Last week, Rivals national analysts Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney broke down the top pro prospects on offense in college football regardless of class. This week, they look at the other side of the ball. Today, they look at linebackers.
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1. Isaiah Simmons
Recruiting: Arkansas never offered Simmons despite it being his dream school, and then it looked like Michigan and Nebraska had emerged, but a lot of coaching staffs were not sure whether Simmons was a better fit on offense or defense. When a bunch of Clemson defensive backs left for the NFL, coach Dabo Swinney and defensive coordinator Brent Venables made Simmons a priority and he picked the Tigers.
Performance: Simmons leads Clemson in numerous defensive categories with 69 tackles (11.5 for loss) along with six sacks and 12 quarterback pressures. He’s also forced a fumble and recovered one.
Comparison: Chris Braswell
Farrell’s take: Simmons was listed as a safety coming out of high school, but he was huge and we could easily see him growing into a linebacker. However, that positional uncertainty led to a lower ranking than he should have had. Braswell has a great frame to grow on and should be a dominant linebacker who does a lot of work close to the line of scrimmage. Simmons should be a top 5 pick in the NFL Draft. Braswell has that kind of potential as well.
2. Micah Parsons
Recruiting: Early in his high school career, Parsons committed to Penn State only to later back away from that pledge. Ohio State became the main player in his recruitment, but the Buckeyes stopped recruiting him after self-reporting recruiting violations that centered around improper contact on the ESPN College GameDay set during his official visit. Alabama, Oklahoma and others got involved, but Parsons picked Penn State again.
Performance: Parsons is at the top for the Nittany Lions with 68 tackles, including eight for loss, and two sacks. The former five-star has also added two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.
Comparison: Justin Flowe
Farrell’s take: This is a tough comparison because Parsons was a defensive end who stood up and rushed often in high school. But Flowe could easily do the same full time for his school and in college as well. Penn State turned Parsons into an elite linebacker and Flowe should be a dominant linebacker right away wherever he ends up. Both have the potential to be top 10-15 picks in their respective drafts.
3. Kenneth Murray
Recruiting: The summer before his senior season, Murray committed to Oklahoma over Texas and Texas A&M. He grew up a fan of the Longhorns, but the four-star linebacker decided he was a better fit in Norman.
Performance: Murray leads Oklahoma with 62 tackles, including 7.5 for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He’s added three pass breakups and three quarterback hurries for the Sooners’ defense.
Comparison: Derek Wingo
Farrell’s take: This is a great comparison if I do say so myself, as both Murray and Wingo are slightly undersized linebackers coming out of high school with tremendous instincts and athleticism. Murray has become a tackling machine for an improved Oklahoma defense, and Wingo will tackle everything that moves at Florida. These guys both have bright futures.
4. Dylan Moses
Recruiting: Originally committed to LSU early in his high school career, Moses backed off that pledge and eventually picked Alabama over LSU, Texas and many others. He received his first offers while still in middle school, a rarity even just a few years ago which has become much more common in recent recruiting cycles.
Performance: The former five-star has missed this entire season with a knee injury he sustained in the preseason.
Comparison: Junior Colson (2021)
Farrell’s take: Moses is a hard comparison because he was such a freak athlete and started as a running back and developed into a linebacker. Colson has a similar build as a young linebacker and excellent athleticism, but he's still learning the linebacker position as Moses was. The injury to Moses is a shame, but he'll be back with a vengeance and could be a first-rounder even after the injury if he comes out.
5. Troy Dye
Recruiting: In the summer before his senior season, Dye committed to Oregon over Michigan, Colorado, Washington State, Wisconsin and others. He was a three-star safety in high school who was poised to move to linebacker in college. Neither USC nor UCLA offered him.
Performance: In only eight games, Dye leads the team with 42 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, and one sack. He’s added an interception and three quarterback hurries.
Comparison: Jordan Toles
Farrell’s take: Dye, like Simmons, was ranked as a safety coming out of high school, so Toles is a really good comparison here. I'm not sure if Toles will grow into a linebacker at LSU or stay at safety, but I love the way he comes up and hits and helps support in the run game. Dye is a smart, heady leader, and I can sense the same traits in Toles.
