B/R CFB 250: Top 16 Inside Linebackers
Bleacher Report's CFB 250 is an annual ranking of the best players in college football. Brian Leigh and Kynon Codrington have studied, ranked and graded the top athletes in the country, narrowed that list down to a mere quarter-thousand and sorted by position. Today, we present the Top 16 Inside Linebackers.
Other CFB 250 Positions
Inside linebackers are the captains of the defense, the quarterbacks of the other side of the ball. Most are tasked with calling and adjusting plays, a responsibility their defensive teammates do not share.
But even more than quarterbacks, inside linebackers must balance their cerebral duties with athletic ability. Stone-footed passers like Peyton Manning can get by on pure football instincts. Stone-footed linebackers are chum, no matter how well they see the field.
In 2014, there was no shortage of players who struck that balance well. This was one of the most difficult positions to choose from, and some very good linebackers were omitted to meet our quota.
Everyone who made this list has earned it.
Before we start, please take note that these players were graded as college linebackers, not on how they project as NFL linebackers.
Targeted skills such as run defense are important at both levels, but there is a difference between college run defense and professional run defense. If a linebacker can execute his run fits and make plays in the SEC or the Big 12, it doesn't matter that he can't execute his run fits and make plays in the NFC North. At least not here, it doesn't.
This is all about college performance.
Note: If two players finished with the same grade, a subjective call was made based on whom we would rather have on our team right now.
16-9. Ryan, Pullard, Wilson, Hager, Cox, Edmond, Forrest, Luc
1 of 9
16. Jake Ryan, Michigan
Tackling: 31/35; Pass Rush: 14/15; Run Defense: 17/30; Pass Coverage: 20/20
Jake Ryan began his career as an outside linebacker and played pretty well in that role. But after kicking inside this season, it became clear that he was out of position. If not for his tenacity in the middle of Michigan’s defense, the Wolverines might have finished even worse than 5-7, and Brady Hoke might have been canned long before December.
15. Hayes Pullard, USC
Strength: 30/35; Pass Rush: 10/15; Run Defense: 26/30; Pass Coverage: 17/20
Hayes Pullard has been through a lot during his time at USC. Three head coaches and four defensive coordinators in four years made it hard for him to find a consistent rhythm. But Pullard found a way to fit into all sorts of different schemes, leading the Trojans in tackles the past two seasons after finishing second in 2011 and 2012. There may not be a more malleable linebacker in the country.
14. Ramik Wilson, Georgia
Tackling: 31/35; Pass Rush: 11/15; Run Defense: 26/30; Pass Coverage: 15/20
Ramik Wilson is a terrifying blend of size (6’2”, 235 lbs), speed and motor. He isn’t the most fluid athlete, which makes him a liability on passing downs, but he does enough things well on standard downs that he cannot be omitted from this list.
13. Bryce Hager, Baylor
Tackling: 31/35; Pass Rush: 11/15; Run Defense: 26/30; Pass Coverage: 15/20
Bryce Hager spent a long time carrying bad Baylor defenses to respectability. This year, the unit around him improved, which made it harder for his own performance to stand out. But don’t let that fool you: Hager is still an effective run defender who understands his role and is capable of taking over when the situation calls for it, as Oklahoma would sadly attest.
12. Dakota Cox, New Mexico
Tackling: 32/35; Pass Rush: 10/15; Run Defense: 26/30; Pass Coverage: 16/20
Dakota Cox missed the final three games of the season with a torn ACL. But before that, he was starting to put together a truly remarkable year. The true sophomore is a maniac against the run who finished with an FBS-best 12.89 tackles per game, improving across the board from a season that saw him make the FWAA Freshman All-America Team.
11. Steve Edmond, Texas
Strength: 31/35; Pass Rush: 12/15; Run Defense: 26/30; Pass Coverage: 15/20
Steve Edmond is a versatile inside linebacker. Like all Charlie Strong and Vance Bedford products, he is equally capable of stuffing a run in the A-gap or putting his hand down and rushing off the edge. Since 2008, Emmanuel Acho is the only other Texas linebacker to finish a season with 100-plus total tackles and 10-plus tackles for loss.
