I’ve always loved the NFL Combine. A one-week event where some of the best athletes in the world compete in a series of physical challenges. It’s like an Olympic decathlon, but for college football players.
When I train players for the combine, one of the things we always do is look at previous years’ results to see how we stack up. It is a great tool for goal-setting and motivation.
This guide is simply me sharing this information with you. I went through all the previous NFL Combines (going back to 2006) to find the best Linebacker Vertical Jumps of all time.
Note: These are the official NFL Combine times from NFL.com. Some resources online will also include pro-day numbers, but because there are so many other variables with pro-day numbers I’ve stuck strictly to the official results from Indianapolis.
Best Linebacker Vertical Jumps of All-Time
| Best LB Vertical Jumps in NFL Combine History |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Davis Tull |
UT Chattanooga |
42.5″ |
2015 |
| Bud Dupree |
Kentucky |
42″ |
2015 |
| Dante Olson |
Montana |
42″ |
2020 |
| Ryan Shazier |
Ohio State |
42″ |
2014 |
| Channing Tindall |
Georgia |
42″ |
2022 |
| Quincy Black |
New Mexico |
41.5″ |
2007 |
| Keenan Clayton |
Oklahoma |
41.5″ |
2010 |
| Jamie Collins |
Southern Miss |
41.5″ |
2013 |
| Rocky McIntosh |
Miami |
41.5″ |
2006 |
| Matthew Thomas |
Florida State |
41.5″ |
2018 |
Year By Year Top Linebacker Vertical Numbers
Here is a breakdown of the top 5 Vertical Jumps from each year going back to 2006. In addition to the top 5 each year, I’ve also included any linebacker that jumped 40″ or higher.
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2023 NFL Combine
2023
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2023 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Anfernee Orji |
Vanderbilt |
38.5″ |
2023 |
| Jeremy Banks |
Tennessee |
37.5″ |
2023 |
| Jack Campbell |
Iowa |
37.5″ |
2023 |
| Yasir Abdullah |
Louisville |
36.5″ |
2023 |
| Owen Pappoe |
Auburn |
35.5″ |
2023 |
Related –> NFL Combine Averages By Position at 2022 NFL Combine
2022
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2022 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Channing Tindall |
Georgia |
42″ |
2022 |
| Jeremiah Moon |
Florida |
40.5″ |
2022 |
| Leo Chenal |
Wisconsin |
40.5″ |
2022 |
| Chad Muma |
Wyoming |
40″ |
2022 |
| Malcolm Rodriguez |
Oklahoma State |
39.5″ |
2022 |
| Chance Campbell |
Ole Miss |
39.5″ |
2022 |
| Jesse Luketa |
Penn State |
37.5″ |
2022 |
| Brandon Smith |
Penn State |
37.5″ |
2022 |
2020
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2020 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Dante Olson |
Montana |
42″ |
2020 |
| Wille Gay Jr |
Mississippi State |
39.5″ |
2020 |
| Jacob Phillips |
LSU |
39″ |
2020 |
| Isaiah Simmons |
Clemson |
39″ |
2020 |
| Kenneth Murray |
Oklahoma |
38″ |
2020 |
2019
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2019 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Devin Bush |
Michigan |
40.5″ |
2019 |
| David Long |
West Virginia |
39.5″ |
2019 |
| Devin White |
LSU |
39.5″ |
2019 |
| Cameron Smith |
USC |
39″ |
2019 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel |
Wisconsin |
38″ |
2019 |
| Blake Cashman |
Minnesota |
37.5″ |
2019 |
| Drue Tranquill |
Notre Dame |
37.5″ |
2019 |
| Sione Takitaki |
BYU |
37″ |
2019 |
2018
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2018 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Matthew Thomas |
Florida State |
41.5″ |
2018 |
| Oren Burks |
Vanderbilt |
39.5″ |
2018 |
| Leighton Vander Esch |
Boise State |
39.5″ |
2018 |
| Jake Pugh |
Florida State |
38.5 |
2018 |
| Fred Warner |
BYU |
38.5″ |
2018 |
2017
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2017 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Tyus Bowser |
Houston |
37.5″ |
2017 |
| Blair Brown |
Ohio |
37″ |
2017 |
| TJ Watt |
Wisconsin |
37″ |
2017 |
| Jabrill Peppers |
Michigan |
35.5″ |
2017 |
| Zach Cunningham |
Vanderbilt |
35″ |
2017 |
| Matt Milano |
Boston College |
35″ |
2017 |
2016
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2016 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Travis Feeney |
Washington |
40″ |
2016 |
| Leonard Floyd |
Georgia |
39.5″ |
2016 |
| Devante Bond |
Oklahoma |
37.5″ |
2016 |
| Jordan Jenkins |
Georgia |
36.5″ |
2016 |
| Darron Lee |
Ohio State |
35.5″ |
2016 |
2015
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2015 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Davis Tull |
