Tag: linebacker

BREAKING: Wisconsin lands commitment from Western Carolina transfer linebacker

Wisconsin adds transfer commitment No. 11

Wisconsin landed a commitment from Western Carolina transfer linebacker Antarron Turner on Wednesday evening.

Turner is the program’s 11th transfer commitment of the cycle and second of the day, following Ohio State wide receiver Jayden Ballard. He joins the program with two years of eligibility remaining.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, interests and commitments

The junior linebacker is fresh off a breakout 2024 season for a Western Carolina team that finished second in the Southern Conference (Football Championship Subdivision). His campaign included 61 total tackles (26 solo), two pass deflections, 6 1/2 tackles for loss and three sacks.

Turner is the program’s sixth defensive addition of 11 overall transfer commitments. He is its first addition at stand-up linebacker, one of the program’s bigger needs after the impending departures of Jaheim Thomas and Jake Chaney. Junior Christian Alliegro figures to lead the position in 2025 with the other starting spot up for grabs.

The linebacker is also Wisconsin’s third addition from the FCS level, joining defensive lineman Charles Perkins and safety Matthew Traynor. The Badgers have made a concerted effort to land proven Football Bowl Subdivision production, while still targeting FCS standouts looking to make the jump up in level. Turner’s commitment fits into the latter.

While the Western Carolina transfer should be added to the mix for a starting linebacker slot in 2025, the Badgers are unlikely to be finished recruiting the position.

For more on that pursuit, bookmark our transfer visit and commitment tracker.

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Chiefs LB Nick Bolton discusses the impact of creating turnovers: ‘It definitely felt big for us’

Kansas City #Chiefs LB Nick Bolton discusses the impact of creating turnovers: ‘It definitely felt big for us’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton spoke with reporters on Tuesday about his and the team’s big game, which involved forcing turnovers in Week 15.

On Cleveland’s first offensive play of the second half, Bolton picked off Jameis Winston on a pass intended for Nick Chubb at the Browns’ 34-yard line. It was Bolton’s first interception of the season and the fourth of his career.

“Yeah, especially going down the stretch into the postseason. Definitely turnovers giving the ball to offensive short fields and creating some negative play. So it definitely felt big for us. I’ve kind of been working on it.” said Bolton. “Attacking the football just hasn’t come our way a little bit. So, we’re hoping this is just a one game that kind of continue for many. We talked about it all the time. They come in bunches. They did last week, and I hoped to bring it down to this Saturday.”

Bolton and Drue Tranquill split a sack of Winston, making it five sacks on the day for the Chiefs defense. He finished the day with five tackles (three solo), one interception, one quarterback hit, one pass defensed, and a half-sack.

Wisconsin offers, lands visit with veteran FCS transfer linebacker

Wisconsin offers, lands visit with veteran FCS transfer linebacker

Wisconsin extended an offer to Chattanooga transfer linebacker Alex Mitchell when the transfer portal opened on Monday.

247Sports’ Matt Zenitz then reported that Mitchell will ‘visit Wisconsin next week.’

Related: Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, interests and commitments

The veteran transfer linebacker tallied 101 tackles, two sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two interceptions and four pass deflections as Chattanooga’s leading defender in 2024.

He originally joined the program as an unranked linebacker in the class of 2022. He began by making the Southern Conference All-Freshman team in 2022, before fully breaking out in 2023.

That 2023 campaign included 78 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles, an interception and three pass deflections. His ascension only continued in 2024, as he finished third in the Southern Conference in tackles.

Mitchell would fill Wisconsin’s need at inside linebacker. 2024 starters Jake Chaney and Jaheim Thomas are both gone entering 2025. That leaves Christian Alliegro as a likely starter, with an open space next to him. Former USC transfer Tackett Curtis was a highly-rated recruit, though he still appears far from ready to capture a starting role.

Mitchell is one of a few transfers with confirmed visits to Wisconsin. For more, bookmark our Wisconsin transfer offer, visit and interest tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Oklahoma Sooners lose veteran linebacker to the transfer portal

The Oklahoma Sooners lose a presence on their defense to the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners continue to take hits to their roster via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. Most of the movement has been on the offensive side of the ball, though Oklahoma lost cornerback Kani Walker, who started a number of games for the Sooners this season.

