My high school football position rankings resume with a look at the area’s top five linebackers. These guys are often the heart of a defense, and the ones on this list can change the trajectory of a drive – or a game – with one play.
My usual note: Do not confuse these rankings with prospect ratings. Raw ability, future potential and college offers are certainly considered, but past performance is the biggest component of these rankings.
5. Simon Butler, Pontotoc
The senior is a versatile player – a bit of a hybrid type. In fact, he was formerly a safety, but he really took off last year after moving to linebacker. Butler (5-foot-11, 200 pounds) recorded 101 tackles, five tackles-for-loss and an interception.
Not only can he cover a lot of ground, but head coach Baylor Dampeer said Butler is a “heady kid,” which is an invaluable asset at linebacker.
Butler is still awaiting his first college offer.
4. Christian Trice, Itawamba AHS
He’s built like a fireplug at 5-8, 230. Not only is Trice strong, he’s explosive to the ball and is hard to knock off track once he gets going. And when he reaches the ball carrier, Trice brings the lumber.
The senior had 73 tackles and 4.5 TFL last season, and he’s half of a potent linebacker tandem with Eli Nabors. Trice also sees time on offense as a running back and is dynamic there, too, with eight touchdowns on 50 carries last season.
Trice has no offers, but several junior colleges are looking at him.
3. Graham Hancock, Starkville
Hancock is an athletic, versatile player who does a lot of things well. The senior is fast – he clocked a 10.8-second 100-meter dash last track season. That speed helps make him an elite blitzer, but he’s also physical enough to set the edge against the run.
Hancock (5-10, 192) made 48 tackles, 13 TFL and four sacks in nine game last season. He’s a threat elsewhere, having recorded both a rushing touchdown and a punt return TD last year.
Hancock holds offers from Jacksonville State, Nicholls, South Alabama and several jucos.
2. Kaiden Buchanan, Tupelo
An outside linebacker, Buchanan broke out last season with 75 tackles, 13.5 TFL and 6.5 sacks. He proved to have a nose for the ball, too, forcing four fumbles and recovering three.
Buchanan (6-1, 225) is tough to block – he’ll either slide off or just power through. He’s shifty and takes good angles to the ball. He’s very similar to the next guy on this list.
Buchanan is the state’s top-rated linebacker for 2028, according to 247Sports. He already holds 50 college offers, including nine from SEC teams – Alabama, Mississippi State and Ole Miss among them.
1. Devontray Brewer, Tupelo
The senior is entering his third year as a starter and is the heart of the Golden Wave defense. Brewer (6-1, 225) is disruptive both in the box and on the edge, and he does everything well: reading plays, exploding to the ball and wrapping up.
Brewer is also smart as a whip. In fact, he initially committed to Stanford before recently flipping to MSU. Last season, he recorded 110 tackles, 9 TFL and 3.5 sacks.
Brewer is the No. 2-rated 2027 linebacker in Mississippi, per 247Sports, and his other offers include Arkansas, Michigan and Ole Miss.
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