Top 10 Best Inside Linebackers in College Football 2025-2026 Rankings

Ranking the best Inside Linebackers in College Football for the 2025-2026 NCAA season as Jacob Rodriguez of the Texas Tech Red Raiders leads the way

By Sunday Umoh | January 18, 2026

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Championship defenses are built from the trenches through the middle of the field into the secondary with inside linebackers anchoring the role in anchoring the entire group as one. The group of inside linebackers anchoring the Top 10 College Football Inside Linebackers 2025-2026 rankings list is loaded with game changers who can not only make big plays when called upon but handle the play calling duties on each snap.

The position is no longer just about filling run lanes; it is about dictating games, erasing explosive plays and flipping momentum with one perfectly timed hit or disguised drop. These inside linebackers became the metronomes of elite defenses, syncing front-seven pressure with back-end coverage while piling up eye-popping production. This year’s group includes talented linebacker Jacob Rodriguez of the Texas Tech Red Raiders as well as CJ Allen of the Georgia Bulldogs and Aiden FIsher of the Indiana Hoosiers.

Week after week, these linebackers diagnosed offenses like veteran coordinators, then triggered downhill with the bad intentions of edge rushers. Some lived in opposing backfields with double-digit tackles for loss, others warped passing concepts by carrying vertical routes and baiting quarterbacks into drive-killing mistakes. Their statistics only hint at their value; the true impact shows up in third-down stops, red-zone stands and bowl-game MVP nods that defined the 2025 campaign.

Here is a look at the Top 10 College Football Inside Linebackers 2025-2026 rankings:

Honorable Mention

Jack Kelly

School: BYU Cougars

Draft Status: NFL Draft

For the Top 10 College Football Inside Linebackers 2025-2026 rankings, one linebacker who just missed the list despite posting an All-American caliber stat line is the BYU Cougars senior Jack Kelly.

Kelly was all over the field lining up on the edge to drop back in coverage. The versatile Cougars linebacker wrapped up his career posting a career high 10 sacks to go along with 55 tackles, one pass defended and two forced fumbles. With consistent mid-single-digit tackle totals and minimal busts in coverage, he played the kind of mistake-free football coaches trust on critical downs.

He lands just outside the top 10 as the prototype of a stabilizing veteran whose impact goes beyond the box scores.

Sonny Styles

School: Ohio State Buckeyes

Draft Status: NFL Draft

Another talented inside linebacker just missing the Top 10 is the Ohio State Buckeyes Sonny Styles.

Styles and teammate Arvell Reese formed one of the top linebacker duos in the country while helping the Buckeyes compete all season inside the Big Ten as well as a true candidate to compete for the National Championship within the College Football Playoffs. The three year starter capped off his final season posting 83 tackles to go along with three passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble and one interception.

His range showed up in space, where he consistently limited yards after contact, and his length gave Ohio State answers against tight ends and big slots. Even when the stat line read “just” five or six tackles, his ability to remove an entire concept from the opposing playbook made him one of the most valuable chess pieces in the country.

Top 10 Best Inside Linebackers in College Football 2025-2026 Rankings

10. Red Murdock

School: Buffalo Bulls

Draft Status: NFL Draft

Closing out the Top 10 College Football Inside Linebackers 2025-2026 rankings list is the Buffalo Bulls senior Red Murdock.

Few inside linebackers hit harder statistically than the Buffalo Bulls senior. Murdock posted his second straight season with at least 140 tackles (142) while complaining 298 over that two season span. While he is often overlooked playing in the smaller MAC conference, his game film stands out with game changing highlights from big tackles to key sacks and forced fumbles. Ultimately Murdock finished off the season adding one pass defended, five sacks and six forced fumbles to go alongside the long list of tackles.

For an offense-driven league, he gave Buffalo an old-school identity: physical, relentless and built around an inside linebacker who never left the field.

