Ranking Penn State's best linebackers of the 21st century

Twenty-five years into the century, the Centre Daily Times put together a panel to rank Penn State’s top 10 linebackers since 2000.

That panel is made up of Neil Rudel (Altoona Mirror), Rich Scarcella (Reading Eagle), Audrey Snyder (The Nittany Dispatch), Mark Brennan (Lions247), Mark Wogenrich (Penn State on SI), Frank Bodani (York Daily Record), Daniel Gallen (Lions247), Johnny McGonigal (PennLive), Josh Moyer (Centre Daily Times) and Jon Sauber (Centre Daily Times).

10. Brandon Bell

Years played: 2013-16

Only two Penn State linebackers have finished their careers with more forced fumbles than Bell (7) — and they include College Football Hall of Famer Shane Conlan and two-time national champ Don Graham. Bell wasn’t the Nittany Lions’ fastest ’backer, and he wasn’t known for his coverage ability, but he always seemed to step up when the moment called for it. He registered a career-high 18 tackles in the historic upset of No. 2 Ohio State in 2016, earning national defensive player of the week honors, and posted another elite performance a few weeks later in the Big Ten title game (13 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble).

9. Jason Cabinda

Years played: 2014-17

Tough, physical, always around the ball — yep, Cabinda was most definitely a member of Linebacker U. The gritty player with the old-school mindset was a consistent and reliable leader, a three-year starter who made the All-Big Ten team on three occasions (honorable mention in 2015, third team in 2016, second team in 2017). He stands at No. 9 all-time on Penn State’s career tackles list with 286 stops, putting him right between College Football Hall of Famers Dennis Onkotz and Shane Conlan. Despite going undrafted, Cabinda went on to have a six-year NFL career after spending time at fullback. It doesn’t get much more Penn State than that.

8. Gerald Hodges

Years played: 2009-12

Hodges transitioned from safety early during his freshman campaign, and his skills — quickness, agility, coverage ability — followed him to linebacker. He earned a reputation as an aggressive and athletic defender, one who was able to make splash plays against the run and pass. He recorded back-to-back 100-tackle seasons and earned back-to-back spots on the All-Big Ten team because of it — first team in 2011 and second team in 2012. He still ranks No. 19 on Penn State’s all-time career tackles list with 249 stops, and he was a Butkus Award semifinalist.

7. Mike Hull

Years played: 2011-14

Credit Hull for sticking with the Nittany Lions. In the wake of unprecedented sanctions in 2012, Hull nearly transferred to Pitt, where he would’ve had a much clearer line to start immediately. Instead, he spent his redshirt sophomore season playing behind entrenched starters such as Michael Mauti, Gerald Hodges and Glenn Carson — before taking over as an upperclassman. Hull was relentless. Former coach Bill O’Brien praised his “gritty” and “instinctive” play, and Hull made the most out of his PSU career. After moving inside in 2014, he was named the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year, when he also earned second-team All-America honors. He sits at No. 7 on Penn State’s all-time list of career tackle leaders with 294, nearly half which (140) came during his senior campaign.

T5. Michael Mauti

Years played: 2008; 2010-12

Even if Mauti never saw the field over his Penn State career, he’d still be revered in Happy Valley for the leadership role he took when the program initially received sanctions “worse than the death penalty” in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal. Mauti helped keep the team — and program — together, calling team meetings and ensuring more players didn’t bolt. But, as crucial as that was, that’s not why Mauti made this list. He was as important on the field as he was off. He suffered three torn ACLs over his Penn State career, but he played every down like it was his last. He was a quick-thinking, instinctive linebacker who was always around the ball. He was a first-team All-American in 2012 and the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year. He went on to have a five-season NFL career before injuries/ailments cut it short.

