College Football: The top-10 returning linebackers for the 2024 season | College Football | PFF
LSU's Harold Perkins tops the list of the best linebackers returning to college football in 2024.
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3. JAY HIGGINS, IOWA
Higgins was a true ironman for Iowa’s defense, leading all FBS defenders in 2023 with 985 snaps. He still played at an elite level despite practically never coming off the field, finishing fifth among all linebackers in the nation with an 89.6 grade. Higgins ended the year as the most valuable linebacker in the country according to PFF’s wins above-average metric.He always seemed to be around the ball last year, leading the nation with 108 plays where he made first contact on the ball carrier. Higgins was one of only six Power Five linebackers who earned 80-plus grades both as a run defender and in coverage. One of the others is further down this list while the other four are the top-four linebackers on PFF’s 2024 NFL Draft big board: Payton Wilson, Edgerrin Cooper, Junior Colson and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. In fact, Higgins’ 90.8 PFF coverage grade led all Power Five players at the position.