UT Chattanooga |
42.5″ |
2015 |
| Bud Dupree |
Kentucky |
42″ |
2015 |
| Vic Beasley |
Clemson |
41″ |
2015 |
| Benardrick McKinney |
Mississippi State |
40.5″ |
2015 |
| Jordan Hicks |
Texas |
38″ |
2015 |
| Eric Kendricks |
UCLA |
38″ |
2015 |
2014
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2014 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Ryan Shazier |
Ohio State |
42″ |
2014 |
| Khalil Mack |
Buffalo |
40″ |
2014 |
| Kevin Pierre-Louis |
Boston College |
39″ |
2014 |
| Adrian Hubbard |
Alabama |
38.5″ |
2014 |
| Prince Shembo |
Notre Dame |
38.5″ |
2014 |
2013
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2013 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Jamie Collins |
Southern Miss |
41.5″ |
2013 |
| Cornelius Washington |
Georgia |
39″ |
2013 |
| Sio Moore |
Connecticut |
38″ |
2013 |
| John Lotulelei |
UNLV |
35.5″ |
2013 |
| Sean Porter |
Texas A&M |
35″ |
2013 |
2012
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2012 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Mychal Kendricks |
California |
39.5″ |
2012 |
| Demario Davis |
Arkansas State |
38.5″ |
2012 |
| Luke Kuechly |
Boston College |
38″ |
2012 |
| Miles Burris |
San Diego State |
37.5″ |
2012 |
| James Michael Johnson |
Nevada |
37″ |
2012 |
| Tahir Whitehead |
Temple |
37″ |
2012 |
| Nigel Bradham |
Florida State |
37″ |
2012 |
2011
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2011 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Dontay Moch |
Nevada |
42″ |
2011 |
| Scott Lutrus |
Connecticut |
38″ |
2011 |
| Akeem Dent |
Georgia |
37.5″ |
2011 |
| Von Miller |
Texas A&M |
37″ |
2011 |
| Justin Houston |
Georgia |
36.5″ |
2011 |
| Colin McCarthy |
Miami |
36.5″ |
2011 |
2010
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2010 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Keenan Clayton |
Oklahoma |
41.5″ |
2010 |
| Sean Weatherspoon |
Missouri |
40″ |
2010 |
| Dekoda Watson |
Florida State |
40″ |
2010 |
| Simoni Lawrence |
Minnesota |
40″ |
2010 |
| Jason Beauchamp |
UNLV |
39.5″ |
2010 |
| Jamar Chaney |
Mississippi State |
39″ |
2010 |
| Mike McLaughlin |
Boston College |
38.5″ |
2010 |
| Jason Worilds |
Virginia Tech |
38″ |
2010 |
| Koa Misi |
Utah |
38″ |
2010 |
| Sean Lee |
Penn State |
37.5″ |
2010 |
2009
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2009 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Connor Barwin |
Cincinnati |
40.5″ |
2009 |
| Marcus Freeman |
Ohio State |
37″ |
2009 |
| Zack Follett |
California |
37″ |
2009 |
| Aaron Curry |
Wake Forest |
37″ |
2009 |
| Cody Brown |
Connecticut |
36.5″ |
2009 |
2008
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2008 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Gary Guyton |
Georgia Tech |
36.5″ |
2008 |
| Tavares Gooden |
Miami |
35″ |
2008 |
| Marcus Howard |
Georgia |
34.5″ |
2008 |
| Bryan Kehl |
BYU |
34″ |
2008 |
| Stanford Keglar |
Purdue |
34″ |
2008 |
| Alvin Bowen |
Iowa State |
34″ |
2008 |
2007
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2007 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Quincy Black |
New Mexico |
41.5″ |
2007 |
| Patrick Willis |
Ole Miss |
39″ |
2007 |
| Jon Abbate |
Wake Forest |
38.5″ |
2007 |
| Rory Johnson |
Ole Miss |
38″ |
2007 |
| Paul Posluszny |
Penn State |
37″ |
2007 |
2006
| Best LB Vertical Jumps at NFL Combine 2006 |
| Player |
School |
Height |
Year |
| Roger McIntosh |
Miami |
41.5″ |
2006 |
| Ernie Sims |
Florida State |
41″ |
2006 |
| Clint Ingram |
Oklahoma |
41″ |
2006 |
| James Anderson |
Virginia Tech |
41″ |
2006 |
| AJ Hawk |
Ohio State |
40″ |
2006 |
| Jon Alston |
Stanford |
40″ |
2006 |
| Manny Lawson |
NC State |
39.5″ |
2006 |
Final Thoughts
Keep in mind that not everyone that gets invited to the NFL Combine actually jumps (although verticals along with running the 40 and broad jumps are still heavily participated in by most positions). So, some players that potentially could put up a big jump don’t have an official number on the record.
One thing every guy is almost guaranteed to get put on record? Their height and weight.
Finally, don’t forget that there are many players each year that would have put up big numbers that don’t receive an NFL Combine invite. I’ve been at many pro days where some of the numbers our guys put up would have been top 5 or even top 3 at the combine that year.
Featured Image Photo Credit: Alena Veasey / Shutterstock.com
References
NFL.com
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