West Texas High School Football Preview: 12 Linebackers to Watch Ahead of the 2024 Season

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Texas football’s fall practice is just a few weeks away, and excitement is building as fans, players and coaches with high aspirations anticipate the return of Friday night lights in West Texas.

Despite the turnover caused by the departure of the senior classes, many of the nearly 40 teams in the Standard times The coverage area retained many young talents, as well as bringing in some new faces, looking to make their mark in the 2024 season.

Before the start of the season, the Standard times will highlight the best local players in groups of seven positions – quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, offensive linemen, defensive linemen, defensive linemen and linebackers.

Today, we wrap up our position group watch list by highlighting the best returning linebackers to watch in West Texas.

Linebackers to Watch in 2024

Honorable mention: Devin Medina, Sr., Miles; Jaidyn Vineyard, Sr., Coahoma

Sire Garcia Jr., Grape Creek

Garcia was a breakout star for the Eagles on defense in 2023, winning District 2-3A Division II Defensive Rookie of the Year. He finished the season with 68 tackles, five tackles for loss and two interceptions returned for touchdowns, earning an All-West Texas Honorable Mention.

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Crue Levien Jr., Junction

Junction took a big step forward last season, with no wins in 2022, a playoff appearance and six wins in 2023, and Levien’s performance was a big part of the success. In his first varsity season, he finished with 93 tackles and one sack and was Honorable Mention All-West Texas.

Ethan Michalwicz, Sr., Wall

Michalwicz was the rookie among Wall’s dominant core of linebackers in 2023, but made his presence felt by finishing the season with a team-high 120 tackles while adding 15 tackles for a loss, five quarterback hurries and four sacks. He was named District 2-3A Division II Defensive MVP and earned a spot on the All-West Texas first-team defense.

Jaekob Jackson Jr., Central

Jackson took on a large role as a rotational player on Central’s young defense in 2023. He finished the season with 41 tackles, six tackles for loss and a forced fumble. With a full year under his belt, he is primed for a big jump into a bigger role under new coach Mark Smith.

Clancy Osbourn Jr., Mason

On a team loaded with defensive talent, Osbourn has risen to prominence as one of the Punchers’ best players as a sophomore in 2023. The District 14-2A Division I defensive MVP finished last season with 125 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback pressures, 10 sacks, four passes defended, one interception, one forced fumble and earned a spot on the All-West Texas first-team defense.

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Parker Posey, Sr., Irion County

The All-West Texas Six-Man Defensive Player of the Year capped off another impressive season starring for the Hornets’ defense in 2023. Posey finished with 151 tackles, seven fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and three defensive touchdowns.

Manuel Riojas, Sr., Christoval

Riojas was the Cougars’ main option in the running game last season, but he also excelled on the defensive side of the football. He recorded 64 tackles, recovered two fumbles, was named to the District 3-2A Division I first-team defense and was All-West Texas Honorable Mention.

Sutton Silério, Sr., Mason

While rushing for over 1,000 yards on offense for the Punchers last season, Silerio was also a force on defense racking up 93 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, five quarterback pressures, four sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and one interception. He was named to the All-West Texas Defensive Second Team at the end of the season.

Jaylen Torres, Sr., Miles

Torres was a major reason for the Bulldogs’ defensive turnaround over the past few seasons and helped them get their first playoff win in years against Sterling City in 2023. He finished his junior campaign with 86 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks , two interceptions, two pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and was named to the All-West Texas Second Team Defensive Team.

Hunter Tucker, Sr., Veribest

Tucker was a crucial piece to Veribest’s resurgent season, which saw them go from one win in 2022 to seven last year. He finished the season as the Falcon’s leading tackler with 99 tackles and added 12 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles, two sacks and a fumble recovery and was named to the All-West Texas six-man defensive team.

Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Contact him at sports@gosanangelo.com. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @Paul_Witwer

This article originally appeared in the San Angelo Standard-Times: High School Football: The Best West Texas Linebackers to Watch in 2024