Ahmad Brooks

After seeing Ahmad Brooks in person and on film last May, my first reaction was "Wow." There may not be a better LB in the nation this high school season.

Brooks (6-3, 235, 4.5, Woodbridge-Hylton, Va.) is like lightning to the ball, shows tremendous football sense and will rarely miss a tackle. He's a superior athlete who also plays TE, and to illustrate his athleticism, he caught a 30-yard pass and scored the winning TD in the state title game as a sophomore. He missed a good part of his junior season due to injuries, but anyone who has seen his sophomore-season film came away not only impressed but with the opinion that he has to rank among the top three LBs in the nation. In fact, if he stays injury-free this fall, look for many experts to rank him as the No. 1 LB prospect in America.

His value to his team as a LB is enormous. He not only has amassed more than 300 solo tackles in two-and-a-half seasons, he's also batted down 29 passes, has 10 interceptions and has totaled more than 30 sacks. He earned all-district, -region and -state honors as a sophomore. I've seen every Class of 2002 defensive standout in the nation, and right now I'm not sure there's a more talented defender than No. 34.

If he qualifies, look for him to become an instant starter in college as a true freshman. By the end of the season, he should be a candidate for the national defensive player of the year honors. As of early September, Florida State still had a slight lead over Virginia, Virginia Tech, Penn State, Florida, and West Virginia. However, Brooks says he plans on taking all five visits, and currently the battle for his signature is too close to call.

One final assessment of his ability: After viewing him on film, I believe he's the closest prep player I've seen in this class to LaVar Arrington in production and ability.

Tom Lemming is editor of Prep Football Report. For information on how to subscribe to Prep Football Report's three yearly magazines and five newsletters ($60 for the magazines and $90 for both magazines and newsletters), fax your name, address and fax number to 847-842-1313 or write to P.O. Box 59113, Schaumburg, Ill. 60159. For year-round recruiting updates, call Tom Lemming's Prep Football Hotline at 900-860-9888. Calls are $1.79 per minute, and callers must be 18 years old or have parents' permission.