Linebacker is an incredibly difficult position to play in college, but not for these players. The following linebacker rankings come from the CSN Top 100 Returning Players list and are headlined by Clemson’s Sammy Brown, entering Year 2 with the Tigers.
9) Jason Henderson, LB, Old Dominion
National Rank: 93
During his four seasons with the Old Dominion Monarchs, Jason Henderson has become synonymous with tackling expertise. He’s twice led the nation in assisted tackles (2022 and 2023) and has averaged 109.7 tackles per season, a remarkable feat made even more impressive by the fact he played just one game last fall due to injury.
He doesn’t just bolster statistics with meaningless downfield tackles, however, with Henderson a constant backfield enforcer with 34 tackles for loss. A return to full health should ensure we see one final epic campaign from one of college football’s best.
8) Suntarine Perkins, LB, Ole Miss
National Rank: 86
Suntarine Perkins followed up an impressive freshman campaign for the Ole Miss Rebels with a standout sophomore season, setting the scene for a junior year that could establish him as one of the best linebackers in the country.
A former five-star with an elite athletic profile, Perkins has established himself as a do-it-all defensive playmaker who is equally as comfortable using his excellent speed to missile into the backfield as an edge rusher as he is using his coverage skills and patience in a more traditional linebacker role. Of note, he is set to miss spring practice with an injury, and it remains to be seen how that impacts his ability to build on a 14 tackle for loss, 10.5 sack season.
7) Jack Kelly, LB, BYU
National Rank: 75
Jake Retzlaff commanded a lot of attention last fall as the BYU Cougars embarked on a nine-game winning run that carried them as high as seventh in the AP Poll. Yet, in reality, the program’s success was built on defense, a unit led by do-it-all linebacker Jack Kelly.
A ferocious force coming downhill who deconstructs blocks for fun, Kelly racked up 10 tackles for loss and five sacks while leading the Cougars with two forced fumbles. He’s physical but smart and brings coverage chops, too. His return is huge for BYU in 2025.
6) Red Murdock, LB, Buffalo
National Rank: 63
The Buffalo Bulls boasted CSN’s 2024 Linebacker of the Year, Shaun Dolac, who masked the accomplishments of teammate Red Murdock, who is primed to receive more national attention in 2025. Murdock tallied 156 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, two sacks, and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown.
No player in the country had more forced fumbles (7) than the Buffalo linebacker, who hits with ferocity while demonstrating the ability to read the game at a high level.
5) Aiden Fisher, LB, Indiana
National Rank: 52
One of the top linebackers in the country, Aiden Fisher earned a CSN All-American honorable mention after making the transition from the Sun Belt to the Big Ten alongside former James Madison Dukes head coach Curt Cignetti.
Fisher was unfazed by the jump from the Group of Five level to the Power Four, putting together another six tackles for loss and a 1.5-sacks campaign while notching over 100 tackles for the second successive season. You don’t want to meet him in the alley this fall.
4) Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
National Rank: 47
Kyle Louis experienced a breakout campaign at the heart of the Pittsburgh Panthers defense last season, finishing second on the team with 101 tackles in his third ACC campaign.
After registering 16 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and four interceptions, he earned CSN Third Team All-American honors while being named CSN’s ACC Linebacker of the Year. His all-encompassing skill set even extends to being an impact maker on special teams, blocking a kick and returning it for a score against the Toledo Rockets.
3) Sammy Brown, LB, Clemson
National Rank: 35
The Clemson Tigers have had a string of elite linebackers in recent years, and after his performances as a true freshman for Dabo Swinney’s team a year ago, Sammy Brown is set to earn his place among the best in the country.
He was named the CSN Freshman Linebacker of the Year and tallied 80 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and five sacks in 2024, more than any other Clemson linebacker. He should be even better in 2025.
2) Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
National Rank: 15
A CSN Second Team All-American in 2024, Anthony Hill Jr. enters the 2025 college football season as one of the top linebackers in the country.
He’s been a high-level contributor for the Texas Longhorns since making his debut as a true freshman and enters his junior campaign on the back of a season where he led the SEC in tackles for loss (17) and forced fumbles. A force coming downhill, he also impacts the passing game both with pressure and coverage capability.
1) Whit Weeks, LB, LSU
National Rank: 7
Expectations heading into the 2024 college football season centered around the LSU Tigers having one of the best linebackers in the country. While that ultimately came to pass, Whit Weeks and not Harold Perkins Jr. asserted themselves as the very best at the position as the season unfurled. The true junior returns to Baton Rouge among the very best of the top 100 college football players for 2025.
MORE: 2024 College Football Network All-Americans
Weeks’ season ended in tragedy with a dislocated ankle suffered in the Texas Bowl win over the Baylor Bears. Yet that shouldn’t overshadow a sensational sophomore campaign. He led the SEC with 61 solo tackles, tallied 10 tackles for loss with 3.5 sacks, snagged an interception, and forced two fumbles. His injury also shouldn’t prevent him from becoming the best linebacker in the country, fuelled by his hair-on-fire energy.
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