Ad Disclosure
Note: Recruiting rankings refer to 247sports’ industry composite rankings.
Over the last decade, there have been 36 five-star linebackers to come out of high school. In all, 11 of them landed in the SEC. Some have been really good, and a few others have been epic failures.
Here are the five-stars from the past decade, with a grade on who lived up to the hype, who was a mixed bag and who was a bust. For some of the newer guys, those grades are still to be determined.
2006 – 4 linebackers
Sergio Kindle, Texas: Kindle was a star for his four years at Texas, playing as a linebacker/defensive end hybrid player. He was simultaneously a finalist for the Butkus and Hendricks Awards, the first player to earn both distinctions. Over his four seasons, Kindle had 176 tackles, 16 sacks and 43 tackles. The Baltimore Ravens chose Kindle in the second round in 2010, and he played in the NFL through 2012. Grade: Lived up to the hype.
Brandon Graham, Michigan: Graham was moved to defensive end after he arrived at Michigan and excelled. He terrorized the Big Ten with 138 tackles, 56.0 tackles for loss and 29.5 sacks over his career, finishing second all-time on Michigan’s leaderboard for both sacks and tackles for loss. Graham went in the first round to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010, where he’s finally found a role after a few unproductive seasons. He started 10 games for the Eagles this season and had 6.5 sacks. Grade: Lived up to the hype.
Micah Johnson, Kentucky: Johnson, who won Kentucky’s Mr. Football award his senior year, was a good pull for the Wildcats. He was productive over his four seasons, totaling 285 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He had his best season as a senior, with 105 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 2009. After going undrafted, Johnson has bounced around the NFL for a few years, never catching on. He’s played for Calgary in the CFL since 2013. Grade: Lived up to the hype.
Marcus Ball, Florida State: Ball went to FSU out of high school, but ended up leaving the Seminoles after being caught up in academic fraud. After a year in junior college he transferred to Memphis, where he moved to safety. Ball was solid at Memphis, with 145 total tackles, 13 passes defended and five interceptions in two seasons. Ball played in the CFL before the New Orleans Saints signed him in 2014. He’s with the Carolina Panthers now and gained notoriety in December for waving a baseball bat at New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. in pregame warm-ups, setting off a media firestorm. Grade: Bust, but becoming a late bloomer in the NFL.
2007 – 1 linebacker
Chris Galippo, Southern California: Galippo played well as sophomore year with 70 tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. He battled injuries for much of his career, eventually losing his starting job. He never played in the NFL. Grade: Bust.
2008 – 3 linebackers
Nigel Bradham, Florida State: Bradham was a star from the get-go at Florida State, appearing in 13 games as a freshman. He started 39 games in his career, including the final 37 he played in. Bradham finished his career with 305 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks in four years, leading FSU to a No. 4 national defensive ranking as a captain his senior year. The Buffalo Bills made him a fourth round draft pick in 2012 and has been a starter since his rookie year on one of the league’s better defenses. Grade: Lived up to the hype.
Etienne Sabino, Ohio State: Sabino was a five-year player for the Buckeyes but he saw his 2012 senior season cut short with an ankle fracture. He played in 47 games in Columbus, but started only 13. He finished his career with 119 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He has never played in the NFL. Grade: Bust.
Arthur Brown, Miami: Brown, a Kansas native, had an eventful college career. He started at Miami, where he recorded just 17 tackles in two seasons. He transferred back home to Kansas State, where he posted consecutive 100-tackle seasons and accumulated 17. tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, earning All-Big 12 honors in 2011 and 2012. The Baltimore Ravens made him a second round pick in 2013 to replace Ray Lewis but he could never earn a starting spot. He has plays parts of 30 games in three years, with minimal impact. Grade: Mixed reviews.
2009 – 5 linebackers
Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State: Burfict was a beast after picking Arizona State over Southern California. After dominating as a sophomore, he had a bit of a down year in his junior year, with 69 tackles and 5.0 sacks before deciding to bolt to the NFL. Despite being regarded as one of the best linebacker prospects in the draft, Burfict went undrafted due to an array of on- and off-field issues. The Cincinnati Bengals signed him and he’s since gone on to star there, recording 127 and 171 tackles in his first two seasons, respectively, before suffering an injury-plagued 2014. He was in the news a few weeks ago in the playoffs when he intentionally targeted Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown with a hit to the head. Burfict was suspended for three games for the hit. Grade: Mixed reviews.