10. Josh Forrest, Kentucky
Tackling: 32/35; Pass Rush: 11/15; Run Defense: 26/30; Pass Coverage: 16/20
Josh Forrest was one of the biggest breakout players in the SEC, leading the conference with 64 solo tackles during the regular season. Kentucky has a long way to go on defense, especially with Za’Darius Smith and Bud Dupree set to graduate, but Forrest (provided he returns for his senior season) gives the Wildcats a run-stopping presence to build around.
9. Jeff Luc, Cincinnati
Tackling: 32/35; Pass Rush: 12/15; Run Defense: 26/30; Pass Coverage: 15/20
Jeff Luc is the best player on a not-so-good Cincinnati defense and one of the biggest reasons the Bearcats won nine games for the seventh time in eight years. He is a force near the line of scrimmage and a frequent source of big plays (for a unit that relies on them). His five forced fumbles were tied for second most in the country.
8. Amarlo Herrera, Georgia
2 of 9
Tackling
Amarlo Herrera flows to the ball and knows how to finish plays. He looks smaller but plays bigger than his listed size (6’2”, 231 lbs), and he’s an active finisher of gang tackles.
Pass Rush
He didn’t log a sack in the final 10 games of the regular season, but Herrera proved against Clemson and South Carolina that he can rush the quarterback. He has vision to attack the creases and knows how to disengage from guards with hand boxing.
Run Defense
Herrera likes to throw his body around and does a good job hammering and splattering runs. He is a downhill player with an insatiable motor who never stops moving until the whistle.
Pass Coverage
Georgia leaves Herrera on the field on passing downs, in part because he’s an effective blitzer but also because he can cover. After flashing in the A-gap—i.e., making the quarterback think he will rush—he gains depth dropping into zone and is able to execute a spy without losing track of his assignment.
Overall
Ramik Wilson is bigger and more athletic (and might be considered the better NFL prospect), but Herrera is the best inside linebacker at Georgia. He is heady, instinctive and almost never seems to make a mistake.
7. Ben Heeney, Kansas
3 of 9
Tackling
Ben Heeney is a physical tackler who seeks and destroys opponents. That is not to say he’s a huge hitter—just that when he wraps up an opponent, he almost never lets him go. He also takes smart pursuit angles to chase down players in space.
Pass Rush
Heeney is a traditional inside linebacker—i.e., not the type to get after the quarterback. His pass-rushing snaps are limited because he doesn’t have the size (6’0”, 230 lbs) or quickness to consistently burst through protection.
Run Defense
Despite his lack of measurables, Heeney is a force against the run. He is a max-effort player who flows from the inside out and finishes when plays are funneled toward him. However, it would be remiss not to mention that Samaje Perine set an FBS record with 427 rushing yards when Kansas played Oklahoma. That is an ugly stain for Heeney to have on his resume.
Pass Coverage
Heeney is a useful defender in man coverage. He is quick enough to turn his hips and run with receivers up the field. In zone coverage he reads the quarterback’s eyes, breaks well on the throw and has the ball skills to make a play.
Overall
Heeney has been the lone standout player at Kansas for, well, pretty much his entire career. But a lack of team success should not devalue the impact he has made in Lawrence (and on the Big 12) as one of the best defensive players in program history.
.jpg?w=256 "Texans Chargers Football")
.jpg?w=256 "Cowboys Panthers Football")
6. A.J. Johnson, Tennessee
4 of 9
Tackling
A.J. Johnson is a high-volume tackler with speed to make plays on the edge and quickness to slide through the line. He posted 80 tackles as a freshman in 2011, 138 tackles as a sophomore the following season and never failed to post 100 tackles in the subsequent two years.
