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Name: Steven Linton
Position: Linebacker
Year: Redshirt freshman
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 226 lbs.
Hometown: Dublin, GA
High School: Dublin
2019 stats: Recorded 2 tackles in three games last year, all while preserving his redshirt for the season. Gotta love that rule change.
2020 projections: Linton moved positions from defensive end to linebacker this season, even though he added ten plus pounds to his frame with a year of college strength and conditioning. It seems he’ll slot into that hybrid LB/DE position of the new defense, similar to Tyrell Richards. He moved up to the number one spot at strong side linebacker on the spring depth chart as well, so expect him to get starters minutes, even if that doesn’t hold.
How’d he get here?: Linton had numerous P5 offers, including Missouri, USF, Baylor, UCF and Lousiville, among others. He also had an offer from Arizona State University, where his current coach, Tony White happened to be the defensive backs coach, so that’s a nice connection too. As you can tell, he chose Syracuse.
What’d recruiting sites say?: Three stars from 24/7, Rivals and ESPN
Money quote: We used this quote last year, but it seems almost prescient this season. He may not have bulked to 245, but he still put on some beef.
“He has the ability to do either,” Holmes said, “but obviously if he’s going to consistently put his hand on the ground then he’s got to put on some mass. ... I think everybody’s in agreement that if you give this kid one year, you’ll see him at 245 (pounds).”
Twitterfeed: @Stevenlinton12
Tweets of wonder: Glad he’s hanging around.
I bleed orange ain’t no changing https://t.co/3PyeJEovYo
— Steven linton (@Stevenlinton12) June 23, 2020
What movie would Dino Babers recommend for him?: Might not be a movie, but I think he’d opt for The Walking Dead, set in Linton’s home state of Georgia. A series based after the of course, inevitable, zombie apocalypse, it follows the trials and tribulations of an Atlanta area sheriff after he wakes up from a coma to hordes of undead.
Interesting nugget o’ interest: Schools were recruiting Steven as both a weakside DR and an outside linebacker. Arizona State actually recruited him as a linebacker. We’re now playing ASU’s style of defense. This probably checks out.
Let’s get a good look at ya: Signing Day video for your entertainment.