NEW 2025 POSITION RANKINGS: Pro-Style QB | Dual-Threat QB | Running Back | All-Purpose Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Offensive Tackle | Offensive Guard | Center | Defensive Tackle | Weakside Defensive End | Strongside Defensive End | Inside Linebacker | Outside Linebacker | Cornerback | Safety | Athlete
The updated 2025 Rivals250 has been released and now it’s time to break down each position. We continue with the linebackers by looking at four big storylines moving forward.
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
Sunday: Who should be No. 1?
Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Meet the new five-stars
Tuesday: New Rivals250 released | Gorney's thoughts | Biggest risers
Wednesday: Offensive position rankings | Breaking down the QBs | Breaking down the RBs | Breaking down the WRs/TEs | Breaking down the OL
Thursday: Defensive position rankings | Breaking down the DL
Friday: State rankings
Saturday: Rivals Rankings Roundtable
NEW NO. 1 OUTSIDE LINEBACKER IN THE RIVALS250
Five-star defender Jonah Williams kicked open his senior season at Galveston (Texas) Ball with conviction. The future Longhorn was dynamic on defense, special teams and more early on this fall before injuries derailed his final prep season.
Williams, who has elite athletic traits and is a dual-sport standout, has fantastic instincts on the defensive side of the ball with speed to cover sideline-to-sideline and a versatile skill-set to defend the run, drop back in coverage and also apply pressure on the quarterback.
One of the best athletes in the Rivals250 overall, Williams is now entrenched as the No. 1 outside linebacker in the country.
LSU COMMIT JAIDEN BRAKER CRACKS THE TOP 10
Four-star Snellville (Ga.) South Gwinnett High linebacker Jaiden Braker was among the biggest climbers in the updated Rivals250 for the 2025 class.
At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Braker provides legitimate length to work off the edge or as an off-ball linebacker. Braker punishes defenders in the open field and causes havoc working around the line of scrimmage. He's shined as a run defender, and boasts tremendous upside pressuring the QB and forcing the issue in the box. Braker is dripping with three-down potential.
With his frame, athletic traits and after a menacing senior season, he has the tools to be a force in LSU's front seven before too long.
FUTURE LONGHORN THRIVING AS A SENIOR
Several of these top linebackers will pop up in the SEC before too long, including big riser Elijah Barnes out of Dallas Skyline. He's a bruiser who is able to quickly diagnose and react to the run and force issues in passing-down situations. Barnes plays downhill in a convincing style and was uber-productive this past season.
Former five-star Anthony Hill, Jr. has been spectacular manning the middle of the Longhorns defense and Barnes possesses several of those same traits in his game that should translate equally as well in Austin.
NOTABLE NEW FACES IN THE LINEBACKER RANKINGS.
After some positional tweaks and moves this update, there are new faces among the outside linebackers in 2025 worth noting. That includes hybrid safeties like Williams in Jarcoby Hopson and CJ Jimcoily, both getting tagged as linebackers as they prepare to go to Ole Miss and LSU, respectively, in a few weeks.
Hopson has been dynamic at safety for Lake Cormorant (Miss.) High, and at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds as a senior, the future Ole Miss Rebel has been dynamic playing in the box and fantastic defending the run.
Jimcoily, out of Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb, has been a jack-of-all-trades on defense with snaps at cornerback and safety. In a similar frame to Hopson at 6-foot-2 and 200-plus pounds, he brings outstanding instincts to the linebacker position. His experience in coverage at safety should be an asset as he continues to learn the ins and outs of the position when he arrives at LSU.
Kruah, a big senior riser out of Marrietta (Ga.) High, has been forcing the issue at linebacker this fall. The Georgia verbal has excellent burst and plays extremely fast. We love the position versatility, the multiplicity to play different roles, and the innate feel he has in the second level of the defense.
