The most important linebackers to know in the 2023 Pac-12 season
As we continue our preview of the 2023 college football season in the Pac-12 conference, we are going to shift our focus from individual teams to individual positions. The last several weeks have been spent picking apart each school out west, finding where they improved the most over the offseason, and identifying what realistic expectations should be for them going forward.
You can see them all here: Arizona Wildcats — Arizona State Sun Devils — California Golden Bears — Colorado Buffaloes — Oregon State Beavers — Stanford Cardinal — UCLA Bruins — USC Trojans — Utah Utes — Washington Huskies — Washington State Cougars
Now, we’re going to look at position groups as a whole in the conference. Whether it’s a quarterback or a linebacker, a punter or a safety, there are dozens of highly talented players out west. We want to go through them all, position group by position group, and highlight some of the most important names that fans should know at each spot.
Quarterbacks — Wide Receivers — Running Backs — Tight Ends — Offensive Line — Defensive Line
The Pac-12 may be widely regarded as an offensive league where quarterback play is king, but that has brought an increased need for strong defenses that will set a team apart from the rest.
At the middle of a strong defense is a linebacking corp that can navigate the many schemes needed to keep things running in the right direction.
While Pac-12 linebackers may not get the shine that their counterparts do in the SEC or the Big Ten, they are just as important to success out west. With the needed ability to cover in space and drive downhill to stop the run, a newer mold of LB has started to pop up in our game as of late, and a more versatile player is taking the stage.
Going into the 2023 season, there are a number of defenders at this position who are worth watching, because they could ultimately have the ability to turn a game, or a season, for their respective teams.
Here are some of the most important linebacker names that we think you need to know going into the fall.
Mason Cobb — USC Trojans
2022 Stats: 96 tackles, 13 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 INT
Career Stats: 106 tackles, 16 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 INT
Analysis: Lincoln Riley vowed to make the defense better in 2023, and he definitely did so by adding Oklahoma State’s Mason Cobb to the mix. Cobb was one of the best players for the Cowboys last year, and now he will be in the heart of the Trojans’ defense. That could be a game-changer.
Jeffrey Bassa — Oregon Ducks
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2022 Stats: 62 tackles, 4 TFL, 2 sacks, 2 INT
Career Stats: 110 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 INT
Analysis: The Oregon defense needs to be a lot better in order for the Ducks to compete in 2023, and the expected rise from Jeffrey Bassa could have a big part of that. With two years under his belt, Bassa his hoping to step forward as one of the best LBs in the conference working under Dan Lanning.
Justin Flowe — Arizona Wildcats
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2022 Stats: 35 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 0 sacks
Career Stats: 50 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 0 sacks
Analysis: Is a change of scenery what Justin Flowe needs in order to reach his 5-star status from high school? Arizona is hoping that the answer is yes, as a half-decent defense is what stands between them and being a semi-dangerous contender in the Pac-12 this year.
Jackson Sirmon — California Golden Bears
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2022 Stats: 104 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT
Career Stats: 251 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 INT
Analysis: Jackson Sirmon has been playing forever. After a solid career at Washington, Sirmon has continued to perform well at Cal, and his stats speak for themselves. With another solid year, it’s going to be crazy to see the career numbers that he can end up putting together.
Darius Muasau — UCLA Bruins
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Stats: 91 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1 sack, 2 INT
Career Stats: 361 tackles, 29.5 TFL, 12.5 sacks, 4 INT
Analysis: Darious Muasau flew a bit under the radar last year after coming over to UCLA from Hawaii, but I think the Bruin is going to start to draw some attention in 2023 if he can continue to have a big impact in the middle of the defense.
Alphonzo Tuputala — Washington Huskies
2022 Stats: 71 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3 sacks
Career Stats: 84 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3 sacks
Analysis: Washington’s linebacking corp isn’t the best in the conference, but they don’t need to be running behind Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuola-Fetui. I’d say that Alphonzo Tuputala is probably the best linebacker that the Huskies have, and he should be able to do some damage in the middle this season.
Eric Gentry — USC Trojans
(Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)
2022 Stats: 71 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 sacks, 1 INT
Career Stats: 116 tackles, 9 TFL, 3 sacks, 1 INT
Analysis: Eric Gentry was impressive in his first year with the Trojans after coming over from Arizona State, and with a defense that is expected to take a step forward in 2023, he could be one of the household names in the conference.
Jestin Jacobs — Oregon Ducks
2022 Stats: 6 tackles, 1 TFL, 0 sacks
Career Stats: 63 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0 sacks, 1 INT
Analysis: Though his career has been marred by injuries, Jestin Jacobs comes to Eugene with hopes to get back on the right track and reach some of the high expectations that he had coming into college. Alongside Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon’s LB unit could look pretty dangerous should Jacobs find his footing.
David Reese — California Golden Bears
2022 Stats: 2 tackles, 0 TFL. 0 sacks
Career Stats: 324 tackles, 19.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT
Analysis: A long and successful career will see one final chapter with the California Golden Bears for David Reese, who should be a great veteran presence on Justin Wilcox’s defense.
Jacob Manu — Arizona Wildcats
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2022 Stats: 54 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack
Career Stats: 54 tackles, 4 TFL, 1 sack
Analysis: Jacob Manu was impressive as a freshman in 2022, and he could really blossom into a solid defensive player alongside Justin Flowe this coming season. If he does, then Arizona might draw more attention than they currently do in the Pac-12.
