With the start of another high school football season around the corner, The Enquirer is ranking the best players in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana.
Linebackers are typically the leaders of the defense while calling out signals and showcasing their versatility by covering against the pass and crashing the gaps near the line of scrimmage to defend the run.
Here are the best 10 area linebackers to watch across the area gridiron this fall, listed alphabetically.
Maddox Arnold, Elder
A three-star prospect and the No. 41 player in Ohio for the Class of 2024, according to 247Sports, Arnold held double-digit Division I offers before committing to Toledo in April.
Arnold ranked third in the Greater Catholic League-South in tackles (87) last season to go with 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and an interception.
Arnold earned honorable mention All-Ohio honors in Division I.
Grant Beerman, Lakota West
Beerman was listed by The Enquirer as the No. 6 player in the Class of 2025 heading into this season. Beerman was the leading tackler (79) on a Lakota West defense that allowed the fewest points (120) in the Greater Miami Conference last season en route to the program’s fourth consecutive regional championship game appearance.
Beerman is listed as a four-star recruit in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and the No. 16 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025. He committed to Purdue earlier this month.
Jakobe Clapper, St. Xavier
As a sophomore last season, Clapper finished second in the GCL-South in tackles (90), adding 2.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and an interception. Listed by The Enquirer as the No. 3 prospect in the Class of 2026 heading into this season, Clapper is a four-star recruit in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and the No. 12 player in Ohio for his class.
Clapper’s lengthy offer sheet includes Cincinnati, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Oregon and more.
Aaron Dowdell, Taft
Listed as an athlete by 247Sports, Dowdell has seven Division I offers after a dominant season for the Senators.
Dowdell ranked third in the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference in tackles (114) last season, finishing with 14 tackles for loss, one sack, an interception and a forced fumble. He was named second-team All-Ohio in Division IV.
Justin Hill, Winton Woods
Hill is the No. 1 recruit in Cincinnati heading into next season and a top-5 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025. A four-star prospect, Hill was a first-team All-Ohio selection and the Division II district defensive player of the year last season for the Warriors after racking up an Eastern Cincinnati Conference-best 13 sacks.
Hill had plenty of big-name collegiate suitors before committing to Alabama July 3.
Noah Knigga, Lawrenceburg
Entering his fourth season as a starting linebacker for the Tigers, Knigga is ranked by 247Sports as a three-star recruit and the No. 32 player in Indiana for the Class of 2025. The 6-foot-2, 208-pound linebacker committed to Eastern Michigan in June.
Knigga was named to the Indiana Football Coaches Association Class 3A Junior All-State team last season.
Tate Kruer, Covington Catholic
The anchor of a defense that helped lead Covington Catholic to the Class 4A state championship game, Kruer has led the Colonels in tackles in each of the last two seasons.
In 2023, Kruer led Covington Catholic in tackles for the second consecutive season (112) to go with two sacks, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries. Kruer was a nice two-way contributor for Covington Catholic, as well. At tight end, Kruer had three catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns and helped block on an offensive line that helped the Colonels run for over 2,700 yards (183.2 per game).
Paul Nelson, Princeton
Nelson is the reigning Ohio Division I Defensive Player of the Year after an 89-tackle 2023 season where he led the GMC in sacks (12). Nelson racked up a league-high 23.5 tackles for loss to help lead Princeton to a league championship.
Nelson, the No. 41 player in Ohio for the Class of 2025, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings, committed to Indiana July 6. Nelson is part of loaded Princeton linebacking unit this season along with junior Andre Parker Jr. (second-team all-conference in 2023) and Colerain transfer Greg Williams (first-team all-conference in 2023).
Brady O’Connor, La Salle
O’Connor picked up his first Division I offer in May after a nice season on the Lancers’ defense. O’Connor finished fourth in the GCL-South in tackles (82) to go with nine tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.
He was named third-team All-Ohio in Division II.
Jacob Savage, Ryle
An All-Northern Kentucky selection by the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association as a sophomore, Savage had 163 tackles last season for the Raiders. Another two-way standout, Savage ran for…
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