Rankings / Football
District 5-6A Linebacker Rankings — Week 5: Dillon Collins Was a Heat-Seeking Missile in Hebron’s Win
Linebacker might be one of the most difficult positions to evaluate strictly through a stat sheet.
Sacks and tackles for loss matter, but so do the plays that never become explosive because a linebacker diagnosed them early. Coverage matters. Closing speed matters. Taking on blocks matters. And when quarterbacks escape the pocket, having somebody in the middle of the defense capable of erasing space can completely change a game.
District 5-6A had several examples of that in Week 5.
Lewisville’s linebackers helped suffocate Marcus in a 40-7 victory, limiting the Marauders to just 83 rushing yards and 219 total yards. Guyer overwhelmed Wakeland 35-7, while Hebron survived Little Elm 24-21 in one of the district’s closest games of the week.
But after evaluating the film, nobody affected his game in more different ways than Hebron linebacker Dillon Collins.
Collins played like a heat-seeking missile in the middle of the Hawks’ defense.
By Branden Northern
DUB Sports Media
· September 27, 2026
1. Dillon Collins — Hebron | LB
Run Defense: B | Pass Defense: A | Overall: A+
Dillon Collins flashed in every quarter against Little Elm.
That consistency ultimately separated him from an impressive linebacker group. Collins wasn’t simply collecting tackles after plays reached him. He repeatedly inserted himself into the action, whether that meant attacking the run, covering in space or becoming an unexpected source of pressure.
His biggest impact came as the game evolved.
Little Elm stayed within striking distance throughout Hebron’s 24-21 win, and when the Lobos were forced to turn to their backup quarterback, their passing game began creating some momentum. Hebron wasn’t consistently overwhelming the pocket with its traditional pass rush, so Collins became part of the solution.
He was relentless.
Even when Collins initially dropped into zone coverage, once the quarterback broke contain or extended the play, No. 3 attacked. His closing speed allowed him to erase space rapidly, and he repeatedly made the quarterback uncomfortable rather than allowing scrambles to develop into easy explosive plays.
Collins recorded a sack, generated multiple quarterback hurries and delivered several physical hits. He also showed the range to play sideline to sideline and enough coverage ability to remain effective when Hebron didn’t send him after the quarterback.
His run-defense grade was solid rather than dominant, but his overall impact went well beyond traditional run fits. His coverage, pressure, range, physicality and relentless four-quarter motor changed the game.
In a three-point win, Collins consistently provided the type of defensive play Hebron needed.
He earned the highest overall film grade of the evaluation.
2. Tyler Paul — Little Elm | LB | 2028
Run Defense: A+ | Pass Defense: B- | Overall: A
If Collins produced the most impactful overall performance, Tyler Paul may have played the cleanest traditional linebacker game.
Paul’s instincts stood out almost immediately.
Against Hebron, he consistently read his keys correctly, flowed toward the football without unnecessary movement and arrived under control. By the film evaluation, Paul didn’t miss a tackle, an impressive accomplishment considering how frequently he found himself around the football.
His run defense was the best part of his performance.
Paul played downhill, produced multiple tackles for loss and showed the physicality to finish once he reached the ball carrier. But his best play may have been his first-half fumble recovery.
The ball came loose away from him, and Paul reacted almost immediately. From roughly six or seven yards away, he recognized what had happened, closed on the football and recovered it.
That’s linebacker instinct.
His pass-coverage evaluation wasn’t as strong as his work against the run, keeping him just below Collins overall. But as a pure linebacker prospect, Paul looked extremely natural.
Clean eyes. Good technique. Physical tackling. Excellent instincts. Sideline-to-sideline athleticism.
Little Elm suffered its first loss of the season, falling 24-21, but Paul looked like a linebacker whose game can translate beyond the high-school level.
3. Devin Robinson — Lewisville | LB
Run Defense: A- | Pass Defense: B+ | Overall: A
Devin Robinson gave Lewisville something every defense wants at linebacker: speed.
