After flipping to the other side of the ball to look at the state’s top defensive linemen last week, we remain on defense this week and list the Top 10 linebackers entering the 2023 Florida high school football season. (Recruiting rankings according to 247Sports Composite.)
10. Johnquae Richardson (Lake Wales)
We begin with one of the state’s top returning tacklers in Richardson, who is back for his senior season as one of the biggest names at defending Class 3S state champion Lake Wales. Richardson had 186 tackles, 50 TFL, and 11 sacks for a 2022 Highlanders defense that allowed only 97 points all season. He also rushed for 209 yards and 3 touchdowns on 17 attempts.
9. Sam Robinson (Lincoln)
Robinson enters his senior season as a three-star Rutgers commit after amassing 93 tackles in 2022, including 3 TFL and 2 sacks.
8. Tarvos Alford (Vero Beach)
Alford is a junior at Class 4S’s Vero Beach after transferring from John Carroll Catholic during the offseason. A four-star prospect, he had 103 tackles, 6 TFL, and 2 sacks a year ago.
7. Jayden Parrish (Atlantic)
Parrish was a tackling machine at Class 3M’s Atlantic in 2022. The senior three-star, a Florida State commit, had 153 tackles, 10 TFL, and 4 sacks, and he also rushed for 139 yards and 8 touchdowns on 35 carries.
6. Ezekiel Marcelin (Miami Central)
Defending Class 2M state champion Miami Central landed two players on our top defensive linemen list, and the Rockets feature another on this ranking in Marcelin at No. 6. A four-star prospect in the 2025 class, he had 79 tackles, 15 TFL, and 7 sacks last season.
5. Nicholas Rodriguez (St. Thomas Aquinas)
The top five of our list of best linebackers in Florida high school football begins with Rodriguez, who is entering his senior season for defending Class 3M state champion St. Thomas Aquinas. The three-star Missouri commit was one of the Raiders’ most impactful defensive players a year ago, amassing 93 tackles, 10 TFL, and 5 sacks.
4. Rodney Hill (Mainland)
Hill enters his senior season at 2022 Class 3S runner-up Mainland after transferring from Flagler Palm Coast. He’s a four-star Tulane commit who saw time both ways last season, amassing 125 tackles, 14 TFL, and 5 sacks, and rushing for 168 yards and 4 touchdowns on 25 attempts.
3. Willis McGahee IV (Miami Columbus)
Another in-state offseason transfer is McGahee, who makes the move within Class 4M from Miami Palmetto to defending state champion Miami Columbus. McGahee, a four-star Nebraska commit, is coming off a junior season in which he had 55 tackles, 16 TFL, and 10 sacks.
2. Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng (IMG Academy)
The highest-ranked junior on this list of top Florida high school linebackers is Owusu-Boateng, an offseason transfer to IMG Academy from DeMatha (MD). Owusu-Boateng, a four-star prospect, was one of the top players on a Stags defense that allowed only 65 points all season.
1. Adarius Hayes (Largo)
Sitting in the top spot among Florida high school football’s top linebackers is Hayes, a senior at Class 3M’s Largo. The four-star Florida commit had 121 tackles with 14 TFL for the Packers a year ago.
Honorable Mention
- Kaleb Stewart (Chaminade-Madonna)
- Kye Garcia (Dunbar)
- Vincent Shavers (Miami Central)
- Drew Woodaz (Jesuit)
- Derrick McCormick (Rockledge)
- Gavin Nix (IMG Academy)
- Trent Carter (Bolles)
- Cameron Anderson (Trinity Christian)
- Ethan Pritchard (Seminole)
- Zavier Hamilton (Navarre)