T5. Sean Lee

Years played: 2005-07; 2009

How respected was Lee? Even when he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in spring 2008, his teammates elected him a team captain. Lee was overshadowed a bit during his career, a side effect of playing alongside Bednarik Award winners Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor, but his talent was undeniable. He was twice an All-Big Ten second-team selection (2007, 2009), and he sits at No. 4 all-time on Penn State’s list of career tacklers with 325 stops. He excelled inside and outside, against the run and pass — and he was relentless. He is the only Penn State linebacker in the last 25 years to record at least five career forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. He was taken in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, and he was a two-time Pro-Bowler over 11 seasons.

4. NaVorro Bowman

Years played: 2006-09

Tell Bowman what you needed, and he would get it for you. The versatile linebacker could stuff a runner, blitz a quarterback or drop back into coverage. He diagnosed plays quickly, and his explosive athleticism got him to the ball even quicker. The two-year starter finished with 37 career tackles for loss, eight sacks and three interceptions before declaring early for the draft. He thrived under adversity. A day after his high school coach died in a car accident, Bowman took the field in the Rose Bowl and set a school bowl record with five tackles-for-loss. And, when Lee suffered a torn ACL in 2008, Bowman stepped up in his first year as a starter. He was a two-time All-Big Ten first-team selection, and he was named a second-team All-American in 2009. He went on to be taken in the third round of the 2010 Draft, and he was a four-time first-team All-Pro over eight seasons.

3. Micah Parsons

Years played: 2018-19

If it hadn’t been for the lost covid season of 2020, when Parsons opted out, the Pennsylvania native could very well be ranked even higher. The former five-star prospect arrived to Happy Valley with sky-high expectations, and he didn’t disappoint. He became the first freshman in school history — true or redshirt — to lead the team in tackles (83), earning honors as a Freshman All-American in addition to being an honorable mention on the All-Big Ten team. As a sophomore, he was a consensus first-team All-American, the Butkus-Fitzgerald Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and a finalist for the national Butkus Award. Parsons made plays few other players in the nation could make. It wasn’t uncommon to see Parsons on one side of the field and, a few moments later, making a stop on the other side — usually near the backfield. His pursuit was legendary and his motor nonstop. Despite playing just two seasons, he’s tied for No. 7 on Penn State’s all-time career list for forced fumbles (6). The first-round draft pick finished his college career with 192 tackles, 19 tackles-for-loss and 6 1/2 sacks.

2. Dan Connor

Years played: 2004-07

Let’s not bury the lede here: Connor was a two-time first-team All-American, becoming just the 14th Nittany Lion in school history to earn multiple such honors. He is a central figure of the Linebacker U tradition, a physical player who always competed with high effort while boasting solid fundamentals and rarely appearing out of position. He’s No. 1 on Penn State’s career tackles list (419) and won the Bednarik Award in 2007 while also being named the Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year. (He was also a finalist for the Bednarik in 2006.) He specialized in run defense, recording 20 career double-digit tackle games, and finished his career with 34 tackles for loss. He was taken in the third round of the 2008 Draft, but injuries shortened his pro career to six seasons.

1. Paul Posluszny

Years played: 2003-06

You might think a school known as Linebacker U, one that has produced multiple All-Americans, wouldn’t have one player that’s head and shoulders above the others, at least since the year 2000. But if you think that — then you’ve clearly never watched Posluszny play. Our panel unanimously ranked him No. 1, and for good reason. He is a College Football Hall of Famer, a two-time first-team All-American, a two-time winner of the Bednarik Award (only Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald has also won multiple Bednariks), a one-time winner of the Butkus Award — and he was basically a finalist for every conceivable national defensive award during his career. The Hopewell product could anticipate schemes and diagnose plays as quick as anyone, and the lead-by-example ’backer developed a reputation for his discipline and toughness. (There’s a reason he was the program’s first two-time captain in nearly 40 years.) He was taken early in the second round of the 2007 draft, and he went on to amass more than 1,200 tackles over his 11-season NFL career. He’s one of the greatest ever to suit up for the blue-and-white.