Best Returning G5 Linebackers
The G5 conferences over the past years have brought a lot of amazing athletes to each position. Even though everyone is entertained very much so by the power five teams, you can never count out some of the group of five teams who never fail to disappoint. The G5 best-returning linebackers are some of the best in the country. With all that said, the talent at the Linebacker position for the group of five conferences is no shy of great.
#5 Nick Hampton (Appalachian State)
Returning for his junior season at Appalachian State, Nick Hampton is bound to be a dominant force for the Mountaineers. Standing at 6’3 and weighing in at 225 pounds Nick Hampton hopes to repeat his success from 2021 to 2022. Nick Hampton ended his 2021 campaign with 68 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for losses, and 11 sacks all in 14 games played.
Hampton had an amazing season for the Mountaineers in 2021. He progressed as the season went on and proved why he’s easily one of the best linebackers in the group of five. Hampton’s quickness and ability to read plays before they even happened made him impressive to watch. All season long Hampton did a great job of picking up on reads which made it easy for him to hit receivers as soon as they caught the ball. Hampton will be a big asset again this upcoming season for the Mountaineers.
#4 Ivan Pace Jr. (Miami of Ohio)
Coming back for his junior year at Miami of Ohio is Ivan Pace Jr. Ivan Pace Jr stands at 6’0 and weighs in at 239 pounds. Ivan Pace Jr was yet another linebacker in the group of five who really stood out. Ivan Pace Jr ended his sophomore season with 125 total tackles, 13 tackles for losses, four sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble.
After emerging on the scene in 2021 Ivan Pace Jr is set to have another great year for the RedHawks. His elusiveness and ability to find holes in the offensive line aided him in getting four sacks on the season. Ivan Pace Jr also showed he could drop back in coverage when needed. Ivan Pace Jr proved all he also could play well in man-to-man/zone coverages. The big linebacker even had an interception last season. Ivan Pace Jr will be a very fun player to watch and see grow.
#3 Deshawn Pace (Cincinnati)
Deshawn Pace is a tremendous linebacker for Cincinnati coming back for his junior year. Standing at 6’2 and weighing in at 218 pounds, Deshawn Pace was a big reason why the Bearcats had such a successful season in 2021. In his sophomore season, Deshawn Pace had 95 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for losses, .5 sacks, and four interceptions.
In 2021 the Bearcats were the team to watch. They surprised everyone with their success and even were the first G5 teams to ever make the playoff. Cincinnati had a ton of help on both sides of the ball which is why they were so good. Pace was one of their major names because of his skill set.
Pace played linebacker but could’ve been coined as a cornerback or even a wide receiver because of his build. Deshawn Pace was tremendous all season, but what stood out about him was his speed and vision to sniff out plays. Pace was always the first guy behind the line if teams ever ran a screen or like a pitch/outside handoff play. Even though Cincinnati lost some good players due to the draft, look for Deshawn Pace to run the defense.
#2 Darren Anders (Bowling Green)
Returning to Bowling Green for his senior season is Darren Anders. Darren Anders stands at 6’0 and weighs in at 235 pounds. Anders is coming off a big season for Bowling Green and looks to make an even bigger name for himself in his upcoming senior campaign. He ended his junior season with 124 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for losses, three sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble.
The Bowling Green Falcons had a rough go of it in 2021 ending their season 4-8. Furthermore, Anders was a big help to the Falcons even though they had a difficult season. Anders was an extremely aggressive and physical linebacker which made him one of the best in the G5 teams. He’s a hard hitter who will meet any guy at the line of scrimmage no matter their size.
Anders will be one of Bowling Green’s biggest keys this coming season. Anders on top of his aggressiveness also doesn’t struggle to hold down coverages. Any type of pass short and to the middle of the field will be hard to complete if Anders is on the field. If Anders can continue his terror of offenses, then he could be first a team all-conference or even better.
#1 Vince Sanford (Air Force)
Vince Sanford is making his way back to the Air Force Academy for his senior season. Standing at 6’1 and weighing in at 210 pounds, Sanford is coming off an outstanding season with the falcons and looks to build. Sanford ended the 2021 season with 59 total tackles, 17 Tackles for losses, 9.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
Sanford was big addition back to the lineup in 2021 after he had missed all of the 2020 season. Once Sanford returned, he shined and was one of the reasons the Air Force had such a great season. Sanford had a little bit of a slow start but picked it up as the season went on.
Sanford’s explosiveness off the snap of the ball and his exceptional ability to expose holes in the offensive line helped him tally up so many sacks and tackles for losses. He also was good at shedding off blockers making it easier to stop running backs or even any quarterbacks. Sanford’s biggest game of last season came against New Mexico where he racked up 3.5 sacks. The return of Sanford to the Air Force lineup will be ginormous for Air Force’s success on defense.
Expectations to Fill
Throughout the group of five conferences, there are a ton of amazing linebackers that will have big shoes to fill. These guys in particular will be looked at to be great for their teams in hoping for more success. Furthermore, as the season approaches these best returning linebackers of the G5 will be ones to keep an eye out for throughout the 2022 season. The G5 best-returning linebackers will be something fun to watch this college football season.