Manti Te’o, Notre Dame: Te’o was a star on the field for the Fighting Irish and was a Heisman finalist in 2012, leading the Irish to an unbeaten regular season and a spot in the BCS title game against Alabama. Unfortunately, he’ll go down as the guy with the fake internet girlfriend more than for his play. (You might want to Google search his new girlfriend, however.) Te’o was undoubtedly a star on the field, finishing his career with 437 tackles (third in Notre Dame history), 34.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He had seven interceptions in his senior year. Te’o ended up as a second-round pick, heading to the San Diego Chargers, where he battled injuries his first two years but had a very productive 2015 season. Grade: Lived up to the hype.
Jelani Jenkins, Florida: Jenkins looked like a star from the moment he joined the Gators, with a great blend of size, speed and strength. In three years, Jenkins had 180 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks. He left Florida after his junior year to enter the NFL Draft, where the Miami Dolphins picked him in the fourth round. After playing sparingly as a rookie, he had 110 tackles in his second year in the league as a starter. He also started 13 games in 2015, making 71 tackles. Grade: Lived up to the hype.
Nico Johnson, Alabama: Johnson was part of a class that won three national championships in four years. While Johnson contributed for the Crimson Tide, he was never a star. He totaled 162 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks in his four years. Johnson was a fourth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013. He’s on his third team now (Giants) after playing with Cincinnati in 2014. Grade: Bust
Dorian Bell, Ohio State: Bell redshirted his first season at Ohio State, and finished his freshman season with just nine tackles. After he was suspended for the entire 2011 season, Bell transferred to Duquesne, where he played well away from the spotlight. Grade: Bust.
2010 – 5 linebackers
Jordan Hicks, Texas: Hicks capped off his career in 2014 by leading the Longhorns with 113 tackles, as well as 11.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two interceptions. In his first three seasons for Texas, Hicks had 89 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. Hicks redshirted in 2013 after he suffered a season-ending injury. He was a third-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagies in the 2015 draft. He played in eight games this year, starting five, before suffering a season-ending injury. Grade: Mixed reviews.
William Gholston, Michigan State: Golston used his supreme athleticism to make the move to defensive end at Michigan State. He had a solid career, finishing with 142 total tackles, 30.0 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks. He declared early for the draft and was picked in the fourth round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013, where he has 71 tackles and 4.0 sacks in two seasons. He’s played three seasons with the Bucs at defensive end, starting 11 games in 2015. Grade: Lived up to the hype.
Christian Jones, Florida State: Over his four-year career in Tallahassee, Jones racked up 223 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and 8.0 sacks. Jones went undrafted in 2014 but caught on with the Chicago Bears. He played with a chip on his shoulder after the draft snub and finished his rookie year with 68 tackles and 2.0 sacks. He was one of the Bears’ top defensive players in 2015, making 86 tackles in 13 starts. Grade: Lived up to the hype.
Alec Ogletree, Georgia: Ogletree was a safety/linebacker prospect in high school, but he was projected to play linebacker in college. He had some scrapes with the law but more than lived up to the hype on the field. In his final year at Georgia, he had 111 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, earning second-team All-SEC recognition before leaving early for the NFL. The St. Louis Rams took him with the 30th overall pick in 2013 and he’s blossomed into a star, recording more than 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons. He played only four games in 2015, dealing with a severe ankle injury. Grade: Lived up to the hype.
Jeff Luc, Florida State: Luc never made the grade at Florida State, playing mostly on special teams in his time in Tallahassee. He transferred to Cincinnati, where he made 34 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a senior. Grade: Bust.
2011 – 6 linebackers
Curtis Grant, Ohio State: Grant was a solid contributor in his senior year at Ohio State, finishing fifth on the team in tackles with 69 stops while picking up 5.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and an interception. He didn’t play much in his first two years on campus for getting a shot in 2013, but ended his career a national champion. He was an undrafted free agent and has been to a few NFL teams but hasn’t played yet. Grade: Bust.
Steve Edmond, Texas: Edmond bounced back strong from a season-ending injury in 2013, making 109 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks for the Longhorns in their first year under Charlie Strong. He went undrafted in 2015 and was signed by the New Orleans Saints but didn’t make the team out of training camp. Grade: Mixed reviews.
Trey DePriest, Alabama: DePriest was once again a steady contributor for Alabama in his senior year, finishing his career with the best of his four seasons at Alabama. DePriest made 87 tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss as a senior, helping to spearhead one of the best run defenses in the country. He went undrafted in 2015 and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens, but didn’t make the team. Grade: Mixed reviews.
Tony Steward, Clemson: After suffering tears to both of his ACLs in his first three years at Clemson, Steward showed why he was so highly regarded coming to school in his final two seasons. He finally got on the field in 2013, making 37 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack in 13 games. As a senior, he recorded 58 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in this sixth round in 2015, but played very little, appearing in seven games and making only two tackles. Grade: Mixed reviews.
