The Big Ten will have some of the top linebackers in the country in 2025. Here are our Top 5 entering the college football season:
The Big Ten routinely produces some of the best linebackers in the country, and 2025 will be no different. Despite losing first-team recipients Jay Higgins and Carson Schwesinger to the NFL, the conference still has a talented pool of linebackers.
Modern football has transformed many defenses out of the traditional 3-4 or 4-3 packages and into more 4-2-5 nickel looks. However, inside linebackers remain the heartbeat of so many units, and this list features some of the top defensive quarterbacks in the nation.
5. Ernest Hausmann – Michigan
Originally a Nebraska Cornhusker, Hausmann took his talents to Ann Arbor and has excelled the past two seasons. Hausmann was given the keys to the linebacker room in 2024, and he rewarded his coaches’ faith with an 89-tackle (seven for loss), two-sack and one-interception campaign. This was no surprise, considering he was third on the team with 46 tackles in 2023, despite limited playing time.
Another season in this system should pay dividends not only for Hausmann’s NFL Draft stock but, more importantly, the Wolverines.
4. Amare Campbell – Penn State
Campbell heads to Happy Valley after two solid years at North Carolina and will look to become the next dominant linebacker in a long line of dominant Nittany Lions.
He had 76 tackles, 11 for loss, 6.5 sacks, two pass deflections and a forced fumble as a sophomore, all of which earned him a 75.5 PFF grade . He is a strong, downhill defender who excels against the run and should fit in well against the ground-and-pound Big Ten offenses.
While Penn State returns Tony Rojas and Dominic DeLuca, Campbell should quickly ascend the depth chart and earn significant playing time.
3. Bryce Boettcher – Oregon
Boettcher received the fourth-highest PFF grade among linebackers in 2024 with an impressive 89.8. A second-team Big Ten selection, Boettcher accumulated 94 tackles, eight for loss, two sacks, one interception, four pass deflections and one forced fumble.
The Eugene, Oregon native also stars for the Ducks’ baseball team and was selected in the 13th round of the MLB Draft by the Houston Astros last June. He is an emotional leader who flies around the field for Dan Lanning’s defense and will need another strong season to guide them to the College Football Playoff.
2. Sonny Styles – Ohio State
Styles is one of two returning Big Ten linebackers to earn a Dick Butkus Award semifinalist nod in 2024. A former safety, Styles converted to linebacker for 2024 and was a key contributor for the Buckeyes, racking up 100 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, six sacks, five pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He was named to the Big Ten’s second team for his efforts.
With Cody Simon gone, Styles has the keys to the front seven and will need to handle increased responsibility as one of the few defensive returners. His output suggests he is more than capable of handling those responsibilities.
1. Aiden Fisher – Indiana
Fisher was one of the most important members of the mass exodus from James Madison to Indiana under head coach Curt Cignetti. His PFF grade of 67.3 does not jump off the page, and while that is usually a reliable metric, it does not tell Fisher’s full story.
The quarterback of one of the Hoosiers’ best defenses in program history led the unit to the sixth-best points allowed on average total in the nation (15.6). Fisher was all over the place, recording 118 tackles, six for loss, 1.5 sacks and four pass deflections. Cignetti will once again rely on Fisher, who was a first-team Big Ten selection in 2024, to carry the load.