Top committed linebackers in the 2027 class
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The linebackers group in the 2027 class is loaded with talent, and four of the top 10 players are already committed midway through April.
Cooper Witten (Oklahoma), the son of NFL Hall of Famer Jason Witten, headlines the group. But there’s plenty more behind him when it comes to dynamic second-level defenders. Along with the Sooners, Vanderbilt, Texas Tech, Clemson, Notre Dame and a handful of others are well-represented on the list of early commitments.
Rivals breaks it down below:
Cooper Witten – Oklahoma
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 36 (#2 LB)
School: Liberty Christian (Texas)
On his commitment: “Oklahoma made an impression on me from the beginning because Coach Venables was the first coach to offer me,” Witten told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman. “I strongly believe in the vision he has for me and where the program is going. Coach Venables’ resume speaks for itself. The success on defense he has had over the years is an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”
Omarii Sanders – Vanderbilt
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 52 (#3 LB)
School: Franklin Road Academy (Tenn.)
On his commitment: “I’ve always planned to get it over with. Going into my senior season, I want to focus on myself and school. This was the right time. You can feel the atmosphere there. The success, the confidence — it’s earned. The campus is excited, game day is great, and it’s a really good environment.It was just the best fit for me. Everything lined up — the coaches, the people, the education, the direction of the program.” — Sanders to Rivals’ Chad Simmons
Taven Epps – Oklahoma
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 84 (#5 LB)
School: Tustin (Tustin, CA)
On the commitment: “Coach Stacey (Ford) I’m really close to him because he was at UCLA and now he’s at Oklahoma so he told everybody at Oklahoma, ‘I’m really close with this kid,’ and they all want me to go over there,” Epps told Rivals’ Adam Gorney. “Even the offensive coaches are recruiting me.”
Bryce Kish – Clemson
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 117 (#8 LB)
School: Howell (Howell, MI)
The Skinny: Prior to February’s Rivals300 rankings update, Kish was outside of the top-300 nationally as a three-star prospect. But much like his recruitment has in recent months, his ranking skyrocketed up to No. 60 overall. Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Purdue had already locked in official visits, but one trip to Clemson last month sealed the deal for the Tigers.
Jhadyn Nelson – Texas Tech
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 166 (#14 LB)
School: Langham Creek (Houston, TX)
On his commitment: “This program has great coaches. They are great coaches, and also great people,” Nelson told Spiegelman. “Coach Blanch, Coach McGuire, Coach (Brian) Nance, Coach (Shiel) Wood. They’re all great people and I love to surround myself with great people. Shiel Wood is the defensive coordinator and also my position coach, so he’s gonna put me in a position to make plays. I’ve heard stories about Coach McGuire and they sent me a video of him working out with the team. That’s something I wanna be a part of.”
Other top committed LBs in the 2027 class
Quinton Cypher – Ohio State
Colton McKibben – UCLA
Amarri Irvin – Notre Dame
Gregory Batson – Florida State
Gavin Stecker – Iowa
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