Pass Rush
Tennessee does not ask Johnson to participate in the pass rush. He is better served in coverage than he is getting after the quarterback and has only recorded three sacks in 46 career games (although he does have 16 QB hurries).
Run Defense
Johnson has good instincts and is willing to do the little things: get downhill and plug the hole, track the ball on the backside, replace the vacated gap, etc. He struggles at times to shed blocks, but that’s about the only fault to find in his run defense.
Pass Coverage
It’s rare to find a player with Johnson’s mass (6’2”, 245 lbs) who can also move his hips in coverage. He is built like a two-down linebacker but plays like a true three-downer. He walls off the middle and has improved at reading quarterbacks, although his ball skills leave a bit to be desired.
Overall
Johnson’s regular season—and potentially his career—came to an abrupt end when the school suspended him pending a sexual assault allegation. Because he has only been suspended, though, we have given him the benefit of “innocent until proven guilty” and included him on this list. He is one of the most productive inside linebackers of the past decade.
5. Denzel Perryman, Miami (Fla.)
5 of 9
Tackling
Denzel Perryman makes tackles that almost no other college linebacker can make. His unique blend of speed and power enables him to track down and terminate players at all levels of the field. The only thing he needs to work on is wrapping up. For all of his highlight-worthy tackles, he lets a few too many easy ones slip away.
Pass Rush
Miami does not ask Perryman to get after the passer, knowing that his size limitations (6’0”, 242 lbs) make him better suited to coverage on passing downs. He had two sacks and zero quarterback hurries during the 2014 regular season.
Run Defense
Perryman is a downhill wrecker who actively seeks contact. He throws his body around to plug up holes and finish plays. He is strong enough to shed blocks from meaty offensive linemen but quick enough to sift through traffic and find creative routes to the ball.
Pass Coverage
Few inside linebackers defend the pass as well as Perryman. He is quick to pick up on routes and has the fluid hips and speed to cover running backs, slot receivers and tight ends in man coverage. He also takes affront to any opponent who thinks, however tacitly, that being covered by a linebacker gives him a matchup advantage. That is an attitude coaches and fans love to see in their defensive stars.
Overall
Perryman is a big hit waiting to happen. He doesn’t have the size of certain former Hurricanes linebackers (some of which also wore No. 52), but his energy, his speed and his capacity to end up on SportsCenter will leave a lasting mark in Coral Gables.
4. Mike Hull, Penn State
6 of 9
Tackling
Mike Hull finished the regular season with 134 total tackles, leading the Big Ten by more than 20. He is decisive and has the speed to track ball-carriers around the edge or into the open field.
Pass Rush
Hull has a small frame (6’0”, 232 lbs) and didn’t make an impact as a pass-rusher even before he kicked inside from his previous role as an outside linebacker. He does, however, keep opponents honest with his pre-snap activity, freeing up those who do plan to rush by flashing before the play.
Run Defense
He doesn’t have the size or strength to be a true downhill run defender, but Hull does all the little things at a very high level. His transition to inside linebacker was made seamless by his instincts, which allow him to diagnose plays and read and fill cutback lanes. The burst with which he attacks the line of scrimmage is unique.
Pass Coverage
Hull is a solid pass defender. He is fluid enough to cover running backs on angles and circles, and he is savvy enough to check for run and then sink into zone. Once there, he has solid pass-recognition skills and is competent enough to make plays on the ball.
Overall
Penn State’s offense was a train wreck in 2014, and that’s putting it kindly. There is no way the Nittany Lions would have qualified for a bowl without a dominant defense, and there is no way they would have fielded such a dominant defense without Hull, the latest interior standout at Linebacker U.
3. Zach Vigil, Utah State
7 of 9
Tackling
Zach Vigil had 105 tackles as a sophomore in 2012 and slowly improved that total to 125 in 2013 and 145 this regular season. He is a tireless worker who never gives up on a play—cue the refrain about being a former walk-on—and has the strength to wrap players up and bury them in the dirt.
