College Football Recruiting 2012: Where are the Top 25 Linebackers Headed?

I unveiled my top 25 linebacker rankings in late June, just to give you a taste on who I liked as the best second level defenders in the country. From the Mike, to the Sam to the Will to the 3-4 LB positions, we have all kinds of LB prospects.

But now with this read, we're going to see where they're headed or at the least who they're favoring. Let's get started shall we?

25. Beniquez Brown

Brown has a skinny, long frame and looks like a safety, but don't worry, he's all LB. 6'2" and 200 pounds, he has great athleticism, speed and quickness.

He as a great range, shows a knack for reading the run quickly and can jump a RB in an alley. Brown also flashes the potential to stay on the field in nickel and dime situations and carry RBs and TEs around the field.

Alabama, Florida and Mississippi State are his top three.

24. Dalton Santos

Santos plays the run better than the pass as a LB, but also can play DE at 6'3", 230 pounds.

See what Santos does is play instinctively and beat RBs to holes. He plays to his size at the point of attack and makes OLs pay for coming to the second level to attempt to block him. He's one of the better run-stuffers on this list.

He's a Tennessee commit.

23. Brian Nance

Nance, who tore his ACL in February, is an OLB type that can fit in as a WILL or SAM. He's 6'3", 210 pounds and has athletic ability to spare. He moves around with ease and has excellent re-direct and change of direction skills.

Nance really will be able to stay on the field for all three downs, and he can cover RBs and TEs out of the backfield and also flashes the foot quickness and transition skills to cover slot receivers underneath. 

He has offers from Oklahoma, USC, Tennessee and Nebraska and more.

22. Josh Harvey-Clemons

At 6'4" and nearly 210 pounds, he shows very good knowledge of the game on defense, plays with instincts, can set the edge is a sound athlete.

If he sticks at OLB, his transition quickness will allow him to become one of the better cover LBs in the country.

Harvey-Clemons also may play WR in college.

Alabama, Florida State, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Clemson and Auburn have offered.

21. Scott Starr

6'3", 205 pounds with good speed, I like Starr. He's a little straight line-ish and can be stiff at times. But he plays with excellent toughness, play strength, effort and instincts.

He's drawn some comparisons to Clay Matthews since he can double as a DE or 3-4 OLB. Starr is a solid wrap tackler that always gets his man and has some pass-rush ability to pressure the passer.

He's headed to USC.

20. Donavin Newsom

Newsom can track the run well with, can sniff a RB around the box and has outstanding play range. Newsom is at his best on the run in pursuit, using his speed to beat blockers' angles to get to the ball-carrier.

Missouri has his commitment.

19. Kaleb Ringer

Ringer is 6'1", 225 pounds and has great shedding ability.

I really value this trait on LB prospects, since it is essential how they play in take-ons and use their hands to get free from blocks.

Ringer also has excellent play speed, which is why his range so good, and he can also be used on blitzes. Another trait to Ringer's game that I like is when he arrives at the point of attack, he brings the wood with him.

He's headed to Michigan.

18. Aaron Porter

Porter is 6'2", 230 pounds and plays in the middle. He brings his lunch pail every game and works every snap. Porter has very good instincts, a feel for the game and is an underrated LB that is a bit under the radar.

UCLA has him locked up where I think he can come in and start early and become a team captain soon enough.

17. Tyler Hayes

6'3", 220 pounds, Hayes is a huge man that is also very athletic on the field.

There is some talk that he actually may be a better RB than LB, but at his size, athleticism, speed and potential, he looks like a future All-Conference LB. Look for him to fit in well as a strong side player as a LB.

Hayes is going to Alabama.

16. Deaysean Rippy

Here lies a greatly athletic specimen.

Rippy uses his lack of bulk to his advantage as he'll cover on third downs, blitz to pressure and use great play speed to pursue. Some schools feel he is a strong safety while others say they will develop him as an OLB.

He just saw WVU and liked it, but there's also Florida, LSU, USC and Auburn among many more.

15. Quanzell Lambert

6'2", 245 pounds, Lambert looks the part of a premiere 3-4 ILB prospect. He's big, physical and mixes it up at the point of attack.

Lambert doesn't quit on a play, keeps coming and his motor never stops. he has solid instincts, plays downhill post-snap and explodes at the point of attack.

Florida, Alabama and Oklahoma have offered, while Lambert has visited Penn State, Pitt, UConn, Rutgers, BC and Maryland.

14. Peter Jinkens

6'1", 210 pounds, Jinkens is a technician. He's a natural wrap tackler that really works at playing the LB spot like it's supposed to be played: good technique mixed with some amazing ferociousness. 

He has excellent tackling technique, as he locates his targets, sinks his hips, strikes hard and through the ball carrier, wraps up and brings them down in fluid motion. He plays with great toughness and range and should be a multiple-year starter in college.

He's committed to Texas.

