Lavonte David, Senior, Linebacker, Nebraska
Overview:
Before bursting onto the national scene at Nebraska, Lavonte David spent a couple very successful years in the junior college ranks. His early career culminated in the 2009 Junior College national championship game. The 6-1 linebacker had already had a superb season, ranking among the conference leaders in total tackles and tackles-for-loss. The championship game did not go well for Fort Scott Community College, but David was named the Defensive MVP of the Game despite the losing effort against Cam Newton and Blinn Junior College.
David was expected to make an impact once he arrived in Lincoln, but few expected him to have as great of a year as he did in 2010. David led the Cornhuskers with 152 tackles and added 15.0 tackles-for-loss, 6.0 sacks, seven quarterback hurries and ten pass break-ups. Those are some very, very impressive numbers.
Final Projection:
The NFL will want to see David do it again at this level. David was named a first-team or second-team All-American in 2010 by just about everybody, but at 6-1 and 210 pounds, scouts still need to figure out where he fits in the NFL. He can certainly get to the quarterback, but some project him as a strong safety. At the least, David will be one versatile outside linebacker who can fit into just about any NFL defensive scheme.
1/5/12 Update:
David had another superb season, helping hold together a Nebraska defense that was often without some of its other stars, most notably cornerback Alfonzo Dennard and defensive tackle Jared Crick. David tallied 133 tackles and forced three fumbles. He was not just a sure tackler, David also made some huge plays that likely gave the Cornhuskers a couple victories. If a team likes him as an outside linebacker, he could be off the board in the second round.
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