The Five-Star Challenge Five-Year Team: Linebacker
The fifth edition of the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented By Under Armour is in the books and, with such an important anniversary of an amazing event, we thought it would be cool to look back at the top five prospects that attended at each position. Today we look at the linebackers.
Note: The order is based on a combination of success at the event, success at the high school level and, in many cases, success in college.
MORE: Five-Star Challenge Five-Year Team: QBs | RBs | WR/TEs | OL | DL |Full Five-Star Challenge Coverage
The Skinny: Smith made a somewhat sudden commitment to the Fighting Irish after several spring visits helped him trim his list down to Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, Michigan, Florida State, Florida and Alabama. He had a very productive career at Notre Dame, which ended with a serious knee injury against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. He still came out for the NFL Draft, where he was selected in the second round by Dallas.
Farrell’s Take: Smith was one of the most athletic linebackers I’ve ever scouted and he used his length as good as anyone in a camp setting. He was the only linebacker who could check tight end OJ Howard and he was a huge defensive key to his team’s 7-on-7 win at our first event in Atlanta. His ranking tells you how special we thought he was.
The Skinny: Despite being an early enrollee, McMillan still took all five of his official visits to Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and Georgia. While there was a definite pull for him to stay closer to home, he committed to the Buckeyes in mid-December. McMillan became an immediate contributor for the Ohio State defense and has continued to prosper. Big things are expected for the former five-star this fall.
Farrell’s Take: McMillan was a rarity at linebacker, a big inside kid who could disrupt 7-on-7 play with the depth of his drops, his length and his anticipation. His football IQ was off the charts and he was quicker than he looked, and we’ve seen how that has translated to the college game.
The Skinny: Foster's recruiting process was one of the more chaotic ones in recent years. After making a commitment to Alabama prior to his junior season, Foster made several visits to Georgia and Auburn and eventually flipped to the Tigers. However, the coaching change at Auburn caused him to re-open his process and take official visits to Auburn, Alabama, Washington, Georgia and San Diego State. Again it came down to Auburn and Alabama and finally he committed to the Crimson Tide two days before National Signing Day.
Farrell’s Take: Foster showed us how special he could be at the Five-Star Challenge, especially on the first day of drills. He was a massive linebacker but had light feet and could cover very well against speedy backs and tight ends. His true strength, of course, was his ability to get downhill and thump but he showcased his versatility at our first event at Atlanta.
The Skinny: Smith's original plan was to take his time with the recruiting process, but upon realizing that USC was the place for him he made a commitment to the Trojans in May. Smith was off to a tremendous true freshman season at USC until a torn ACL sidelined him in mid-November. On track to be fully healthy for the 2016 season, NFL scouts are already keeping a close eye on the true sophomore.
Farrell’s Take: Smith is another big, inside guy who wasn’t made for a camp setting like the Five-Star Challenge but he made the best of it with his instincts and ability to see where the play was going. A thumper like Foster, he was also physical at the event and made up for a lack of elite quickness with the ability to be in the right place at the right time. However, I will admit that his performance at the event never would have led me to think he would be so good in pass coverage so early in his college career.
The Skinny: While Davis also took official visits to Notre Dame and LSU, this one always looked destined to come down to either Alabama or Auburn. Growing up minutes from Tuscaloosa and with his father having played for the Crimson Tide, most assumed that Alabama was the clear choice. And while he did commit to the Crimson Tide on National Signing Day, Auburn made a significant push after its official visit and gave Davis plenty to think about while Georgia was also very much in the picture.
Farrell’s Take: It’s odd that Jaylon Smith is the only pure outside linebacker on this list as the others are inside guys who did a great job of making passing lanes tighter and making the field smaller for quarterbacks. Davis has more length than anyone but Smith on this list and Davis made the most of it. I could foresee him moving up here over the next few years.
