Linebacker U: College Football's Top Linebacker Schools
Linebacker U is a term that's been synonymous with Penn State for years, but the Nittany Lions aren't the only team that lays claim to the title.
In recent years Miami and FSU have produced some of the best NFL talent. Alabama, Ohio State and USC have been linebacker factories for years, and schools like Illinois have a rich tradition at the position as well.
So what is the real Linebacker U?
10. Nebraska
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The problem with the Linebacker U discussion is that generally it begins and ends with a handful of schools and Nebraska isn't one of them.
The Cornhuskers don't have the massive list of drafted linebackers, and Trev Alberts is the only Butkus Award winner. But with Marc Munford, Ed Steward, Jerry Mutaugh, Barrett Ruud, Broderick Thomas, Tom Novak and even Demorrio Williams, Nebraska has a bigger claim than you'd think.
9. Texas A&M
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There was a time during the 1980s and 1990s that Texas A&M took the moniker of Linebacker U and rolled with it after producing the likes of Quentin Coryatt, John Roper, Aaron Wallace, Marcus Buckley and Dat Nguyen.
That tradition is being revitalized by Von Miller, the Aggies star "jack" linebacker who led the nation in sacks last season and became the first Texas A&M player since Jason Webster in 1999 to earn first-team All-American honors.
8. Illinois
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Dick Butkus is regarded by many to be the greatest college linebacker of all-time, but he doesn't stand alone in Illinois school history.
Butkus is joined by Ray Nitchske in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Bill Burrell was a finalist for the Heisman, and Darrick Brownlow, Kevin Hardy, John Holecek, Dana Howad, J Leman, Scot Studwell and John Sullivan all were first-team Big Ten players during their careers.
7. Michigan
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Michigan has an outstanding group of accomplished linebackers from Germany Schulz, considered the first linebacker in history, to Erick Anderson, the only Michigan player to ever receive the Butkus award.
Maybe the finest linebacker in school history is Ron Simpkins, who left Michigan with 516 career tackles as a consensus All-American.
But don't forget Mike Mallory, Mike Boren, Sam Sword, Paul Girgash, Andy Cannavino, Jarrett Irons, Calvin O'Neal, Larry Foote and David Harris, all of whom had prolific careers with the Wolverines.
6. Florida State
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Florida State, like Miami, doesn't have the extended history of talent at the linebacker position that schools like Penn State do, but the Seminoles have produced some exceptional talent in recent years.
It began with Paul McGowan in 1987, the school's first-ever Butkus Award winner. Then came Marvin Jones, who also won the Butkus Award, four-time All-Pro Peter Boulware, rising NFL star Ernie Sims and of course the legendary Derrick Brooks.
Brooks was an 11-time All-Pro and is considered to be one of the finest football players to ever come out of the state of Florida.
5. Alabama
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When you get to Alabama, the discussion heats up as the Crimson Tide have a ton of star linebackers to choose from.
Of course there's Barry Krauss, who made the famous fourth-and-goal stop against Penn State in the 1979 Sugar Bowl, five-time All-Pro Cornelius Bennett, Alabama legend Lee Roy Jordan and, of course, Derrick Thomas, who entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
The tradition of excellence at the position continued with DeMeco Ryans and Rolando McClain, and Dont'a Hightower is the next great in the making.
4. Ohio State
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Ohio State has, from time to time, made the claim to be the real Linebacker U, and while the Buckeyes fall short of the likes of Penn State and USC, there are some good points to be made.
Ohio State has had 12 first-team All-American linebackers from Mike Vrabel and Na'il Diggs to Andy Katzenmoyer and Steve Tovar. The school had two Butkus winners: the aforementioned Katzenmoyer and James Laurinaitis.
Perhaps the most accomplished Buckeye linebacker, AJ Hawk, won the Lombardi Award, the Jack Lambert Trophy and is off to an excellent NFL career.
3. Miami
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Miami doesn't have the quantity of linebackers that Penn State does, but when it comes to quality, the Hurricanes are second to no one.
In the last 15 years, Miami has produced Ray Lewis, Michael Barrow, Darrin Smith, Jessie Armstead, Nate Webster, Dan Morgan, DJ Williams, Jonathan Vilma, Jon Beason and Rocky McIntosh.
When Lewis retires, he will go down as the greatest linebacker since Lawrence Taylor and won't wait long for his call to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
2. Penn State
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Penn State falls to No. 2 on our list for a couple of reasons. First, the Nittany Lions have had fewer linebackers drafted into the NFL than USC and secondly, PSU earned the nickname of Linebacker U during the 1970s and since then hasn't produced as much talent as it did in the past.
Of course you have Jack Ham, LaVar Arrington, Brandon Short, Mark D'Onofrio, Andre Collins, Shane Conlan, Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor among others, but the success at the next level in recent years hasn't been what it once was.
There's no denying that Penn State earned its nickname of Linebacker U, but history is ever changing and the Nittany Lions are no longer the top dog in this argument.
1. USC
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USC has had over 60 linebackers drafted into the NFL, more than any other school in the nation, and the list of stars is as impressive as they come:
Future Hall of Famer Junior Seau, one of the greatest NFL linebackers of all time. Three-time All-Pro star Lofa Tatupu. Budding stars Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews. In total USC has produced a total of 13 All-Pro linebackers.
With Willie McGinest, Chris Claiborne, Richard Wood, Chip Banks, Jack Del Rio, Ray Maualuga, Kaluka Maiava and Keith Rivers, you can't argue that USC's tradition of excellence at the linebacker position has been constant for decades.
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