9. Josiah Trotter

School: Missouri Tigers

Draft Status: NFL Draft

What the Missouri Tigers needed in 2025 was a traffic all around game changer in the middle, and that is exactly what Josiah Trotter provided all season.

Trotter, who announced he would be forgoing his final year of eligibility to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, put together an impressive game film from the team’s first game of the season to their final game of the season. Operating in the teeth of an SEC schedule, he piled up steady tackle totals while holding his own in coverage against backs and tight ends, keeping explosive plays to a minimum.Overall Trotter capped off the season posting 84 tackles to go along with one pass defended, and two sacks.

Though his numbers did not spike into national-leader territory, the combination of reliability, range and physicality earns him a solid spot inside the top 10.

8. Caden Fordham

School: NC State Wolfpack

Draft Status: NFL Draft

In Raleigh, the 2025-2026 College Football season delivered an up and down ride much like a roller coaster for the NC State Wolfpack team that finished the season with a 8-5 record.

One of those bright spots however, was the play of senior linebacker Caden Fordham who finished the season ranked second in the nation in tackles posting 143 over the course of the season. The production didn’t stop there as Fordham stuffed the stat sheet all around posting one forced fumble, three passes defended, two interceptions and 3.5 sacks to help solidify his case among the ranks of the best inside linebackers in the game.

Fordham’s 2025 tape showed a linebacker with efficient angles to the football, strong tackling mechanics and enough burst to finish plays behind the line of scrimmage. Add in competent zone drops and the ability to pattern-match crossers, and you get a complete interior defender whose impact exceeded his name recognition.

7. Kaleb Elarms-Orr

School: TCU Horned Frogs

Draft Status: NFL Draft

Big 12 offenses tested every inch of the field, yet the TCU Horned Frogs veteran inside linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr kept answering the bell.

The talented all around defender who showcased tremendous football IQ, speed and athleticism all season finished the season posing a career high 130 tackles go along with four sacks and two passes defended. As you look at game film of the Horned Frogs, Elarms-Orr was in on nearly every play with him on the field something that shows up in his game log.

Over the course of the season, the senior posted six games with double digit tackles, three additional games with at least eight tackles, and three games with at least seven tackles. The strong all around performance earned him multiple accolades including being named as a First-Team All-Big 12 selection and the Alamo Bowl Defensive MVP award.

6. Xavier Atkins

School: Auburn Tigers

Draft Status: Returning to Auburn

Disruption is the best word to describe the Auburn Tigers breakout inside terror Xavier Atkins.

Atkins, who transferred into the Tigers for his sophomore season after limiting playing time with the LSU Tigers last season, rewarded the Tigers with a strong all around linebacker who not only performed well but shined among the best defensive players at the position all season. Over the course of the season Atkins led the team with 84 total tackles while also pleading the team with nine sacks, one interception, one pass defended, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

His ability to time interior blitzes and knife through protections turned third downs into obvious passing situations. For a sophomore to post those numbers and that level of backfield production, it is clear Auburn has its defensive cornerstone entering the 2026-2027 College Football season.

5. Arvell Reese

School: Ohio State Buckeyes

Draft Status: NFL Draft

Within the Top 10 College Football Inside Linebackers 2025-2026 rankings, few ascending players flash a higher ceiling than the Ohio State Buckeyes explosive linebacker Arvell Reese.

Reese, who some experts say could go as high as the first overall pick during the 2026 NFL Draft brings a complete all around game to the field each week. Something that was on full display while helping the Buckeyes rank first overall in yards allowed per game (219.1) and the fewest number of points allowed per game (9.3). The talented junior linebacker capped off his potential final season posting 69 tackles to go along with two passes defended and 6.5 sacks during the Buckeyes run to the College Football Playoffs.

Projecting forward, the blend of length, closing burst and pass-rush juice hints at a future centerpiece of an NFL defense rather than a situational piece.

