College Football: Top-10 returning linebackers for the 2026 season

• Texas Tech has three players in the top 10: Amazingly, the Red Raiders field three of the top-10 linebackers in college football.

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We're about a month away from the start of the 2026 college football season. With that, it's time to wrap up our series ranking the top 10 players at every position.

Next up is linebacker. It was an outstanding linebacker class in the 2026 NFL Draft, creating an opportunity for a new group of stars to emerge as the nation's best.

Below are PFF's top 10 returning linebackers in college football. Please note that NFL projection was not taken into account in these rankings.

Click below to view our other position rankings

QB| RB| WR| TE| OT | OG| C| DI | EDGE

1. Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame

Linebacker is one of the most demanding positions in football because players are expected to do everything for a defense: defend the run, rush the passer and drop into coverage. Viliamu-Asa is the top linebacker in college football because he excels in all three areas.

His 89.7 PFF grade in 2025 ranked second among Power Four linebackers, trailing only Texas Tech's Jacob Rodriguez, while his 94.0 run-defense grade ranked second in the FBS. Viliamu-Asa also earned the eighth-highest coverage grade among Power Four linebackers (83.3) and recorded four sacks. He is coming off a torn ACL suffered in November but could be ready for Week 1.

2. Rasheem Biles, Texas

Following two excellent seasons at Pittsburgh, Biles heads to Texas. No returning linebacker has been more valuable over the past two seasons, according to PFF's wins above average metric. During that span, he earned an elite 90.2 PFF grade, posting grades above 85.0 in run defense, coverage and pass rushing.

He is undersized at 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, but so was former teammate Kyle Louis, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

3. Austin Romaine, Texas Tech

Romaine is staying in the Big 12, transferring from Kansas State to Texas Tech. His 91.0 PFF grade since 2024 is the highest among returning linebackers in the country.

At 240 pounds, Romaine is the prototype for a MIKE linebacker, winning with exceptional play recognition. That is reflected in his 142 plays with first contact on the ball carrier since 2024, the most of any player on this list.

4. Chris Cole, Georgia

Cole showed why he was a five-star recruit during his sophomore season at Georgia. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, he possesses rare movement skills that allow him to excel in coverage. His 88.9 PFF coverage grade in 2025 ranked fourth among all Power Four linebackers. He also recorded four sacks, with his explosiveness proving too much for offensive tackles to handle.

5. Nicholas Rodriguez, Missouri

While undersized at 6-foot and 225 pounds, Rodriguez displayed an outstanding all-around game during his sophomore season.

His 83.7 PFF grade in 2025 ranked first among SEC linebackers while placing him inside the top 20 among Power Four linebackers in coverage grade, run-defense grade and pass-rush grade. Rodriguez's wrestling background is evident in the way he finishes plays, as his 6.2% career missed tackle rate ranks in the 98th percentile among all linebackers.

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6. Drayk Bowen, Notre Dame

Bowen took a slight step back as a junior, posting a 70.7 PFF grade in 2025 that was exactly 10.0 points lower than his mark from his sophomore season.

He still ranks as the third-most valuable returning linebacker since 2024, according to PFF's wins above average metric. At 232 pounds, Bowen is a physical presence, recording eight sacks and 58 defensive stops over the past two seasons.

7. Ben Roberts, Texas Tech

While Jacob Rodriguez received most of the attention in Texas Tech's linebacker unit, Roberts was outstanding in his own right. His 90.5 PFF coverage grade in 2025 led all returning Power Four linebackers, while his four interceptions were tied for the most in the nation. Roberts also ranks as the most valuable returning Power Four linebacker from the 2025 season, according to PFF's wins above average metric.

8. Sammy Brown, Clemson

Brown is currently projected as a top-40 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and it's easy to see why. At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, he is an elite athlete who reached a top speed of nearly 22 mph, according to player-tracking data. That speed helped him break up five passes in 2025, tied for the most among linebackers in the nation.

While Brown moves at a blur, he also plays under control. His 6.1% missed tackle rate in 2025 ranked in the 91st percentile among linebackers.

9. John Curry, Texas Tech

Curry is the third Red Raider to appear in the top 10, giving Texas Tech the nation's best linebacker unit entering the 2026 season.

At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Curry has the size of a linebacker but is deployed more like a slot corner. He's able to fill that role because of his rare movement skills, reaching nearly 22 mph, according to player-tracking data. Curry also ranks as the fourth-most valuable returning linebacker from the 2025 season, according to PFF's wins above average metric.

10. Ethan Wesloski, Oklahoma State

Wesloski is one of several North Texas players who followed head coach Eric Morris to Oklahoma State. In 2025, he ranked as the fourth-most valuable linebacker in the nation, according to PFF's wins above average metric, and is the most valuable returning linebacker. His 90.6 PFF grade also ranked fourth nationally, while his 76 defensive stops are the most among the players on this list.

Wesloski still needs to prove he can produce at the Power Four level, but he projects as the centerpiece of Oklahoma State's new-look defense.