2015 Big 12 Position Rankings: Linebackers

No. 3: West Virginia

Nov 30, 2013; Morgantown, WV, USA; Iowa State Cyclones running back Aaron Wimberly (2) runs with the ball during the second half of the game against West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Iowa State Cyclones defeated West Virginia Mountaineers 52-44 in the third overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Mountaineers have an interesting group of guys at linebacker this season.

Nick Kwiatkoski sets a great example in the middle, and tackles everything. He had five games with double digit tackles in 2014, and seems to be “that guy” that shows up everywhere when you turn on the tape. If you want, you can give West Virginia half-credit for KJ Dillon being a linebacker, as he plays a hybrid role where can also line up 25 yards deep and play a pure coverage role.

The Mountaineers also get Jared Barber back after a season-ending knee injury in his Junior year, and taking a redshirt season the year after (very similar to what DeAndre Washington did under Tommy Tuberville).

West Virginia does not have the talent at linebacker to get national recognition, but they have plenty of role players that can play good, fundamental football, and have enough depth to recover from injuries.