4. Anthony Hill Jr

School: Texas Longhorns

Draft Status: NFL Draft

As you start to look around at the top inside linebackers in the nation, it is hard to look past the Texas Longhorns junior Anthony Hill Jr.

The versatile jack of all trade linebacker brought pure energy, raw explosiveness and game changing abilities on each play of the 2025-2026 season. Hill posted a strong performance all season including posting 70 tackles to go along with one pass defended, four sacks, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. His game log tells the story: three double digit tackle performances, one three sack performance, and seven games with at least six tackles.

Overall Allen did it all from breaking up passes, stopping the run game, to putting pressure on quarterbacks. Now the talented game changer will look to continue his dominance at the next level after declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft.

3. Aiden Fisher

School: Indiana Hoosiers

Draft Status: NFL Draft

When any team puts together the type of dominance on the defensive side of the ball that the Indiana Hoosiers did, it is easy to see a long list of talented defenders standing out. One of those Hoosiers that not only lived up to their hype but exceeded was the senior Aiden Fisher.

Fisher, who elected to return for his senior season this season, has helped anchor a Hoosiers defense that ranks second in the nation in yards allowed per game (252.6) and points allowed per game (10.3). Now with the Hoosiers continuing their run into the College Football Playoffs, Fisher production stands out among the best linebackers in the nation.

Heading into the team’s semi-final showdown, the talented senior posted 82 tackles, 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two interceptions and one return for a touchdown. On a Hoosiers team that went 14-0 and powered through the Big Ten, his ability to clean up inside while still creating negative plays made him invaluable.

2. CJ Allen

School: Georgia Bulldogs

Draft Status: NFL Draft

Georgia’s defensive tradition demands a commanding presence in the middle, and CJ Allen lived up to that standard in 2025 while helping to solidify a strong Georgia Bulldogs defense.

Allen, who announced he would be entering the 2026 NFL Draft capped off a strong Bulldogs career showcasing his ability to stop the run and play the pass while also using his strength and speed to get to opposing quarterbacks. The talented junior capped off his final season posting a career high 88 tackles to go along with four passes defended, two forced fumbles, and 3.5 sacks.

Allen’s strong play landed him First-Team All-American and First-Team All-SEC selections. His processing speed against complex SEC offenses made him the nerve center of one of the nation’s most physical defenses.

1. Jacob Rodriguez

School: Texas Tech Red Raiders

Draft Status: NFL Draft

At the top of the Top 10 College Football Inside Linebackers 2025-2026 rankings stands the Texas Tech Red Raiders tackling machine and turnover artist Jacob Rodriguez.

Rodrigeuz was all over the field for a Red Raiders team that made a run into the College Football Playoffs. The talented senior linebacker wrapped up his career posting his second straight season posting at least 120 tackles (128). The numbers and performance don’t stop there as Rodriguez stuff the stat sheet including posting six passes defended, one sack, four interceptions and an impressive seven forced fumbles.

The strong play landed the talented linebacker a long list of accolades including the Butkus Award handed out to the top linebacker as well as the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for the best defensive player.

No other inside linebacker matched that blend of production, versatility and game-changing takeaways, making Rodriguez the clear standard-bearer for the position this season.

How would you rank the Best Inside Linebackers in College Football for the 2025-2026 College Football season? Comment Below!

Sunday Umoh

Sunday Umoh is the visionary founder and CEO of Fan Rankings LLC, a platform that merges sports passion with technology to create an engaging and interactive space for fans worldwide. With a background in Information Science and Systems and experience as a Software Engineer, Umoh has built a brand that blends analytical insights with emotional connection, offering unique coverage of Football, Basketball, MMA, and Boxing. A graduate of Morgan State University and a former collegiate Track and Field athlete, Umoh previously gained attention for his impactful Washington Wizards blog, fireerniegrunfeld.com. His journey exemplifies how technology can amplify sports fandom, with Fan Rankings setting a new standard in sports media, providing a community for fans to connect, debate, and celebrate their favorite teams and athletes.

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