One of the latest players to leave Norman is linebacker [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag]. He spent two seasons as a Sooner and was originally a transfer from Indiana, where he spent one season. He has one year of eligibility remaining.

McCullough missed the first five games of the 2024 season with a toe injury that he suffered in fall camp. He returned for the final seven games, playing cheetah and inside linebacker. He was in line to get plenty of snaps in 2025, but will now seek greener pastures.

McCullough was a Freshman All-American and an All-Big Ten player for the Hoosiers in 2022, but never duplicated that success with Oklahoma. He’s another player who transferred to OU that will transfer again to finish out his collegiate career.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

Broncos sign linebacker to practice squad

The Broncos have signed linebacker K.J. Cloyd to their practice squad.

The Denver Broncos have found their Kwon Alexander replacement.

The Broncos signed linebacker K.J. Cloyd to their 17-player practice squad on Tuesday, the team announced. Denver had room for Cloyd after Alexander left the practice squad to join the Detroit Lions’ active roster on Nov. 29.

Cloyd (6-2, 215 pounds) entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Miami with the Minnesota Vikings this spring. He later joined the New York Giants and impressed in preseason, but he surprisingly did not make their 53-man roster.

Cloyd was initially signed to New York’s practice squad, only to be waived before the season started to make room for defensive back Gevarrius Owens.

Cloyd totaled 44 tackles, two sacks and one pass breakup in 13 games with the Hurricanes last fall. Before that, he spent three years at Louisville.

Denver now has four inside linebackers on the active roster — Cody Barton, Justin Strnad, Zach Cunningham and Levelle Bailey — and one linebacker (Cloyd) on the practice squad. It remains to be seen if Drew Sanders will play at ILB or OLB this fall.

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Broncos nominate Alex Singleton for Walter Payton Man of the Year

Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton was named the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee for 2024.

The Denver Broncos nominated linebacker Alex Singleton for the 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide, the team announced Thursday.

“Considered the NFL’s most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year recognizes a player for his outstanding leadership both on the field and in the community,” said the Broncos in a press release.

Singleton’s work off the field is something close to his heart; work with the Special Olympics. “Singleton’s older sister, Ashley, has been a Special Olympics athlete for more than 20 years, inspiring him to become an advocate for the organization,” said the statement. Singleton’s sister helped announce his nomination, wearing a shirt that read, “My brother is the Broncos’ Walter Payton Man of the Year.”

Singleton has experienced a roller coaster of a season, being voted a captain before the year began, and then tearing his ACL in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, despite playing all 57 snaps during the game.

You can watch Singleton’s reaction to his nomination below.

“Previous Broncos nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award include tackle Garett Bolles (2023), guard Dalton Risner (2022), safety Justin Simmons (2019-21), outside linebacker Von Miller (2018) and cornerback Chris Harris Jr. (2017). John Elway (1992) is the only Broncos nominee to win the national award, which was first given in 1970 and renamed after the Chicago Bears’ Pro Football Hall of Fame running back in 1999,” said the release.

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Steelers defender was second best LB over past two weeks, per PFF

Payton Wilson has emerged as a standout in the Steelers’ linebacker room, offering hope for the future of the team’s strong defense.

In a stacked Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker room that features the impressive run-thumping talents of Elandon Roberts and the do-it-all, well-rounded Patrick Queen, rookie Payton Wilson has shined the brightest over the past two weeks.

On 21 defensive snaps in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens and 32 snaps in Week 12 against the Cleveland Browns, Wilson has performed as the second-best linebacker in the entire NFL, according to PFF.

Wilson’s speed, agility, and play recognition make him an imposing force in run defense, but his true talents appear to lie in pass defense. Over the past two weeks, he allowed just three receptions for seven yards, and NFL QBs had a dismal average passer rating of 36.5 when targeting him.

The linebacker position has been an area of concern for the Pittsburgh Steelers ever since LB Ryan Shazier suffered h is career-ending spinal cord injury in 2017, and it is exciting to know the future of this strong Steelers defense can rely on the impressive LB room led by Roberts, Queen, and the emerging Wilson.

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Lions poach linebacker from Broncos’ practice squad

The Lions have signed linebacker Kwon Alexander off the Broncos’ practice squad.

