Where the top linebackers in the 2027 class are committed

There’s a slew of elite linebacker prospects in the 2027 cycle and nearly all of them are already committed ahead of their senior seasons. According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies, there are 35 blue-chip linebackers in the cycle. Of those 35 recruits, 33 are currently off the board and they’ve committed to 25 different schools. $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage Texas A&M’s top-ranked recruiting class includes the nation’s No. 1 LB. Ten different SEC teams have a commitment from a blue-chipper at the position, as of July 31. Rivals breaks down where the top linebackers in the 2027 recruiting cycle are currently committed: Kaden Henderson — Texas A&M Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 31 NATL. (No. 1 LB)School: Tampa Jesuit (Fla.)Committed Since: June 18 Henderson was unsurprisingly prioritized by numerous high-profile programs, and at times, it looked like an in-state school would keep him home. Florida and Miami were heavily in the mix, as was Notre Dame and Ohio State, in addition to A&M. The Aggies got him back to College Station for an official visit and swiped the momentum from there. He’s one of five five-stars committed to A&M and is also the lone five-star LB in the cycle. Henderson reminds Rivals’ Scouting and Rankings Team of Myles Jack. “Prototypical off-ball linebacker prospect who displays elite length with tremendous athletic ability to close to ball carriers from sideline to sideline,” Rivals National Scout wrote about Henderson this spring. “Verified 6-foot-1, 218 pounds with incredibly long 34-inch levers at inside linebacker. Has quality range and closing speed, combined with the ability to trigger to the ball quickly. A very heady and instinctive player who processes the game efficiently.” Cooper Witten — Oklahoma Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 45 NATL. (No. 2 LB)School: Liberty Christian (Texas)Committed Since: March 3 The son of former legendary NFL tight end Jason Witten, Cooper gave myriad programs a look early on in his recruitment. Tennessee is the legacy destination, while schools like Clemson and Notre Dame also took a swing. But once the elder Witten was hired as Oklahoma’s new TEs coach, it was the Sooners that started to trend for the borderline five-star. OU had a lot more than that going for it, though. Cooper committed directly after taking a spring trip to Norman. “Oklahoma made an impression on me from the beginning because Coach (Brent) 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.” Jhadyn Nelson — Texas Tech Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 58 NATL. (No. 3 LB)School: Langham Creek (Texas)Committed Since: March 18 Texas Tech has gone all over the country to land top high school talent, but it also continues to target the best of the best in the Lone Star State. Nelson, the No. 7 player in Texas, considered all of his local options, but the Red Raiders stood out in multiple ways. Not only were they his first offer, but they also made a splash on the NIL front. “They gave me a deal I couldn’t pass up,” Nelson told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman. “The people there get me excited to be a Red Raider,” he recently added. “The fanbase there is the base of a program I wanna play for. I’m just ready to see what the rest of this 2027 class and I can accomplish, and bring Texas Tech back to its old roots.” Omarii Sanders — Vanderbilt Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 60 NATL. (No. 4 LB)School: Franklin Road Academy (Tenn.)Committed Since: Nov. 29, 2025 Vanderbilt found a way to sign in-state Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Jared Curtis last cycle and Clark Lea would love to keep that ball rolling with top local talent in the 2027 cycle. Sanders is the No. 2 player in Tennessee and he made an early pledge to the Commodores. Big-name programs have since offered and tried to get involved, but he has since “shut down” his recruitment. “Tall, rangy athlete who shows a skill set that translates well at linebacker. Measured in at around 6-foot-3.5, 210 pounds prior to his senior season. Should be able to easily tack on more mass to his frame once in a college strength program,” Rivals’ Director of Scouting Charles Power previously wrote of Sanders. “Lines up at safety and wide receiver for his high school team, but is an easy linebacker projection given the skill set.” AJ Randle Jr. — Miami Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 67 NATL. (No. 5 LB)School: Garner (N.C.)Committed Since: May 21 Miami has gone all over the nation to secure commitments this cycle and Randle, the No. 5 prospect in the state of North Carolina, was a massive win back in May. He ultimately chose The U over South Carolina