1. USC
USC welcomes back all three starting linebackers from one of the top units in the nation. Middle backer Oscar Lua led the Trojans in tackles in 2005 with 66, and he isn’t even guaranteed to hold onto his spot. Rey Maualuga will be a star at middle linebacker in the near future — maybe even this year.  Weak-side linebacker Keith Rivers was an unsung hero of the Notre Dame game, having registered a sack, an interception, a fumble recovery and a game-high 12 tackles against the Irish. Thomas Williams started on the strong side in six games before a knee injury curtailed his season. Each of the three returning starters picked off a pass last fall. Brian Cushing started the last four games, including the Rose Bowl, as a true freshman. Dallas Sartz, a starter in 2003 and ’04 who missed all but the first two games last year, is also back, and two of the nation’s most heralded freshmen — Allen Bradford and Michael Morgan — will enroll in the fall.

2. Clemson
Clemson returns its top three tacklers from 2005 — linebackers Anthony Waters, Nick Watkins and Tramaine Billie. Waters, who anchors the group from his post in the middle, is the top returning tackler in the ACC, having chalked up 109 total stops, including 13.5 for a loss, in 2005. He also broke up seven passes. Watkins had 99 tackles and an INT from his weak-side spot. Billie is fighting off the challenge of Antonio Clay, who came up with 27 tackles as a freshman, on the strong side.

3. Oklahoma
The dynamic duo of Rufus Alexander and Zach Latimer — the top two tacklers for the Sooners last year — are enough to insure Oklahoma a lofty position among this year’s linebacker rankings. Alexander paced the Sooners with 102 tackles, including 17 for a loss, on the weak side. He added five sacks and an interception, broke up nine passes and was an All-Big 12 first-teamer. Latimer broke up five passes from his position in the middle. He racked up 84 tackles, including six behind the line. Demarrio Pleasant should move into the strong-side vacancy created by the departure of Clint Ingram. Curtis Lofton, who saw game action last fall as a true freshman, and junior college All-American Chris Patterson further fortify the Sooner linebacker corps.

4. Georgia
Four starters return to the three linebacker positions for the Bulldogs. Coaches were hesitant to put 6'2", 218-pound Jarvis Jackson to middle linebacker, since he is a tad undersized. But it’s his natural position and he will start there after registering 84 tackles on the weak side last year to lead all Bulldog returning players. Tony Taylor started in the middle last year and now goes back to the weak side. Taylor intercepted a Boise State pass on the first play of last season after missing all of 2004 with an injury. Danny Verdun Wheeler and Brandon Miller started 19 games between them in 2005 and will platoon on the strong side after combining for over 100 tackles last season.

5. TCU
The Horned Frogs play a 4-2-5 defensive scheme, and the linebacking corps returns en masse from last year. The top two tacklers — linebackers Jason Phillips and Robert Henson — were freshmen. Phillips became the first freshman defensive player in Mountain West Conference history to make first- or second-team all-conference after racking up a team-high 71 tackles, including 8.5 for a loss last season. Henson finished second on the team with 69 tackles. Junior David Hawthorne must battle Henson to hold on to his starting assignment on the strong side. Hawthorne, who came up with 41 total stops with 6.5 behind the line, started 10 games; Henson logged two starts. LSU transfer Darius Ingram will push Phillips in the middle.

6. Penn State
7. Nebraska
8. Tulsa
9. Boise State
10. UTEP

6th Annual Athlon Awards
Quarterbacks – Published Thursday, June 29, 2006
Running Backs – Published Friday, June 30, 2006
Receivers – Published Saturday, July 1, 2006
Offensive Line – Published Monday, July 3, 2006
Defensive Line – Published Tuesday, July 4, 2006
Linebackers – Published Wednesday, July 5, 2006
Defensive Backs – Published Thursday, July 6, 2006