Stephone Anthony, Clemson: After a stellar junior year, Anthony surprised everyone by returning to school for his senior year in 2014. He led the Tigers in tackles with 75 tackles and had 10.5 tackles for loss and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints. He started all 16 games for the Saints in 2016 and had 116 tackles. Grade: Mixed reviews, but trending upward.
Ishaq Williams, Notre Dame: Williams never blossomed into a star for the Irish, making 45 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss in his first three years. He ran into troubles academically and appealed to the NCAA to return to Notre Dame in 2015, but it was denied. He is preparing for the 2016 NFL draft now, but there are no guarantees he will be drafted. Grade: Bust.
2012 – 1 linebacker
Josh Harvey-Clemons, Georgia: Clemons was dismissed from Georgia for several violations of team rules. The hybrid safety/linebacker was very good on the field for the Bulldogs, recording 66 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 12 QB hurries in 2013. He landed at Louisville, where he sat out the 2014 season but then became a star for the Cardinals in 2015. He started every game at safety and had 88 tackles and three interceptions. Grade: Mixed reviews, but trending upward.
2013 – 4 linebackers
Jaylon Smith, Notre Dame: During his junior year in 2015, Smith had 115 tackles and won the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker. He’s been a star at Notre Dame from the start. As a freshman, he had 67 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. His sophomore year, Smith was the team’s leading tackler with 111 stops. Smith suffered a serious knee injury in Notre Dame’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State on New Year’s Day, which required surgery. He has declared for the 2016 NFL draft and will likely be a high pick, despite the injury. Grade: Lived up to the hype.
Matthew Thomas, Florida State: After getting a medical redshirt for a shoulder injury in 2013, Thomas played in eight games and made three starts in 2014, dealing with both injuries and NCAA eligibility issues. He finished the year with 26 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. He was declared ineligible for the entire 2015 season by the NCAA. Grade: Bust
Jonathan Allen, Alabama: Allen has turned into a star everyone expected of him, once again leading the stout Crimson Tide defense to another national title in 2015. Allen was a projected late-first round pick in the 2015 draft, but decided to come back to Alabama for his senior year in 2016, hoping to improve his draft stock even further. He led Alabama with 12 sacks this season, starting 14 games. Grade: Living up to the hype.
Reuben Foster, Alabama: Foster had a huge junior year for Alabama in his first full season of playing regularly. He starred at inside linebacker alongside Reggie Ragland, and was second on the team in tackles (78) to Ragland. He’s expected to quarterback the Alabama defense in 2016 and be a high-round draft pick next year. Grade: Living up to the hype after a slow start.
2014 – 4 linebackers
Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State: McMillan started every game as a sophomore for the Buckeyes in 2015 and led the team in tackles with 119. He was a huge player of the 12-1 Buckeyes and looks to be a solid preseason All-America candidate in 2016. He played in 14 of 15 games as a freshman. Grade: Living up to the hype.
Tre’ Williams, Auburn: Williams still hasn’t been able to consistently crack the starting lineup at Auburn, playing behind a group of seniors in 2015. But he still made 51 tackles off the bench and is expected to be a leader in 2016 as the most experienced returning linebacker. Grade: Undetermined.
Rashaan Evans, Alabama: Evans didn’t see a lot of playing time for Alabama in 2015, but he did have his moments, most notably in the national championship game against Alabama when he recorded two sacks in the 45-40 win for the Crimson Tide. Big things are expected of Evans in 2016. Grade: Undetermined.
Clifton Garrett, LSU: Garrett played in only three games for LSU as a freshman after recovering from shoulder surgery, and then decided to transfer out of the program last summer. After playing in junior college in 2015, he committed to UAB, which is returning to college football next season. Grade: Bust, so far.
2015 – 3 linebackers
Malik Jefferson, Texas: Jefferson is the key piece of a Texas freshman class that’s charged with bringing the Longhorns back to respectability. He led the team in pressures with six and was second in tackles with 61. He also recorded seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, which he returned for a TD. He was named to ESPN’s true freshman All-American team and was a Big 12 honorable mention selection. Grade: Undetermined, but off to a good start.
Justin Hilliard, Ohio State: The Buckeyes, loaded at linebacker in 2015, decided to redshirt Hilliard for his freshman season. He’s expected to contend for a starting position at weak-side linebacker next season. Grade: Undetermined.
Osa Masina, USC: Masina played sparingly in 12 games as a freshman, registering 17 tackles on the year for the 8-6 Trojans. He’s expected to play a bigger role for USC in 2016. Grade: Undetermined.
Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist and author who is covering SEC football for Saturday Down South.