and is a key defensive piece for Corey Hetherman and Co. Randle reminds Rivals’ Scouting and Rankings Team of Jihaad Campbell. “They don’t just recruit me, they recruit my family as well. Whether it’s offense, defense or special teams, they all know who I am, they know who my mom is, they know who my dad is and they treat us very well. They did a great job getting to know us, putting time in and that showed me a lot,” Randle told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. Toa Satele — Oregon Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 77 NATL. (No. 6 LB)School: Mililani (Hi.)Committed Since: June 3 Oregon wasn’t going to let Satele, now the No. 1 prospect in Hawaii, get away after he logged a pair of visits to Eugene this year. The athletic thumper began to trend toward the Ducks as he headed into his official visit at the end of May. He pledged just a couple days later and is one of eight top-100 overall prospects committed to the Big Ten program this cycle. “Versatile linebacker who has the ability to play multiple spots and could even grow in to an edge in a few years,” Rivals’ Greg Biggins writes of Satele. “Has a long 6-foot-3, 210 pound frame with room to add good weight. Plays both inside and off-ball linebacker, shows natural pass rush skill and is comfortable playing in space. Fluid mover who can drop and cover and runs well enough to make plays sideline to sideline.” Isaac McNeil — Auburn Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 90 NATL. (No. 7 LB)School: Vigor (Ala.)Committed Since: June 2 The top-ranked recruit in the Yellowhammer State is locked in with Auburn and new head coach Alex Golesh. McNeil was coveted by all the usual SEC suspects, and while Georgia made a valiant push, AU has been his dream school and he intends on living out his dream of playing for the Tigers. “They made it clear I’m a really high priority for them,” McNeil told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “Every visit was great. Auburn has a great environment, great energy, and it is really just a great place. I just had to make that decision, and pick the best school for me. It’s Auburn.” Prince Goldsby — Ohio State Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 101 NATL. (No. 8 LB)School: Blue Springs South (Mo.)Committed Since: May 25 The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder who ranks as the No. 1 prospect in Missouri kept a very lowkey recruitment. His late-night pledge to Ohio State came out of the blue, but that didn’t bother the Buckeyes. He’s remained rock-solid since and is among the latest big-time pledges for James Laurinaitis and OSU. “I can’t wait to be apart of this unbelievable program with great coaches who teach you, great players who push you and the best fan base in college football who expect nothing less than excellence,” Goldsby wrote on X announcing his commitment. Taven Epps — Oklahoma Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 104 NATL. (No. 9 LB)School: Tustin (Calif.)Committed Since: Jan. 10 Originally ranked as an ‘EDGE’, Epps was moved to LB in Rivals’ latest rankings update. The No. 10 prospect in California has been in the mix for Oklahoma for over six months and forms a top-notch LB duo with Cooper Witten. The Sooners have the No. 6 class in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. “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 back in the fall. “Even the offensive coaches are recruiting me. It’s a big thing. Me and (Ford) have a really good connection. It’s like he was my coach and he went to OU and they’re all trying to get me.” Bryce Kish — Clemson Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 133 NATL. (No. 11 LB)School: Howell (Mich.)Committed Since: March 8 The No. 4 prospect in Michigan, Kish made an early pledge to Dabo Swinney and Clemson this spring after logging a visit to the ACC program. He’s the second-highest-ranked commit in the Tigers’ class and is a Swiss-Army knife talent at the high school level. Kish reminds Rivals’ Scouting and Rankings Team of Jack Campbell. “Multi-positional high school player with the physical tools to play defense at a high-major level as a linebacker, possibly on the EDGE or as a combination of the two. Physically built like a college player,” Rivals’ Allen Trieu previously wrote about Kish. “Big and strong, but separates from others his size because of straight-line speed and athleticism. Comes from a running back background and is a good all-around athlete who is comfortable catching the ball and playing in space.” Other top committed linebackers Kenneth Simon II — TennesseeRoman Igwebuike — Notre DameJa’Bios Smith — FloridaIzzy Hammons — Oklahoma StateJoakim Gouda — Georgia Mikahi Allen — Texas A&MFrederrick Ford — MichiganQuinton Cypher — Ohio StateNoah Glover — MiamiJalaythan Mayfield — Indiana