Pass Rush
Vigil does a great job getting after the quarterback, especially for a player with the size of a 4-3 inside linebacker (6’2”, 240 lbs). He has the strength to run through running backs and move tight ends and the quickness to slip by clunky offensive linemen.
Run Defense
Since Vigil became the starter in 2012, Utah State has finished No. 7, No. 2 and No. 16 in the country in yards-per-rush allowed. That is not a coincidence. Vigil is one of the rare inside linebackers who can get downhill and finish a play with power but also shed blocks or track runners on the perimeter.
Pass Coverage
Here is where Vigil needs to make the most improvement. He isn’t a bad pass defender necessarily. But his hips are a little stiff, and he sometimes looks lost in zone coverage, struggling to sink into his spot after checking the run.
Overall
Utah State had a good season despite losing its offensive leader (quarterback Chuckie Keeton) and its best defensive player (outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell) to torn ACLs. A lot of the credit for that goes to redshirt senior Vigil, who kept the defense toward the top of the national rankings with the best season of his already impressive career.
2. Scooby Wright, Arizona
8 of 9
Tackling
Scooby Wright moved from strong-side linebacker to the middle of Arizona’s defense this season, in large part because of his nose for the football and ability to tackle. He is a magnet who blows past blockers and has the heft (6’1”, 246 lbs) to bring down an opponent of any size.
Pass Rush
Arizona takes advantage of Wright’s versatility—i.e, the fact that he has also played outside linebacker—by lining him up on the edge and letting him get after the passer. It is rare for a player this good at roaming the middle to also excel at ripping past offensive linemen and chasing opposing quarterbacks.
Run Defense
Wright is a side-to-side run-stuffer with innate football instincts that allow him to shoot through the line and make negative plays in the backfield. He does his best work as a run-through defender but can also scrape to the edge or fill gaps like a cork in a bottle.
Pass Coverage
Coverage is the weakest part of Wright’s game, although he slowly improved this season. He has the athleticism to be better than he is but needs to work on his awareness and dedicate as much time and effort to pass defense as he does to playing in the box.
Overall
Wright introduced himself to the world when he intercepted Marcus Mariota on the first play of Arizona’s upset over Oregon in 2013. But 15 minutes of fame were not enough for the now-sophomore linebacker, who has only gotten better—and more well known—over the subsequent year and a half.
1. Eric Kendricks, UCLA
9 of 9
Tackling
Eric Kendricks is one of the most prolific tacklers in college football history. He holds the UCLA record for career tackles with 471 (before the bowl game), the 12th-highest total by an FBS player since 2000. He brings ball-carriers down with brute force, rarely needing an assist from a teammate.
Pass Rush
UCLA does not ask Kendricks to rush the passer often, but when it does, he has proved himself capable. His agility, balance and natural football instincts help him identify gaps and elude would-be blockers.
Run Defense
NFL scouts will say Kendricks is too small (6’0”, 228 lbs) to defend the run, but size has never been an issue in college. He flows to the ball and has read-and-react instincts that are difficult to quantify but easy to see on tape. He also has the speed to pursue faster players and make tackles from behind or on the edge.
Pass Coverage
Kendricks has fluid hips and plus speed and is comfortable carrying receivers down the field. He had a pick-six in Week 1 against Virginia but was even more impressive on the plays in which his man/zone wasn’t targeted. Although he can sometimes get handsy, he falls squarely into the new breed of undersized inside linebackers who can cover.
Overall
Kendricks came to UCLA in the shade of his brother’s shadow. Mychal Kendricks, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, was the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year at Cal in 2011. But the younger Kendricks has done more than simply match his older sibling’s production. He has in many ways become the best linebacker in the family.
.jpg?w=480 "Texans Chargers Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Cowboys Panthers Football")
.jpg?w=600 "Mendoza Impressing at Minicamp")
.jpg?w=600 "A.J.-Eagles Relationship 'Cordial'")