13. Cassanova McKinzy

Instinctive in the box, McKinzy is a prime prospect in the middle. He's 6'3" and weighs 225 pounds.

McKinzy shows the want and intelligence to take on the chore of lining up an entire defense play in and play out, while also being able to shift coverages, gap responsibilities and alignments pre-snap.

He's committed to Auburn.

12. Kaiwan Lewis

Lewis made my "biggest hitters" list a few months back. Why? Because he will explode on a ball carrier.

On tape, he plays like a heat-seeking missle at 6'2", 225 pounds. He explodes upon contact and seems to hit like he has the intention of making the ball carrier feel as much pain as possible. He's future starting MLB.

Lewis will lay more people out at South Carolina.

11. Dillon Lee

Lee is a versatile defender that stands 6'4", 220 pounds and plays with great instincts. He plays the run with fantastic instincts and attacks the line of scrimmage with tenacity.

I also believe Lee has a burst to finish on the ball carriers he seeks out. His speed is better than many people think, and his length will allow him to factor as a blitzer since he will clog up throwing lanes naturally.

Lee's committed to Alabama.

10. Elijah Shumate

6'1", 200 pounds, I have Shumate on both LB and safety lists.

He can play outside 'backer and strong safety and he is nasty in the box. He can stand to improve his coverage ability, but he's too good in the box to be asked to play in space often.

9. Joshua Perry

6'3", 225 pounds, Perry has a chance to develop into a dark horse player on this list that becomes a star in college.

He's very, very athletic and has a high ceiling. He projects as a SAM LB in college due to his length, increasing strength and ability to cover TEs. He doesn't back down from play side runs and will attack the line of scrimmage.

He's solid to Ohio State.

8. James Ross

Ross is a 6'1", 215 pounder that has only seen limited time because he just recently started playing football a few years ago.

He's a natural MIKE 'backer who plugs the run, jumps backs in alleys and uses his athleticism to play with range. Once he gets seasoned in college, he could be a prime time steal.

Ross is going to Michigan.

7. Eli Harold

Harold is an extremely explosive pass rusher that can play DE or 3-4 OLB. He is a great athlete with good range, play speed in pursuit and a quick close on ball carriers.

He's a hot name on the trail since many 4-3 programs see him as a two down LB and sub-package/third-down DE.

Harold committed to Virginia last week.

6. Royce Jenkins-Stone

A 6'2", 215-pound linebacker, Jenkins-Stone has the ability to play all three spots in 4-3 look. He's instinctive enough to play MIKE, stout enough to play SAM, and fast enough to man the WILL spot.

He can bring the wood at the point of attack, thump well as a tackler and even be an efficient blitzer. Wherever Jenkins-Stone plays, look for some big things to happen.

Stone is committed to Michigan.

5. Noor Davis

While Davis can play DE, he's a 6'4", 225-pound LB that is most valuable as a two-down LB/third-down, sub-rusher type.

Davis is very athletic, changes direction well for such a tall player in space and can cover pretty well at this stage of his development. He had over 11 tackles and eight sacks last year.

Stanford is his choice.

4. Ifeadi Odenigbo

6'4", 220 pounds, Odenigbo is as a raw a prospect as there may be in the country. He's only played football for just a few years, but watch his tape and you see a ceiling that is as high as Mount Everest.

He's super athletic, quick and explodes off the ball. He plays very, very fast and has amazing range.

If he can find a program that has a great pass-rushing coach and get stronger, he may have a long playing future ahead of him as a 3-4 OLB.

Stanford, Cal and Notre Dame have been mentioned among many others.

3. Jabari Ruffin

Ruffin rises and rises on each list I do as I really like him as a prospect. He's a 6'4", 230 pounder with great athleticism, agility and strength. 

He makes plays on offense as TE/WR/RB, but his future lies more than likely on defense as an OLB. I think Ruffin can play the SAM spot at the second level as he plays stout against the run but also can cover TEs and RB in coverage.

Ruffin is committed to USC.

2. Reggie Ragland

Ragland is a 6'4", 245 pound monster that will be an All-American LB one day. He's big, fast in a straightline, strong, instinctive and physical

He shows tremendous instincts, run-plug ability and plays to his size at the point of attack. But he also has the speed and range to make tackles outside the box and work in coverage as well.

He's pledged to Alabama.

1. Kwon Alexander

The best LB in the country and maybe the best all-around defensive player in he country.

6'2", 210 pounds, Alexander is a fantastic linebacker prospect. He has tremendous play speed and range and will be a three-down defender in college.

He projects well at WILL, but I think he can also play SAM in a 4-3 scheme due to his ability to carry tight ends around the field in coverage.

He's a remarkable player to watch on tape and is one of the better defensive prospects to come out in the past few years.

Alabama, USC, Auburn, Oregon, Florida, LSU, Florida State, Miami, Ole Miss and Oklahoma are his main suitors.