Introducing the CFB Saturdays College Football LB Rankings

Over the next few weeks we will be unveiling our College Football player rankings by position. Today we will take a look at our College Football LB rankings. A few notes before we discuss the rankings themselves.

• The rankings will be updated throughout the season.
• Players who have not played college football are not eligible for the rankings.
• Players are graded on their college ability, not their pro potential.
• We are judging players on their film, production and physical tools.

You can view the college football LB rankings here.

Top of the Class

Micah Parsons (Penn State) is in the top spot. Parsons is a physical freak at 6’3″ 245 lbs who moves with the fluidity, acceleration, and speed of a much smaller player. His athleticism, instincts, and constant pursuit allow him to make plays all over the field. Parsons’ versatility cannot be understated. He knows how to play the run, handles blockers routinely, is the best blitzer at the position, makes plays in pass coverage, and can dominate the edge on the defensive line. Name what you want your linebacker to do, and Parsons can do it. The production matches what our eyes tell us about Parsons as he totaled over 100 tackles, 14 TFL, 5 sacks, 5 PBU, 4 QBH, 4 FF. There really is no debate at #1 as Parsons is the cream of the crop.

Dylan Moses (Alabama) comes in at #2 in our rankings and is a physical specimen listed at 6’2″ 233 lbs. Moses missed this past season due to injury but led the Crimson Tide in tackles as a sophomore. Moses possesses a rock solid build and excellent speed at linebacker allowing him to make plays from sideline to sideline. He played with improved instincts during the 2018 season and as a result was consistently around the ball. Moses is a punishing tackler that makes his presence felt when he meets the ball carrier. His elite closing speed seems to surprise ball carriers and makes it difficult to get past him. As long as Moses is fully recovered from his injury, he will be a terror in 2020.

Chazz Surratt (North Carolina) checks in at #3 in our rankings after converting from quarterback last season. Surratt made the unlikely transition seamlessly as he was the premier playmaker in the Tar Heel defense. Surratt has great size at 6’3″ 230 lbs and has room to pack on some more good weight. His range and closing speed make him a nightmare for opposing offenses and his quarterbacking past shows in pass coverage where Surratt displays the positioning and timing needed to make plays. Surratt is not the hardest hitter but continues to improve as tackler with game experience. Surratt is already an excellent player, but he is still somewhat raw, and has the potential to be even better. That is a scary thought for his 2020 opponents.

Nick Bolton (Missouri) is our #4 player, and an elite talent in his own right. Bolton is not the tallest linebacker but has a sturdy build at 6’0″ 235 lbs. Aside from ideal height, Bolton has all the tools coveted in a linebacker. He is a fast, aggressive, and instinctual player who is equally adept against the run and pass. Bolton sifts through traffic and explodes through the line to make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. In coverage, he shows the ability to cover players in man to man and to jump routes in zone coverage. In addition to being the SEC’s leading returning tackler, Bolton recorded an impressive eight PBU, demonstrating that his production matches his versatile ability. Our favorite trait of Bolton’s is his hard hitting ability. Bolton is a flat out beast when he meets ball carriers stopping players in their tracks and is right there with Dylan Moses as one of the hardest hitters at the position.

The Next Group

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (Notre Dame) is #5 in our college football linebacker rankings after a playmaking 2019 campaign. The 6’1″ 216 lb Owusu-Koramoah is another versatile talent who impacts the game in multiple facets. A true new-age linebacker, Owusu-Koramoah is very comfortable playing in space and often lines up over slot receivers when facing spread attacks. He plays an outside linebacker role against more traditional sets and is adept at tackling players in space and at the line of scrimmage. Notre Dame often asked him to rush from the edge and Owusu-Koramoah displayed his ability to be effective there as well. After his first season as a starter, expect Owusu-Koramoah to be even better as a senior.

Rayshard Ashby (Virginia Tech) checks in at the #6 spot after another ultra productive season. Ashby recorded 120 tackles and 17 TFL in 2019 after recording 105 tackles and 9.5 TFL in 2018. Ashby has a short but sturdy build at 5’10” 237 lbs and is a very instinctual and effective player in the middle of the Hokies defense. Asbhy is a three down linebacker who is able to consistently make plays behind or at the line of scrimmage. He is not the most athletic linebacker on this list, and is height does limit his effectiveness at times, but Asbhy is still one of the best players at the position in the country. Look for another ultra productive campaign with 100+ tackles, and double digit TFLs resulting in a 1st team All-ACC caliber performance.

