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#53 Blake Slaughter |
Position: Linebacker Previous College: None Projection: Starter Status: On Scholarship |
Blake Slaughter (b. March 14, 1990) is one of my favorite players simply because he has one of the greatest football names of all time, especially for a linebacker. It reminds me of an Iron Maiden song.
He also made a brilliant decision last season. Realizing he wasn't likely to see much playing time behind Arthur Brown, Jarell Childs, Justin Tuggle and Tre Walker, Slaughter elected to redshirt and provide leadership in 2013.
His decision was wise in light of his statistical drop-off in 2011.
After a stellar sophomore season in which he started four games, had 47 total tackles, and posted two sacks and two tackles for loss, Slaughter regressed. As a junior, he had just two total tackles in 12 games.
Although a little on the short side, he makes up for it with tenaciousness and physicality. His speed is not a major drawback, although he's certainly not a burner by any stretch.
Early indications are that Slaughter, a team captain, is vying to be the starting middle linebacker for this season.