The Rivals250 for the 2025 class has been updated and now it’s time to break down each position. We continue the defensive positions today by looking at four big storylines moving forward with the linebacker rankings.
NEW POSITION RANKINGS: Athlete | Cornerback | Safety | Outside Linebacker | Inside Linebacker | Strongside Defensive End | Weakside Defensive End | Defensive Tackle | Offensive Tackle | Offensive Guard | Center | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Running Back | All-Purpose Back | Pro-Style QB | Dual-Threat QB
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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
Sunday: Who should be No. 1?
Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Meet the new five-stars
Tuesday: New Rivals250 unveiled | Gorney goes position-by-position | Biggest risers
Wednesday: New offensive position rankings released | QB rankings breakdown | RB rankings breakdown | WR/TE rankings breakdown | OL rankings breakdown
Thursday: New defensive position rankings released | DL rankings breakdown | LB rankings breakdown | DB rankings breakdown | ATH rankings breakdown
Friday: New state rankings released | Who is No. 1 in each state?
Saturday: Roundtable on the new Rivals250 rankings
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WILL THERE BE ANOTHER FIVE-STAR LINEBACKER IN THE CLASS?
Riley Pettijohn became the first five-star inside linebacker in the 2025 cycle in this update, which includes projected middle and off-ball backers. The Ohio State verbal joins Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng and Jonah Williams as five-stars at the position, and one intriguing name is worth monitoring this fall.
Georgia verbal Zayden Walker checks in as the No. 20 overall prospect in the Rivals250. At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds with a chiseled frame and fantastic first-step quickness and speed off the edge, the Ellaville (Ga.) Schley County blue-chipper is a senior we're anxious to see.
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PETTIJOHN IS IN A CLASS OF HIS OWN
Pettijohn has one of the most impressive junior highlight tapes in the country as a middle linebacker. Last year for McKinney (Texas) High in Dallas-Fort Worth, Pettijohn was the heartbeat of one of the area's top defenses, flashing the ability to fill run gaps and cover sideline to sideline with extraordinary athleticism.
Pettijohn checked even more boxes during the Rivals Five-Star in Jacksonville. A fantastic three-down player that can cover, play the run and pressure the quarterback at a high level, the Ohio State commitment has proven to be in a class of his own at this position group entering the fall.
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BIG DECISION LOOMING FOR OWUSU-BOATENG
Owusu-Boetening is the top-ranked outside linebacker in the Rivals250 and is still uncommitted as his senior season at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy looms. Michigan, USC, Notre Dame and Ohio State are all battling for the talented defender that can play off the edge on Saturdays.
Right now, the Irish are trending up with one of the country's top defensive prospects.
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LSU, ALABAMA COMMITS BATTLING
Several of the nation's top off-the-ball linebackers in the updated Rivals250 bring some SEC flare to the table. Behind Ohio State-bound Petitjohn is LSU commit Charles Ross and Alabama pledge Luke Metz.
Miami commit Elijah Melendez, Texas A&M-bound Noah Mikhail and another LSU commit Keylan Moses round out of the lead group at the position.
Pettijohn enters his senior season sitting at the top of the positional rankings, but keep an eye on the talented SEC commitments as they navigate through their senior seasons. Ross brings electric speed to a high-powered Galena Park (Texas) North Shore defense and Metz is one of the best all-around linebackers that we've seen this off-season.
Don't sleep on Moses either – another LSU-bound defender that can cover, make noise around the line of scrimmage and bring an excellent pass-rush element.
