Manti Te’o, Senior, Linebacker, Notre Dame
Overview:
Manti Te’o was one of the most highly regarded and most decorated recruits to come to Notre Dame in quite some time. That is saying a lot. The 6-2, 245 pound inside linebacker wasted little time doing what everybody expected him to do. Just five games into his true freshman campaign, Te’o stepped into a full-time starting role. Prior to that he earned some starts as well and he ended up starting ten of a dozen games. In the last eight games of the season Te’o tallied 58 of his 63 total tackles.
The late season surge of production in 2009 led to even higher expectations in 2010. From game one, Te’o dominated and turned into Notre Dame’s leader on defense. On the year he posted an impressive 133 tackles, including 9.5 tackles-for-loss. He also broke up three passes and forced a fumble.
Final Projection:
For a 6-2, 245 pound linebacker, Te’o is deceptively quick and strong. He can fight through traffic to find the ball carrier or use his quickness and instincts to chase down an opponent in the open field. Either way, Te’o will be around the ball and making plays. He will do the same thing in the NFL whether he plays inside or outside or in a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense.
See all NFL Draft Profiles and Rankings
