2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: Top 5 Linebacking Corps – Stanford the Best

2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: Top 5 Linebacking Corps : As offenses in college football have evolved over the years, linebackers have definitely been evolving alongside the scoring attacks they are trying to stop. Players at the position are now routinely among the most athletic and most complete on field. After all, being an elite linebacker requires a combination of strength, speed and agility. On any given snap, a linebacker may be asked to bring down a ball carrier, drop back in coverage or rush the passer. Needless to say, it takes a rare set of physical and mental skills to excel at the position. For the best linebackers in the country, the Butkus Award is the ultimate individual honor that they can earn. That being said, winning the award isn’t easy, and since Brian Bosworth earned the honor in the first two years of the award’s existence, no player has earned the honor multiple times. With Manti Te’o now in the NFL, the trend is guaranteed to continue in the 2013 college football season, and here is a closer look at the players that could add their name to the list of Butkus Award winners.

1.      Stanford Cardinal

Stanford led the country with 57.0 sacks last year and allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards, and three of the four starting linebackers are back from that unit. Trent Murphy is among the returnees, and he is coming off a team-high 10.0 sacks. Meanwhile, Shayne Skov may be the most athletic of the entire bunch, and he should be back in peak form now that he is another year removed from knee surgery. A.J. Tarpley is no slouch either, and the trio should pile up big numbers once again while helping the Cardinal defense remain one of the best in the country.

2.     Alabama Crimson Tide

He was the MVP of the team last year, and C.J. Mosley is back to lead a loaded linebacking corps in his senior season. While Mosley is going to do his play-making thing on the inside, Adrian Hubbard is a stout edge rusher from the outside. After shining in spot duty last year, increased roles for Trey DePriest and Xzavier Dickson should solidify the unit and make it one of the most explosive in the country. Nick Saban’s players rarely make mistakes as it is, and this year’s linebackers will make the spectacular plays along with the routine ones.

3.      Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa has a lot of holes on its football team, but its linebackers aren’t one of them. The unit has an excellent blend of talent and experience, and three senior starters are back. James Morris is the anchor of the group, and he does the dirty work inside. Meanwhile, Anthony Hitchens and Christian Kirksey are both excellent on the outside. The three comprised one of the most productive teammates at the position in the country last year, and another year to gain experience and build chemistry should only boost their already-impressive statistics.

4.      UCLA Bruins

Eric Kendricks is the steady, reliable tackler in the middle for UCLA, but the emergence of outside linebacker Anthony Barr is what has put this unit over the top. The converted running back used his combination of speed and strength to explode on to the scene last year, tallying 13.5 sacks. In all, three starters are back in the mix for the Bruins, and with the inside-outside tandem of Kendricks and Barr leading the way, the sky is the limit for this group.

5.      Ohio State Buckeyes

Although Ohio State’s linebacking corps has yet to produce the elite-type numbers of some of the other top units, the talent and potential of this group is off the charts. Outside linebacker Ryan Shazier might be the most physically-gifted defender in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, five-star recruit Curtis Grant is primed for a breakout season as a junior. Throw in all the other four-star and five-star recruits Urban Meyer has brought in, and the pieces are in place for something special.

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