The Detroit Lions are poaching a linebacker from the Denver Broncos.

The Lions have signed linebacker Kwon Alexander off the Broncos’ practice squad to their own 53-man roster. Denver could have prevented it by promoting Alexander, but the team previously opted to promote Zach Cunningham from the practice squad to the active roster earlier this week.

The news was broken by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday morning and has since been confirmed by multiple outlets. Detroit added Alexander after losing Malcolm Rodriguez to a knee injury on Thanksgiving.

Alexander (6-1, 227 pounds) used up his three practice squad elevations in Denver by rotating with Justin Strnad (6-3, 235 pounds) at inside linebacker from Weeks 7-9. Alexander even started two of those games and he got a season-high 31 snaps in Week 9. Strnad’s snaps dropped from 42 to 37 to 14 in the games Alexander played.

Alexander totaled eight tackles, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble in his three games with Denver before landing in Detroit.

Alexander, a 30-year-old veteran, and Cunningham joined the practice squad in September after the Broncos lost Alex Singleton to a season-ending knee injury. Cody Barton and Strnad have been starting at inside linebacker. Cunningham and Levelle Bailey will be the remaining depth options in Denver after the team lost Alexander.

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Broncos not divulging Drew Sanders’ status for ‘Monday Night Football’

“We’ll see how the week goes,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said when asked if Drew Sanders will play against the Browns on Monday.

The Denver Broncos activated linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) from the physically unable to perform list to the 53-man roster this week.

After returning to practice three weeks ago, Sanders had to be activated before Wednesday or he would have remained on the PUP list for the rest of the season. So his return might have been expedited by the deadline.

Sanders is now back on the active roster, but it remains to be seen how quickly he will return to action. Broncos coach Sean Payton was not willing to divulge on Wednesday if Sanders is poised to play against the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

“We’ll see how the week goes,” Payton said. “It’s always a big question. What’s the role? What’s the vision [in] the first game back, but it’s good to have him. It’s been good to have him out there. He’s been fully cleared, [and] he’s doing well. We’ll see.”

We also don’t know where Sanders will play. He spent time as an inside linebacker and as an outside linebacker last fall. We’ll soon find out what Denver has planned for the second-year linebacker.

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Karl Mecklenburg: Broncos outplayed Raiders in all three phases

Karl Mecklenburg: “Once Bo Nix settled in, the Broncos were able to take advantage of the one-on-one pass coverage that blitzing dictates.”

The Broncos beat their longtime rivals the Oakland, LA, Oakland, Las Vegas Raiders, by hanging around in the first half, and taking it to the Raiders in the second half. The Raiders came out blitzing on defense, which isn’t their normal game plan. They blitzed to stop the run and pressure the Broncos rookie quarterback into making mistakes. That’s usually a good game plan against rookie quarterbacks, but once Bo Nix settled in, the Broncos were able to take advantage of the one-on-one pass coverage that blitzing dictates.

Wil Lutz and the recently maligned field goal team came through with 5 made field goals in the game.

Denver’s defense played the entire game without their top defensive lineman Zach Allen, and lost rookie cornerback Riley Moss in the second half. Allen’s pressure up the middle was missed throughout the game, and it would have been nice to have Moss in the game when the Raiders tried to make a 4th quarter comeback. The Broncos defense kept them in the game early and came up with turnovers to help seal the win. This was a team win, on the road, against a division opponent. All three phases of the Broncos outplayed their Raider counterparts.

As the season winds down, the Broncos’ schedule is going to get goofy. They play Monday night and then they have their bye. They also got flexed into a Thursday night slot against the Chargers. These changes will mess with the rhythm of a team’s normal weekly practice schedule. How do you handle schedule changes? In the NFL meetings and practices are planned out ahead of time. If anything changes, and adjustments are needed, everyone is notified as early as possible and reminded repeatedly. Hopefully the Broncos will rise above the disruption and continue their push to the playoffs. Go Broncos!

Karl Mecklenburg originally shared this post on his social media pages and it was re-shared here with permission. Mecklenburg played for the Denver Broncos from 1983-1994, earning six Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro selections during his decorated career in the NFL. Mecklenburg is now a motivational keynote speaker. You can book Mecklenburg on his website. 

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