No linebacker in football has accomplished more in the last five years than the Panthers Luke Kuechly (pronounced KEEK-lee). He must be athletic enough to pull and get up field. It's changing. If you read our separate article on average linemen weights, youll see that the numbers for the offensive line ballooned since the 2010s. I like to have linebackers focus on short, high-intensity sprints. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Linebackers can get pretty heavy in fact, Chiefs rookie Tanoh Kpassagnonstarted a game at outside linebackerat 289 pounds! The recruit should have a combination of size and speed and must change the LOS at the point of attack. Because of his position on the weakside, the Will does not often have to face large interior linemen one on one unless one is pulling. [citation needed]. Stats: 40yd: 4.6 Bench: 315 lbs. He displays fluid hips and good knee bend and plays under his pads. A Place To Learn Sports. He needs to be strong in man coverage and excellent in zone coverage while knowing his responsibilities. But they are significantly below offensive linemen who clock in at a whopping 24.6%. This player should clearly stand out as very good in his play. However, many players who play this position weigh at least 220 pounds, so they can still be fast enough to cover running backs and tight ends downfield. Overall athleticism is important, as the mike linebacker must be able to drop in pass coverage and move laterally with the passing game. Flashes decent knee bend. He needs to show the strength and leverage to dominate along the line-of-scrimmage as a run defender. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. What is the average size of an NFL middle linebacker? Great at picking off short passes through the middle, and while . Working towards heavier lifts with longer rest period proves difficult for your nervous system which is good news: the more you stress the body, the more it adapts and grows stronger to overcome new efforts. Live to 100 With these Blue Zone Lifestyle Changes, Steve Howey talks 'True Lies' and His Fitness Evolution, Angela Gargano Is Helping Women Pullup to Higher Levels, For Manning Sumner, Accountability Leads to Consistency, Heart Surgery Helped Derek Drake Find His SuperMotoCross Beat. Height / Weight: 6'2" 225 lbs. The recruit must show skills in both zone and man coverage and can match up with the best athlete on the field. We think rugby flankers are the nearest equivalent position to linebackers. The former Oregon Ducks middle linebacker was robbed of the former in 2020 due to the pandemic and is in the process of making the latter come to fruition, which could come with an opportunity to . But the mike linebacker has to be a player who likes to hitand can bring down the best running backs in the game. A 40 time is much more accurate, since you make that play in a game. No need to shy away from intimidating-sounding, polysyllabic exercises and just stick with curls. Displays loose hips and great knee bend, plays under his pads. For example, the 43 defense has four defensive linemen and three linebackers; conversely, the 34 defense has three linemen and four linebackers. These line backers will be reading the offensive guard so they know what to do, so if the guard sets up to pass block the line backers know to get into their zone in order to cover the pass. Instinctive and plays downhill in the run game. Jim Cavale is competitive by [Read More], The Olympic Games are often defined by the feats achieved by the all-time greats. Well start with the Pro Bowl roster in 2001. While that doesn't sound like much, consider that a typical middle linebacker in the NFL is usually around 250 pounds and can jump 36 inches high for a defensive player on the free safety position. The recruit must have a quick release off of the LOS, good vision and instincts, good hands and the quickness to make defenders miss. Kuechly amassed 164 combined tackles to lead the league his rookie season and has been a top linebacker in the NFL ever since. Why is it so important to get my video to college coaches? They also typically have some ability to stop the run, so teams tend to ask them to put their hand in the dirt more than other linebacker positions. He should be able to win with either speed and quickness or power as an edge rusher. He must be athletic enough to pull and get up field. 12 tackles vs. SDSU, . Must have a kickoff average of at least 5065 yards, field goal range of 45 yards or more and a hang time of 3.4 seconds. He should play with excellent pad level by demonstrating natural knee bend, as well as have a devastating hand punch against pass rush and be able to lock on defenders and control them. The weakside inside linebacker is typically called the "Will," while the strong side or middle inside linebacker is called the "Mike". The focus of the 34 defensive line is to occupy offensive linemen thus freeing the linebackers to tackle the running back or to rush the passer or otherwise drop into pass coverage. The Ohio State football team has eight linebackers on scholarship, but just two arrived on campus with bonafide inside linebacker designated rankings on 247Sports.Now the Ohio State scheme only has two linebackers and the rotation for both is likely going to be fluid, but to keep things simple I just wanted to recap the two that were rated as inside backers and provide the ratings for the . If there is a strong call, the linebacker on the strongside is called "Sam", while the linebacker on the weakside is called "Will". Following his junior season, Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton opted to forego his senior season and declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. The guys in the front row of a rugby scrum can be pretty big. This can also take away the ability of the offense to pull the guards on a running play, because this would leave one of the defenders unblocked, or, at best, give another lineman a very difficult block to make on one of the defenders. Linebacker strength is constantly being put to the test, no matter what technique you play. The workout below was designed by Panthers strength and conditioning coach Joe Big House Kenn. [6] William Dunn of Penn St. was another Western Conference linebacker soon after Schulz. Here is the raw data captured in the graph above: This all averages out at 237 lbs in 2009. There are also times where the mike linebacker is assigned to cover the running back out of the backfield on either side. . Hand: 9.5. Outside line backers sometimes are considered to be pass players before they are run players. Copyright 2023 JW Media, LLC, parent company of Muscle & Fitness. Sewell performed decently well, but may not have moved the draft needle all that much in the end. While quarterbacks have their hands on every play on offense to lead their teams to victory, it's much tougher for players to control the game by sheer force of will. He also enjoys reading about sports history and learning about new techniques. These numbers indicate that you should be able to lift about 120 pounds 10 times. He should be able to stretch the field vertically and can find the open window in zone or separate from man coverage. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. In standard defenses, middle linebackers commonly lead the team in tackles. In a three man front, he will generally play over the guard to the strong side and generally has the responsibility of stopping the. To'oto'o would be a rotational . [13], The middle or inside linebacker (MLB or ILB), sometimes called the "Mike" or "Mac",[14] is often referred to as the "quarterback of the defense". A survey of weights at the soccer World Cup in 2018 showed that soccer players were averaging at around 170 lbs. Chris Barnard is a strength and conditioning coach at Strength Camp, a hardcore athlete training facility in St. Petersburg, Florida, as well as author of multiple performance programs. Middle linebackers is considered the quarterback of the defensive and provides dynamic defensive support by stuffing gaps, intercepting passes and providing coverage deep in the middle of the field. Understands pursuit angles and can close time and space in an instant. The recruit must be able to know all coverage and have quick feet. He must be able to catch a jump ball as easy as a post, shallow, slant or hitch. I wont go into this in detail in this article. Outside linebackers are ideally approximately 6'3" tall and weigh between 245-255 pounds, with minor variation depending on whether they play the Sam or the Will. Strong on contact. Knocks blockers and ball-carriers backward and/or off their feet. Interestingly, they are not a whole lot bigger than quarterbacks. He must play with above-average pad level by demonstrating natural knee bend, and should have active hands against the pass rush, as well as be able to consistently keep defenders out of the pocket. On pass plays, the linebackers' responsibilities vary based upon whether a man or zone coverage is called. He should be a threat after the catch. On the year, the junior totaled 84 tackles with 10 tackles for a loss, two forced fumbles and . D1 FBS TEs should demonstrate explosive physicality; they can find the open window in zone and separate from man coverage. He dropped five pounds from his college playing weight and expects to weigh in around 225 pounds. Average college football player size for OL: 64 / 297 lbs. Understands pursuit angles and can close time and space. [11] Edgar Garbisch of Army was credited with developing the "roving center method" of playing defensive football in 1921. Must be a consistent player who shows physical and athletic upside to develop. Strength Training For Linebackers | 4 Tips To Improve Football Performance Garage Strength 340K subscribers Join Subscribe 6.2K Share Save 126K views 2 years ago #football #strengthtraining. Average college football player size for DL: 62 / 259 lbs. Barbell hack squat, or barbell front squat. His strength was great, ranking among the top . Sets : 3 to 5. He can find the open window in zone or separate from man coverage. The middle linebacker, often called "Mike", is frequently the "quarterback of the defense". Height. This defensive position in football is responsible for relaying the defensive plays calls from the sidelines. Vertical jumping, in theory, is a decent measure of explosive power. He must have the quickness to elude defenders and run downhill quickly. Pursues well. All Rights Reserved. Middle linebacker - 6 ft. 0 in. A recent champion, Anthony Joshua, weighed in at 240 lbs. Copy. [citation needed] Most defensive schemes call for three or four, which are generally named for the number of linemen, followed by the number of linebackers (with the 46 defense being an exception). The recruit must be able to know all coverage and have quick feet. For linebackers, the average shuttle time is 4.3 seconds, average 40 is 4.71 seconds, and the average broad jump is 9 feet, 8 inches. This means that college recruits who make it through the draft have to bulk up in their first season. He is physical and aggressive in the run game and against screens. Average college football player size for D3 QBs: 60 / 198 lbs, Average college football player size for NAIA QBs: 61 / 195 lbs, At least one-year varsity starter, preferred two-year varsity starter. rugby and football players in terms of lifting weights. 4/22/20: Murray ran fast in the 40 at the combine, but he also pulled a hamstring and didn't finish the workout. He needs to show strength and leverage as a run defender, and he must go with speed and quickness as an edge rusher. Recruit should run with power, speed and balance and be able to pull away from defenders. When training in the off-season, you cant just train like any other time of the season You need to follow specific football workouts for linebackers. Jobe Lewis is a high school football coach and a former NCAA Division I football player for New Mexico State University. The results were surprising. Young linemen are under even more pressure to pile on the weight. Historically, some of the most impactful defensive players, such as Pro Football Hall of Fame members Lawrence Taylor, Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, Chuck Bednarik, Mike Singletary, and Ray Lewis, were linebackers. In terms of height, most middle linebackers fall between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches tall. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. We'll be updating this list with relevant measurements and drill results as the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine progresses, so be sure to check back. To learn more about long snapper recruiting guidelines, click here. [18], The outside linebacker (OLB), sometimes called the "Buck, Sam, and Rebel" is usually responsible for outside containment. [15] Often it is the middle linebacker who receives the defensive play calls from the sideline and relays that play to the rest of the team, and in the NFL he is usually the defensive player with the electronic sideline communicator. The recruit should be the best athlete on the field!