Vanderbilt’s linebacking corps was a strength of the team in 2025 and looks to be just as strong in 2026. They will need to replace the most versatile member of the group as Langston Patterson has theoretically moved on to the NFL, but who knows with all of the eligibility nonsense if he finds his way back to the college ranks after being waived by the Cowboys today. There are three returning, very effective linebackers for what will likely be two spots in the base defense.
Three-Headed Tackling Monster
Bryan Longwell was second
on the team in tackles, both total and solo, behind safety CJ Heard. He was 1 total tackle ahead of Patterson but made 11 more solo stops. Longwell was second behind Miles Capers for TFLs at 9.0, so it was only a half TFL difference. Only 1 of those was a sack. Longwell also showed improved coverage skills with 2 PBUs and interception. The ball tracking backer actually made 18 fewer tackles in 2025 than he did in 2024, so there is no reason to think he cannot maintain his level of play. The production decline was due to the depth provided by the next two players that allowed Longwell and Patterson to catch their breath and be at peak ability more often. He will be the every down linebacker that leaves the field only to catch his breath or due to injury. With the new eligibility rules, there should be this year and another one on West End unless the NFL comes calling.
Nick Rinaldi is a former walk-on turned passing down specialist turned viable every down linebacker. Rinaldi had 6 sacks in 2024 and 3.5 in 2025. His total tackles for each season, respectively, were 52 (35 solo) and 47 (20 solo). Maybe it is due to being a passing down specialist, but my impression was that Rinaldi was also a coverage specialist, though the statistics for PBUs (1 in his career) and interceptions (again, 1) do not back that up. Either way, Rinaldi has gone beyond just being a situational player to one who can play most every down in the SEC. He will likely be sharing snaps with the final member of this threesome.
Bryce Cowan is the linebacker you would make in a lab. He is an athletic freak and hits like a train. With just 30 tackles in the logjam for snaps at linebacker, Cowan still led the team with 5 fumbles forced. No one else had more than 1, so that is more than just happenstance. I have not seen Cowan perfecting the Peanut Punch. The force and aggressiveness of his hits just has a habit of dislodging the ball. Cowan is also very good at getting after opposing QBs with 3.0 sacks in his limited opportunities. More snaps should mean more production. It just remains to be seen how he and Rinaldi are deployed.
Trying to Carve out a Role
Austin Howard is a sophomore that played in all 13 games as a freshman and made 8 tackles (3 solo) and 1 TFL. Howard was a 3* recruit that 247’s Composite has as the 43rd ranked LB in the 2025 class. On3 had him as a 4* and the 19th best LB in the country. At 6’2” and 245 pounds, Howard is a physical presence at the point of attack and getting after QBs. He found the field mostly as a Razor (the hybrid linebacker/DE role) in his first year on campus.
Tate Hamby provides a different look than Howard at LB. Hamby is a junior that has been converted from safety after playing there his first two seasons on campus. Hamby made just 1 tackle in 2025 and recorded no other statistics. Still, he is going to be a much better coverage option than any other linebacker. To battle for significant minutes, the lighter Hamby (listed at 208 pounds, which is 27+ pounds lighter than any LB in serious contention for playing time) will need to prove his effectiveness in the box against the run.
Jamison Curtis is a junior who redshirted as a freshman then played in 8 contests in 2025. He made a splash in the Georgia State game by blocking a punt and returning it for a TD. Curtis made 4 tackles (2 solo) in the opener then only made 4 more tackles the rest of the season. He and Howard will likely be battling for minutes, but the younger player appears to have a leg up based on last season’s usage.
Another sophomore who was an impressive recruiting win in the 2025 class is Josiah Broxton. Broxton only played 5 games a season ago and may be waiting a little longer to play with the logjam at LB. Ranked as the 84th LB in his class, he will still be battling to earn playing time, even if just on special teams.
Freshmen
Daniel Vollmer Jr is a freshman from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a 3* recruit who ranked 71st in 247Sports Composite, but 247 was lower on him than most sites. They had him at 91st internally while ESPN had him at 87th and Rivals/On3 were very high on him at 46th. He will need to add weight to match the run-stopping ability of the upper classmen, or he may fit in more like Hamby, as Vollmer currently tips the scales at 215 pounds while standing 6’2” tall. The good news is there are plenty of talented older players ahead of him, so the coaches do not need to rush him along.
The other freshman on the roster is Kene Obi. His full first name is Kenechukwu. Other than the fact he is from Gate Mills, Ohio, and went to Hawkin (247 contradicts his Vanderbilt profile page by spelling it “Hawken School”) there is next to no publicly available information on Obi. As an unranked recruit, fans should not expect to see him in any role except maybe special teams for a couple of years.
Special Teamers. Maybe.
The other two linebackers on the roster are junior Luke D’Alise and senior Ty Bartholomew. The only action for either player was Bartholomew getting into the 2024 Alcorn State game. D’Alise spent his freshman season at Miami without appearing in a game. Their best bet to be on the field is punt or kickoff coverage.
Final Verdict
Like a lot of position groups, the top end looks competitive. Longwell, Cowan, and Rinaldi are all very capable linebackers. None of them have particularly glaring weaknesses, but they do each have a specialty. Behind them, Howard, Hamby, and Curtis can do a lot of the same things, but they are more likely to be exposed if teams attack their weaknesses. As long as the top 3 can stay healthy, the next trio can be inserted to situations where they are most likely to succeed pretty safely.
