Top LBs in the 2027 Rivals300: Tackling machines making abundance of plays on Friday nights

NCAAF College Football
September 18, 2026
AJ Randle Jr. (27 - Garner), AL), Auburn Tigers Network, Blue Springs South Jaguars (Blue Springs, Bryce Kish (27 - Howell), Case Alexander (27 - Washington), Clemson Tigers Network, Cooper Witten (27 - Liberty Christian), FL), GA), Garner Trojans (Garner, Georgia Bulldogs Network, HI), Howell Highlanders (Howell, Isaac McNeil (27 - Vigor), Jesuit Tigers (Tampa, Jhadyn Nelson (27 - Langham Creek), Joakim Gouda (27 - McEachern), Kaden Henderson (27 - Jesuit), Langham Creek Lobos (Houston, Liberty Christian Warriors (Argyle, McEachern Indians (Powder Springs, MI), Miami Hurricanes Network, Mililani Trojans (Mililani, MO), NC), Ohio State Buckeyes Network, OK), Oklahoma Sooners Network, Oregon Ducks Network, Penn State Nittany Lions Network, Prince Goldsby (27 - Blue Springs South), Rivals, Rivals Football Recruiting, Sports, Texas A&M Aggies Network, Texas Tech Red Raiders Network, Toa Satele (27 - Mililani), TX), Vigor Wolves (Mobile, Washington Warriors (Washington

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The updated 2027 Rivals300 ranking is flooded with dynamic linebacker prospects. As of Sept. 18, there are 25 LBs featured in the top 300 and all 25 are currently committed with football season well underway.

Of those 25 commitments, 12 have landed with the SEC, dispersing among 10 of the league’s 16 programs. The Big Ten follows with seven, leaving three for the ACC, two for the Big 12 and also a pair for Notre Dame.

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Rivals is taking a look at the top 10 LB prospects in the 2027 Rivals300, along with how well their high school programs have performed so far this fall, now that the season is at least a couple weeks old across most of the nation.

1. Kaden Henderson — Texas A&M

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 25 NATL.
School: Jesuit (Fla.)
Committed Since: June 18

Tampa Jesuit is off to a 3-0 start and ranks as the No. 24 team in Florida entering this week, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. Henderson has been all over the place, stacking 19 total tackles, including five for loss and four sacks. He’s now eclipsed 230 career tackles for the Tigers.

2. Joakim Gouda — Georgia

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 34 NATL.
School: McEachern (Ga.)
Committed Since: June 1

Now at McEachern for his senior season, Gouda tallied 11 tackles in his first two games of the season. The Indians are now 2-2 after a 2-0 start and rank as the No. 24 team in Georgia, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. Last season at South Paulding, the 6-foot-1, 230-pounder finished with 100 tackles.

3. Cooper Witten — Oklahoma

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 37 NATL.
School: Liberty Christian (Texas)
Committed Since: March 3

Witten is one of the better two-way playmakers in the Lone Star State. Liberty Christian is now 2-2 and the blue-chipper has 54 total tackles to go with 146 yards and three touchdowns. The son of Jason Witten really blossomed last fall, finishing with 87 tackles, over 700 receiving yards and 12 TDs.

4. Jhadyn Nelson — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 41 NATL.
School: Langham Creek (Texas)
Committed Since: March 18

Langham Creek is 2-1 early on, and Nelson’s official stats thus far are not readily available, but he’s already had multiple double-digit tackle games. He had 59 tackles, three sacks and an interception as a junior in 2025.

5. AJ Randle Jr. — Miami

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 57 NATL.
School: Garner (N.C.)
Committed Since: May 21

Randle is the star of the show for Garner, which is 3-1 and enters this week at No. 21 in the North Carolina Rivals Composite Rankings. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder has 28 tackles and a pair of pass deflections through four games. He’s also rushed for a touchdown and caught a touchdown.

6. Bryce Kish — Clemson

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 60 NATL.
School: Howell (Mich.)
Committed Since: March 8

Kish has become even more of an offensive threat at the high school level. For Howell, now 3-0 and sitting at No. 13 in the Michigan Rivals Composite Rankings, Kish has rushed for 391 yards and eight touchdowns. He finished with 14 rushing TDs last season and continues to show why he’s Rivals’ No. 2 prospect in the state.

7. Toa Satele — Oregon

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 74 NATL.
School: Mililani (Hi.)
Committed Since: June 3

Stats are not available for Mililani, but the Trojans are 5-0 and remain at No. 1 in Hawaii, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. Their defense, led by Satele, has been lights out, somehow allowing just three points over the last four games.

8. Prince Goldsby — Ohio State

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 81 NATL.
School: Blue Springs South (Mo.)
Committed Since: May 25

Blue Springs South has opened the season with a tough stretch of games and it enters this week at 1-2 and No. 14 in Missouri, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. Goldsby has been a menace, tallying 28 tackles, including six for loss and four sacks. He lived in the backfield as a junior, totaling 83 tackles and 13.5 sacks in 10 games.

9. Isaac McNeil — Auburn

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 82 NATL.
School: Vigor (Ala.)
Committed Since: June 2

Stats aren’t available for McNeil, who’s the top-ranked prospect on a Vigor squad that’s now 3-1 so far this season. The Wolves are the No. 29 team in Alabama, according to the Rivals Composite Rankings. Last season, the 6-foot-2, 215-pounder collected 92 tackles, nine sacks and an interception.

10. Case Alexander — Penn State

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 123 NATL.
School: Washington (Okla.)
Committed Since: June 21

Over the last three seasons, Alexander has accumulated 276 total tackles for Washington. Stats so far this fall are not available, but the Warriors are 2-1 and rank as the No. 17 team in Oklahoma, per the Rivals Composite Rankings. Alexander has averaged over six tackles per game for his entire prep career.

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