Garrett Wallow (TCU) is #7 on the list and has added the mass needed to take his game to another level (6’2″ 230). Wallow had a solid sophomore season (at 212 lbs) before exploding on to the scene as a junior recording 125 tackles and 18 TFL. Even with the added bulk, Wallow is a very athletic player that moves around the field effortlessly. The rising senior is adept at defending the run and making his way through offensive line traffic. He has always been comfortable defending the pass and that continues to be an area of strength. Wallow’s excellent instincts and elite range allow him to make plays other linebackers simply cannot. Wallow will be a leader for TCU’s defense and should be in line for back to back 1st Team All-Conference honors.

Carlton Martial (Troy) comes in at #8 and is the hidden gem of the group. Martial is a classic underdog – he plays for a group of five school, he lacks ideal height (5’10”) and is a few pounds too light (216 lbs). Like any good underdog, Martial defies all odds to perform at a high level. After a strong freshman season, Martial took his production to other worldly heights recording 126 tackles, 18.5 TFL, 4 sacks, and 3 INTs. Martial has a very high football IQ and the instincts to match. He is an excellent player in coverage and a true sideline to sideline player with the range to make plays very few are capable of. Martial is already receiving NFL Draft hype and could surprise the masses with an All-American caliber junior season.

Names To Remember

Henry To’o To’o (Tennessee) holds the #16 spot in the rankings, after a promising freshman campaign. To’o To’o was a top linebacker prospect coming out of high school and had a productive first year in the middle of the Volunteers defense (72 tackles and 5 TFL). At 6’2″ 235 lbs he has the frame and build of a traditional inside linebacker. To’o To’o has the discipline and intelligence of an older player, a trait that allowed him to get to the right spot and make plays. The young linebacker is not a blazer but is fast enough, and is more than serviceable defending the pass. To’o To’o is an excellent tackler who will continue to round out his game with more experience. He will be one of the best in the country as a sophomore.

Jabril Cox (LSU) checks in at #18 in the college football linebacker rankings. The 6’3″ 231 lb Cox is a phenomenal athlete and one of the best on film in pass coverage. Cox was a three time FCS All-American and has made several interceptions in his collegiate career. A very fast and fluid athlete, Cox can play the run from sideline to sideline and has no problem corralling smaller receivers on the perimeter in space. The only area for concern is his ability to hold his own in the box against much larger and more athletic lineman at the FBS level. Cox has the physical tools to shoot up this list if he can handle the step up in competition. For more on Cox check out our transfer spotlight article here.

Devin Lloyd (Utah) is our #20 ranked linebacker after debuting as a starter for the Utes defense in his sophomore season. Lloyd is listed at 6’3″ 235 lbs and has a long, slender build for a linebacker that can stand to add plenty of bulk. Lloyd is a very fast and natural athlete who lined up across from receivers at the boundary, in the slot, on the edge, and as a traditional outside linebacker. Lloyd is only scratching the surface of his abilities and need to get stronger at the point of attack against blockers. This should come with added muscle, improved technique, and game experience. Lloyd is a player with tremendous upside and somebody we expect to challenge for All-Conference honors out West.

Azeez Ojulari (Georgia) is in the #24 spot but he is a candidate to shoot up the rankings with more playing time. The 6’3″ 240 lb Ojulari was primarily utilized as pass rusher in Kirby Smart’s defense but should see his role expand as a full time starter in 2020. Ojulari posted 5.5 sacks and 18 QBH in a limited role and that production should only increase with more snaps. A strong, relentless player, Ojulari has the size, athleticism, and tools to develop into a terror as a Jack linebacker. Depending on how Ojulari is utilized he may end up in our defensive end rankings in the near future (don’t be surprised to see teammate Nakobe Dean make this list with more playing time as well), but for now we will consider him a linebacker. Regardless of role, one thing is clear – Ojulari will be a force for the Bulldogs defense.

Click here for the Top 25 LB Rankings.

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