Northwestern 2013 Football Preview: The Linebackers

Going into last year, many Northwestern fans believed the linebacking crew may be Northwestern's best unit; however, they were largely overlooked and underrated by the national media. Fortunately, the Northwestern fans' hopes were justified, as the linebackers played exceptionally well, having a big hand in Northwestern's 22nd-ranked rush defense. This year appears to be another good year at the position. 

Last Year

David Nwabuisi: The 5th year senior started all 13 games at weak-side (Will) linebacker and performed in his typical exceptional fashion. His 62 solo tackles were 5th most in the Big Ten, and he added 3 interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. He performed consistently all year, never recording fewer than 4 tackles in a game. However, two games really stood out: his 15 tackle performance against Penn St. and his incredible 18 tackle performance against Iowa.

Damien Proby: In his junior year, Proby started all 13 games at middle (Mike) linebacker. While not as consistent as Nwabuisi was, Proby had some incredible performances, including five games with 12 or more tackles. On the year, he finished 5th in the Big Ten in total tackles, with 112, and his 74 solo tackles were best in the conference. He also was capable of making plays in the backfield, recording 4.5 tackles for loss. 

Chi Chi Ariguzo: While only a sophomore, he was arguably the most impressive player on the line. Ariguzo started all 13 games at strong-side (Sam) linebacker, and recorded 91 tackles, 15th in the Big Ten. His value, however, cannot be measured solely by his total tackles. He was exceptional at making plays in the backfield, recording 10.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks (both 5th most among Big Ten linebackers). On top of this, he was a ball hawk, as he had two interceptions and his four fumble recoveries tied the Big Ten lead.

The Backups: When the aforementioned guys were not on the field, backup duty was almost entirely performed by freshman Drew Smith and sophomore Collin Ellis. As backups, neither had eye-popping stats, but both were quite serviceable reserves. Smith had the slightly more impressive year statistically, recording 17 tackles and two sacks. 

This Year

Damien Proby stays in the middle linebacker spot, so expect more of the same there. 

Ariguzo is moving from the Sam to the Will. This makes sense as the Will is typically the more athletic of the two outside linebacker positions, in part due to the fact that the Will is more often tasked with guarding slot receivers. 

Filling the Sam position will be Ellis. He was in competition with Smith during the offseason, but he has apparently impressed and has won the starter role, at least for week one. 

While Smith is not starting, I expect him to see the field quite a bit. I assumed he would be listed as Ellis's starter, as Ellis will likely see the leastplay time among starters, but he is instead listed as Ariguzo's. Despite this, I expect him to fill in at all three positions. 

Senior Timmy Vernon and freshman Jaylen Prater are both listed as potential backups to Proby. Vernon has primarily been a special teams player throughout his career, and that will almost certainly be his primary contribution this year as well. Prater, a 2-star recruit who redshirted last year, likely won't see much time at linebacker either. 

Redshirt freshman Joseph Jones is listed as Ellis's starter, and he's a pretty intriguing player. Virtually no one expected him to play linebacker in college, as his size and track-star athleticism make him appear more like a safety. Regardless, he's listed at linebacker, and only time will tell how he'll perform and how much he'll play. 

Is this an improvement? 

I'm calling it a wash. Losing Nwabuisi hurts, and I don't think either Ellis or Smith will perform quite at his level, but I think Ariguzo's and Proby's extra year of experience should make up for it.