Here are Cincinnati's 10 best linebackers in high school football ahead of the 2025 season
Linebackers are typically the leaders of the defense while calling out signals and showcasing their versatility by covering against the pass and crashing the gaps near the line of scrimmage to defend the run.
Here are the best 10 linebackers to watch across the Cincinnati gridiron this fall, listed alphabetically.
At the end of this story, remember to vote for the top linebacker in the city.
Jakobe Clapper, St. Xavier
A first-team All-Ohio selection and the Greater Catholic League-South's Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2024, Clapper helped anchor a St. Xavier defense that led the league in scoring, yielding just 14.6 points per game.
He finished second in the GCL-South in tackles (105), reaching double figures five times to go with 4.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and two recoveries.
A three-star recruit and a top 20 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, Clapper's offer sheet included nearly two dozen programs before committing to Notre Dame in May.
Elijah Depperschmidt, Campbell County
Depperschmidt is coming off a junior campaign where he led the Camels in tackles (78) along with a pair of sacks.
He had 11 tackles for loss, which ranked 11th in all of Class 6A. He was an All-Northern Kentucky second-team selection by the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association.
Antwoine Higgins, Anderson
More: Meet Anderson football's Ace Alston and Antwoine Higgins, with nearly 70 college offers
As a sophomore last season, Higgins tallied 55 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and an interception on a defense that helped lead Anderson to the Division II state championship game.
He was a second-team All-Ohio selection in Division II and first-team all-district.
Higgins is the top-ranked linebacker in Ohio for the Class of 2027. A four-star recruit, he holds over 30 offers, including from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Indiana, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Oregon.
Adam Kirtley, Taft
Kirtley ranked second in the Cincinnati Metro Athletic Conference in tackles last season with 140 in helping Taft become the first Cincinnati Public School to win a regional title since 1992. He also had 18 tackles for loss and five sacks en route to all-district and first-team all-league honors.
A three-star recruit and the No. 92 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, Kirtley committed to the UC Bearcats last month.
Andre Parker Jr., Princeton
Parker finished fifth in the Greater Miami Conference in tackles (107) last season, tallying 19 tackles for a loss. He also ranked fifth in sacks (7) to go with a force fumbled, two interceptions and a pick-six in a win over Fairfield.
Parker was a third-team All-Ohio selection in Division I and second-team all-district in helping lead Princeton to the regional semifinals.
He is tabbed as a three-star recruit and the No. 59 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings. Parker held nearly 20 offers before committing to Marshall in June.
Aden Reeder, St. Xavier
An all-district and first-team all-league selection, Reeder was tied for sixth in the GCL-South in tackles (74) last season and fifth in tackles for loss (13.5).
Reeder also knocked away three passes, forced a fumble and tallied a trio of sacks for the Bombers. He had back-to-back 10-tackle performances in wins over La Salle and Cleveland St. Ignatius.
A three-star prospect, Reeder is tabbed by 247Sports' Composite Rankings as the No. 24 player in Ohio in the Class of 2026. He committed to Luke Fickell's Wisconsin Badgers in May.
Brayden Reilly, St. Xavier
Another stout linebacker on St. Xavier's defense, Reilly was tied for sixth in tackles (74) last season alongside Reeder.
He had four tackles for loss along with two forced fumbles and a pair of recoveries. Reilly also had two interceptions against Louisville Trinity.
Another three-star recruit and a top 20 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, Reilly committed to Northwestern in May.
Jacob Savage, Ryle
Savage was a two-way standout during Ryle's run to the state championship game in 2024. Offensively, he was second in Class 6A in rushing touchdowns (22) and sixth in yards (1,085).
Savage was also one of the most feared linebackers in Northern Kentucky as he ranked fourth in Class 6A in total tackles (141), including 9.5 for a loss and three sacks.
An All-Northern Kentucky first-team selection and a three-star prospect, Savage is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 2 linebacker in Kentucky for the Class of 2026. He committed to Indiana in April.
Cam Thomas, Lakota West
Thomas was a third-team All-Ohio and second-team all-district selection in Division I last season on a Lakota West defense that led the GMC in scoring, yielding just 8.4 points per game.
Thomas finished with 84 tackles, including 14.5 for a loss and four sacks. He also helped the Firebirds' defense take the ball away with three forced fumbles, one recovery and an interception.
According to 247Sports' Composite Rankings, Thomas is the No. 16 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026 and a three-star prospect. He committed to Illinois in February.
Derek Uran, Elder
A three-star recruit and a top 60 player in Ohio for the Class of 2026, Uran committed to Virginia in June, picking the Cavaliers over a list of suitors that included Cincinnati, Ohio University, Western Michigan and Bowling Green, among others.
The second-team All-Ohio and first-team all-district selection led the GCL-South in sacks (9.5) last season and finished fifth in the league in tackles. He also forced three fumbles and intercepted a pair of passes, including a 31-yard pick-six against Lakewood St. Edward.
On the radar
Alex Albrinck, Badin; Brody Ayler, Beechwood; Zac Belmont, McNicholas; Alex Brown, Mason; Landon Brown, Simon Kenton; C.J. Bryant, Hamilton; Vontay Calloway, Badin; Conner Cuozzo, Moeller; Hunter Davis, Lebanon; Brycen Deller, Harrison; Alex Dugan, Elder; D.J. Edwards, Lakota West; Travis Hodges, Boone County; Patrick Keefer, Fenwick; Jesse Keith, Wilmington; Brody Nickerson, Turpin; Trent Owens, Badin; Sam Reder, Summit Country Day; Max Rhodes, Oak Hills; Marlan Robertson, Cincinnati College Prep Academy; Bubba Smart, Roger Bacon; Tye Spaulding, Western Brown; Quinten Tischner, Bishop Brossart; Elias Lopez Torres, Dayton; Kevonte Whitaker, North College Hill; Kai Workman, Ryle
Vote: Who is the top linebacker in Greater Cincinnati in 2025?
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati high school football: Best 10 linebackers ahead of 2025
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