26 DAYS TO KICKOFF: Jarell Childs

#26 Jarell Childs Redshirt Senior 6-2 | 230 Kansas City, Mo. Bio

Position: Linebacker Previous College: None Projection: Second-String Status: On Scholarship

Jarell Childs (b. Jan. 4, 1990) is a rather unlucky fellow. He basically wasted his redshirt year in 2008 learning how to be a running back in Ron Prince's offense. Well, so much for that.

Then he wasted 2009 as a third-string running back who only rushed for 81 total yards that season. But finally, in 2010, it appeared as if he had found a way to contribute to the team by converting to linebacker.

He took to the position quickly, opening the season alongside Alex Hrebec as a starter in the 4-2-5 defense.

But due to injuries and other complications, neither finished the season as a starter.

Childs obviously hit a plateau because Blake Slaughter stole more and more of his snaps, plus Tre Walker was forced into duty as an undersized true freshman.

But Childs still was battling for a starting spot in the new 4-3 defense. That ended in spring 2011, when he tore his ACL. Although he appeared in 11 games, he lost his spot to Emmanuel Lamur and had just 11 tackles last year.

And now, as a redshirt senior, he normally would be expected to fill the void left by Lamur's departure. Not so fast.

During the spring, a heated battle broke out between Childs and newly converted linebacker Justin Tuggle, who appears to be adapting to the position even faster than Childs did. Most (like me) expect Tuggle to start in 2012.

That only seemed cemented after Childs missed the spring game due to — you guessed it — yet another injury.