ESPN featured some rankings battles for the 2024 class, and one included current No. 1 linebacker for the site, Sammy Brown:
Linebacker
No. 1 Sammy Brown vs No. 2 Justin Williams Scouting Brown (ESPN No. 12; Clemson commit): Brown seems to excel at everything as a multi-sport star. He's a track standout at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds and it translates to football, where he reached a max speed of 21 mph on film. He's a two-time state champion wrestler and a five-star, two-way producer on the gridiron. Brown rushed for more than 2,000 yards and made over 150 tackles on defense.
Scouting Williams (ESPN No. 14; Georgia commit): Ball carriers try to run away from Williams, but they can't hide. He's a competitive player and elite runner, measuring at nearly 22 mph in game play. He clocked one of the best 40 times (4.44) of any player, regardless of position, at the Houston UC Elite camp this past offseason. Williams is a fluid, lengthy player that needs to continue to fill out, but can make plays as a pass rusher, in coverage and be a sideline-to-sideline presence.
Why we rank Brown higher: Picking one seems cruel considering only two spots separate these players. Brown gets the slight edge because he's more filled out and ready physically. Both are versatile. Brown fits more as an inside linebacker and Williams is more of an edge player, so from that perspective, they both rank at the top of their respective positions.