Harold Perkins Jr., 3rd-year junior, LSU
For as much as I want Perkins to be an edge rusher, he is simply too small. He told reporters at SEC Media Day he is up to 225 pounds. That's a big improvement, but still about 10-15 pounds shy of where he would need to be. At 6'1", it is hard to imagine he really has that much more room on his frame to add that weight. Perkins moved into an off-ball role this past season and thrived. He is excellent in coverage and has sideline-to-sideline ability. His open-field tackling and footwork need improvement, but he has the potential to be the first linebacker selected.
Ben Roberts, 3rd-year sophomore, Texas Tech
This might be a bit early for draft consideration for Roberts, but he has earned the attention after a stellar redshirt freshman season. A high school safety, Roberts moved to linebacker when he arrived in Lubbock. He played sparingly as a true freshman, seeing action in two games and ultimately redshirting. He took advantage of a larger role in 2023, racking up 107 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss. At 6'3", 230 pounds, there will be no size concerns for him. Another big year could see him leave school early.
Andrew Simpson, 4th-year junior, Boise State
Boise State is going to have a lot of NFL draft scouts hanging around games this season. Ashton Jeanty gets all the headlines, but Cage Kasey plays left tackle, Ahmed Hassaneid comes off the edge and Simpson patrols the middle of the field. He was a high-impact player in 2023, racking up 16 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He is a bit short for the position at 6'0", but his frame is filled out well at 238 pounds. Another strong season should put him in the Day 3 conversation.w
Danny Stutsman, 4th-year senior, Oklahoma
I have a lot of work to do on the linebacker class, but Stutsman is unquestionably my favorite at this point. Not necessarily the best one, but my favorite. He has started 25 games over the past two seasons and has 26.5 tackles for loss in those games. He is a leader on Oklahoma's defense with a nose for the football. Another season to evaluate him is useful to fully assess his athleticism.