A linebacker is probably the best all-around defensive player on the field. They are the field general, able to blitz the quarterback, provide bone-crushing protection for the run, and cover receivers as well. This year, the Big Ten is blessed with the addition of four heavy-weight teams, USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington. They bring a whole new batch of outstanding linebackers, just like the ACC, Big 12, and the SEC. However, those players are new to the conference and thus not returning per se. Suffice it to say that what follows are the best Big Ten Linebackers truly returning in 2024. There’ll be a shout-out to a few of those new additions later in the article.
3) Cal Haladay – Michigan State
This fifth-year senior has led the Spartans in tackles for three straight years. Cal Haladay has 307 career stops and 21.5 tackles for a loss. In fact, per Pro Football Focus (PFF), he has the third most tackles among all active NCAA players. Haladay ranked second in the Big Ten last year with two fumble recoveries. Also, his three career defensive touchdowns tie him for the Michigan State record.
Haladay joins with teammate Jordan Hall to repeat as a formidable duo backing the defensive line. This is despite Hall coming off a season as a true freshman, and losing two highly experienced linebackers (eligibility), and Aaron Brule (NFL). However, the linebacker room received a couple of impressive replacements via the transfer portal, Jordan Turner (Wisconsin), and Wayne Matthews III (Old Dominion).
Speaking with the media, following a Spring practice, Haladay said they are well equipped. “Yeah, we did lose two guys who are pretty tough to replace,” Haladay said. “But these new guys are going to do a good job. They’re really good players, they come from other schools – one in the Big Ten, and one from Old Dominion and they’ve done a good job at both of those schools. They’re going to make a big impact, I think.”
2) Jaishawn Barham – Michigan
This year Jaishawn Barham will be playing in the Big Ten as a Wolverine after transferring from Maryland. As a true freshman in 2022, the Terrapin made his debut placing fifth among Power Five linebackers with a PFF score of 83.1. He finished the season as the seventh most-valuable linebacker in the country. He was also named as a first-team All-American.
In 2023, he was plagued by injury, but still started in 11 games and played 521 snaps. He was also named All-Big Ten as a coach’s Honorable Mention. Ironically, last season, Michigan’s Heisman nominee JJ McCarthy threw an interception into the hands of Barham, the first of his career. This season, he has already been named to Phil Steele’s first-team All-Big Ten.
For the 2024 season, Ann Arbor is the new home for Barham and for new defensive coordinator, NFL’s legendary, Don “Wink” Martindale. It’s expected that the Wolverine defense will rely on pressuring the quarterback using Martindale’s linebackers as he did with the New York Giants. That happens to be a forte of his new linebacker. Last season, Barham pressured the quarterbacks 21 times, with three sacks, three hits, and 15 hurries.
But what does the new head coach, Sherrone Moore, think about his new transfer? The Jim Harbaugh replacement seems to think there’s a danger. offenses rumbling under a quiet exterior. “Instinctual, physical, violent, fast = everything you want in a linebacker,” Moore said. “As quiet as can be, just goes about his business the right way, just how we like the transfers that come in here. They just come in, assimilate themselves into the culture, and keep attacking. So he’s been outstanding, and just I can’t wait to see what he does.”
1) Jay Higgins – Iowa
In PFF’s “wins above-average” metric, Jay Higgins placed as the most valuable linebacker in 2023. But metrics aside, this guy’s just a beast when it comes to playing stamina. He led all FBS defenders in 2023 with 985 snaps and still played at full tilt, rarely coming off the field. The Indianapolis native led the FBS in total tackles with 171 (79 solo). He flies all over the field, leading the nation with 108 plays where he was the first to make contact with the ball carrier. Other honors include first-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Phil Steele, and Sports Illustrated. He was also a consensus All-Big Ten selection.
In this preseason to the 2024 season, Phil Steele has already dubbed him as an All-American and the national Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
As a fifth-year senior, Higgins could’ve jumped to the NFL after such a stellar season. But, he’s always been a patient person, to which he attested in an interview following a mid-summer interview with Iowa Magazine. “I learned that the NFL isn’t going anywhere,” Higgins said. “I wanted to come back and continue to put in the work. Iowa does a good job of preparing you for the next level.”
But Higgins is quick to mention, that he’s not in it for himself. “I’m looking forward to helping my teammates accomplish a lot of things,” Higgins said. “My roommate, Nick Jackson, needs 114 more tackles to become the outright NCAA leader. It can be easy to get into the mindset of ‘It’s all about me,’ but it’s about playing good football together.”
New to the Big Ten
Several linebackers are waiting in the wings to make a difference in the Big Ten. One is Jeffrey Bassa, entering his senior season with Oregon. In his 2023 season, the Salt Lake City, UT, native, saw his best year with 72 tackles, ranking him second for the year, and a career season-high for him. He was also named defensive MVP of the Vrbo Liberty Bowl and to the second team of the All-Pac-12.
Carson Bruener helped lead Washington to the CFP finals against Michigan with 86 total tackles in 2023, only making one start all year. Bruener still managed to rank third in tackles on the team. There is only one returning starter for the Huskies, Alphonzo Tuputala. The senior duo will be welcoming a new defensive coordinator, by the name of Steve Belichick. Yes, he’s the son of NFL coaching legend Bill Belichick.
Mason Cobb finished his 2023 season as the top individual tackler for USC with 85 total tackles (50 solo). He transferred from Oklahoma State, where in 2022 he posted a team-high 96 total tackles (58 solo). The inside linebacker coach at USC, Brian Odom, spoke about Cobb last spring. “That guy was born to play inside linebacker,” Odom said. “His movements are exactly what you want.”
