Scouting Braylon Hodge, Oregon's new commit at inside linebacker

The Ducks used to have terrors in the middle. In four seasons Troy Dye racked up 397 tackles and intercepted five passes. As a senior Kiko Alonso made 81 tackles and picked off four.

These guys were athletic and determined. Both won Rose Bowls and went on to long careers in the NFL.

In most cases, a defense is only as good as the talent and tenacity at inside linebacker. That's where the pace is set and a unit gets its identity and gritty heart.

Linebackers have to be athletic, mobile and love contact, a potent blend of effort and talent. So it made it a pretty good day when the Ducks got a commitment today from four-star linebacker Braylon Hodge, 6-3, 215 from Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colorado, the school that brought the Ducks Blake Purchase.

Hodge is a riser, the No. 260 recruit in the 2026 class and No. 15 linebacker in the 247Sports Composite. He choose the Ducks over Michigan and Texas.

His film shows promise, particularly the senior film of his first four games. He patrols the field from middle linebacker. In the first clip he ranges to the right side to meet a stretch play, slides past the blocking and meets the ball carrier three yards in the backfield, driving him to the ground with a perfect form tackle.

In the second he stands up a blocker in the hole off tackle, sheds him and knocks the ball carrier back at the line of scrimmage.

At 19 seconds he shoots a gap and destroys a running play with another form tackle, finishing the play, recognizing it from film study like he was in the huddle.

At :25 he lines up at edge, swoops in unblocked and chases down the quarterback running away from him for a five-yard loss. He's aggressive and physical, decisive and smart.

At :37 it's a pass play. He reads the quarterback's eyes and steps in front of a pass for an interception, plucking it out of the air.

Next comes an outside zone read keeper. Hodge flows with the play and steps up, driving the quarterback into the ground, shoulder right through the solar plexus.

Lining up outside he chips the tight end, covers him, then pursues up the field to stop a pass play and limit the yards after catch. He plays like every yard is his personal responsibility, setting the tone for his unit.

He has the knack of getting skinny and sliding past blockers, squaring up to meet the ball carrier in the gap. At the goal line, he defeats the center, steps up into the hole to stop the runner for no gain.

He moves well laterally and sifts through the play, embraces contact, delivers the blow. He ignores the window dressing and seeks out the ball.

He's reading and reacting beautifully in these highlights, often in motion at the snap to the point of attack, often a split-second ahead as the play develops.

Hodge possesses the instincts and the habits, the love of contact to be a playmaker in college football once he fills out and adjusts to the size and strength of FBS linemen and the speed of play. The desire and coachability make him an outstanding prospect, possessing the raw material the Ducks need to take their defense to the next level.

In the Cherry Creek product and Ventura High's Tristan Phillips the Ducks have two linebacker commitments with the agility and intensity to anchor a Top 5 defense, provided they stay committed to their development. At 6-3 and 6-4 they've got the ranginess and physicality.

With a year in Wilson Love's weight room, Duck fans are looking at the foundation of a next-level linebacker corps, the raw material to develop like Alonso and Dye. Their high school film shows some of the same traits.