeast Recruiting Analyst
"Sanders has been a freakish sort of talent since watching his junior highlights — and that was with the idea he’d be a tight end at the next level — despite a really impressive showing on the defensive side of the ball. Now that Sanders is set to be an edge rusher for Alabama it’s pretty clear to see why his future is so bright there.
"This fall, Sanders has made plenty of awesome plays on offense and defense, but he’s such an instinctual ball player with outstanding measureables — speed, power and destructiveness in pursuit and coverage — that it’s about time to acknowledge he’s one of the biggest difference-making players in the country." -- Sam Spiegelman, Texas and Louisiana Recruiting Analyst
"Linebackers don't come more athletic than the hyper-nimble Wingo, a middle linebacker with a gymnast's agility. He's as versatile a defender as there is in this class and can seemingly do it all.
"The Florida commit is the leader of one of the best high school defenses in the country and has long proven his game holds up against top-flight competition. His combination of size and quickness is extremely rare." -- Rob Cassidy, Florida Recruiting Analyst