SEC Football Top 150 Players: No. 129, Will Ebner, Missouri LB

The SEC Blog will be counting down the top 150 players in the SEC every day, concluding on August 30 and the start of the college football regular season.

No. 129: Will Ebner, No. 32, Linebacker, Missouri

2011 Stats: Recorded three tackles in the season opener before suffering a concussion and sitting out the remainder of the season.

Strengths

Experienced fifth-year senior. An instinctual player who always seems to be in the right position to make the tackle. Ebner had a strong start to his career, playing in 14 games as a freshman in 2008, and earned Associated Press honorable mention All-Big 12 honors as a sophomore in 2009 with 78 tackles, 9.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks.

Weaknesses

The injury bug is a big concern. Ebner sat out all but one game last year with a concussion and missed time in 2010 with separate neck and foot injuries. Production fell off as a junior and it's not clear whether or not he's fully recovered from his injuries.

2012 Prediction

Ebner is slated to be the starter at middle linebacker, and he will be tested as Missouri makes the transition to the SEC. Don't be fooled by the lack of defense in the Big 12. Ebner is a solid linebacker and if he stays healthy, he can be a star in the SEC.

Follow @BarrettSallee