Football Recruiting Advice for Linebackers

Another series of articles that I am going to continue doing is breaking down the recruiting knowledge that I have for different positions in both basketball and football. While some may feel that recruiting is all the same, that is definitely not the case at all. The recruiting process for a quarterback, lineman, linebacker, or kicker is very different. That is why I plan on focusing on a variety of positions to help with basketball recruiting and football recruiting.

The good news for the linebacker position is that like an offensive linemen, there are going to be a lot of spots up for grabs in the battle for a scholarship. This is not going to be like quarterback where a school only brings one or two in each recruiting class. But the bad news for those linebacker recruits is that there is also going to be a lot of competition for spots. That is why this position is one of the most analyzed by college coaches.

As a linebacker, there are going to be a number of areas that you must prove you can excel at to get a major football scholarship offer. The first, as with any other college position, is speed. The faster you are, the better for your chances in the recruiting process. This helps you be able to cover the field better as well as your closing time on the ball. If you are going to be able to tackle the fastest running backs in the country, you have to be able to have the speed to catch them.

The second is a nose for the ball. College coaches love to see linebackers able to make plays in the backfield because it shows that they have a nose for the ball. It is almost like a linebacker is smarter than anyone else on the field and can sniff out where the play is going and who is going to get the ball. This is a great trait to have, no matter what your speed or size is. It will help you succeed as a linebacker.

The next area that you must be great at is tackling. If you have a nose for the ball and 4.4 speed, it won’t matter much if you are unable to tackle the offensive player. If anything, your lack of tackling skills will make your coach mad because of the other abilities that you have. Included in tackling is also hitting, which is obviously making the offensive player pay for coming into your area.

The fourth and final attribute that is important as a linebacker is size. While a player like former NFL All Pro linebacker Sam Mills was 5-foot-9 and had a great career before he passed, college coaches like to look for prototypical size. When looking at the rankings for the top outside linebackers as rated by Rivals.com, only three are under 6-foot and these players are ranked #62, #69, and #70. Even if others on the list are inflating their height, it means that you will be looked over if you are not in the 6-foot range. And for those considering that they want to inflate their height, CLICK HERE to see an older article that was written about that.

Like I have mentioned in other articles, it is important to have all four of the areas if you want to play at a high level. You can have the size, a nose for the ball, and can tackle, but if you don’t have speed, then you probably cannot play linebacker at a very high level in college. Having all four is what will open up doors for you and pay for your college education.

As a linebacker, there may also be other positions that you can move to. If you are a little on the smaller side, then you may need to consider safety. That is a normal fit for those 6-foot or 5-foot-11 linebackers who do not fit the prototype that colleges are looking for at the next level. Also defensively, you may make the move down to defensive end. That really depends a lot on your height but there are not many linebackers that are a legit 6-foot-4 and stay at the linebacker position. Coaches like to see that type of height along the line and that could move you to defensive end.

A linebacker recruit also may be moved to the offensive side of the ball and could play either tight end or fullback. In most cases, the coaches would like to see a player at this spot moved to fullback because he can hit, which he needs to do on every play. Few are moved to tight end but there are some big enough and athletic enough to make that move. A lot of that depends on hands more than blocking skills.

For your highlight tape, it is important to show yourself covering a lot of ground. You don’t want to just include running plays that come your way and you make the tackle. A coach wants to see someone with the athleticism to cover the field and make plays on the opposite side of where you are playing. They also like to see linebackers be able to shed blocks because that will become even more important at the next level. Being able to move the fullback and tackle the running back is something essential to getting playing time in college.

One of the biggest things I have talked about before with a highlight tape but it is essential for a linebacker is to make sure you standout on the tape. You can use circles or arrows but make sure it is 100% obvious that the college coaches know where you are. If they have to guess in figuring out which side of the field you came from, than the highlights will not fully show your ability on the field. That is why I feel it is sometimes important to use a professional highlight service for your videos. One to consider is www.highlight-videos.com

When talking to college coaches, make sure to know what defensive scheme they run. While coaches can change, running a 3-4 and a 4-3 are completely different for how much playing a linebacker might get. Talk to these coaches about what role they see you filling. If they are going to try and move you to fullback and you want to play linebacker, that is essential for you to know early. That way, you can figure out if this is a place for you or not.

And if you are really a big time prospect, look to see how many linebackers they have put in the NFL. Places like Penn State have been known as Linebacker University in the past for how many talented players they have helped to succeed at this position. Also look at their depth chart and who else they are recruiting. As mentioned before, use the school’s website to see the current depth chart and a recruiting service like Rivals.com to help with their current recruiting.


Previous recruiting specific articles to look at:

• Football Recruiting Advice for Quarterbacks
• Football Recruiting Advice for Running Backs
• Football Recruiting Advice for Wide Receivers
• Football Recruiting Advice for Tight Ends
• Football Recruiting Advice for Offensive Linemen
• Football Recruiting Advice for Defensive Tackles
• Basketball Recruiting Advice for Point Guards
• Basketball Recruiting Advice for Shooting Guards
• Basketball Recruiting Advice for Small Forwards
• Basketball Recruiting Advice for Power Forwards
• Basketball Recruiting Advice for Centers
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: Location
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: Athletic Facilities
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: The Coaching Staff
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: Academics
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: Cost
• Important Factors in Accepting an Athletic Scholarship: Weather