Operating primarily as the strong-side linebacker against Marcus, Robinson was frequently asked to play in space. That meant dealing with tight ends, slot receivers and outside runs while still remaining involved in Lewisville’s traditional run fits.
He handled the assignment extremely well.
Robinson repeatedly prevented Marcus from getting the football cleanly to the perimeter. When runs threatened to bounce outside, his speed allowed him to close the alley and eliminate angles before they became explosive opportunities.
That mattered against a Marcus rushing attack that entered the matchup capable of creating problems.
Lewisville ultimately held Marcus to only 83 rushing yards on 29 carries — 2.9 yards per attempt — in a 40-7 victory.
Robinson was a major part of that effort.
He also looked comfortable carrying tight ends and slot receivers through space and consistently prevented short completions from becoming easy yards after the catch.
What separated Robinson was his range.
There weren’t many places on the field he couldn’t reach. He played sideline to sideline, tackled in space and gave Lewisville a linebacker capable of matching modern spread concepts without sacrificing much against the run.
4. Javar Curington — Lewisville | LB
Run Defense: A | Pass Defense: B | Overall: B+
Where Robinson provided range from the strong side, Javar Curington brought the physicality in the middle.
Curington operated more like Lewisville’s traditional Mike linebacker, and his strength immediately showed up against Marcus.
He was stout taking on blocks, attacked gaps decisively and wasn’t afraid to meet ball carriers with force. When offensive linemen reached the second level, Curington showed the strength to engage them without immediately being displaced and the ability to disengage and continue toward the football.
He also played faster than a stereotypical downhill Mike.
Curington pursued plays outside the box and showed enough range to prevent interior runs from becoming chunk gains once they escaped the first level.
The result was a dominant defensive performance for Lewisville. Marcus managed just seven points, 83 rushing yards and 219 total offensive yards.
Curington’s pass defense wasn’t as impressive as his work against the run, but he didn’t need to be a coverage specialist to affect this particular matchup.
Lewisville needed somebody controlling the middle.
Curington did exactly that.
5. Drew Dickinson — Guyer | LB | 2028
Run Defense: B+ | Pass Defense: C+ | Overall: B
Drew Dickinson brought physicality to the center of Guyer’s defense in a 35-7 win over Wakeland.
The junior played downhill and consistently showed up when plays threatened to escape Guyer’s front.
That was especially noticeable when the quarterback broke contain. If Guyer’s edge rushers forced the quarterback to move without actually finishing the play, Dickinson frequently became the cleanup man.
His closing speed prevented scrambles from turning into explosives.
Against the traditional run game, Dickinson was physical, decisive and willing to deliver contact. He played sideline to sideline and showed a good understanding of when to attack rather than simply waiting for the football to reach him.
He also produced as a pass rusher.
Dickinson recorded one of Guyer’s three sacks against Wakeland, joining Zane Rowe and Khyren Haywood with one apiece.
His traditional pass-coverage work wasn’t as strong as the rest of his evaluation, which ultimately pushed him below Curington in the final ranking.
But Dickinson’s downhill ability, tackling, quarterback pursuit and physicality against the run still gave Guyer a productive presence in the middle of a defense that allowed only seven points.
District 5-6A’s Week 5 linebacker evaluation ultimately came down to different versions of the position.
Tyler Paul looked like the most natural traditional linebacker of the group, earning an A+ against the run with disciplined eyes, excellent instincts and consistent tackling.
Devin Robinson offered range and versatility in space. Javar Curington provided Lewisville with a physical presence in the middle, while Drew Dickinson helped Guyer control Wakeland with downhill physicality and added a sack.
But Dillon Collins affected more areas of the game than anyone else evaluated.
He covered. He tackled. He pressured the quarterback. He chased plays sideline to sideline. And when Little Elm threatened to create momentum late, Collins repeatedly appeared around the football.
Hebron needed every bit of it in a 24-21 win.
Through Week 5, Dillon Collins sits atop the District 5-6A linebacker rankings.
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