With two of the three starting linebacker spots taken by sophomore Zaire Franklin and junior Marqez Hodge, the battle for the third is leaning in favor of another sophomore. Parris Bennett, who made four tackles in eight games last year, has the edge over sophomore Jonathan Thomas and senior Oliver Vigille, head coach Scott Shafer said at his Wednesday press conference.
“We’ve got a little bit of a battle going on between those guys,” Shafer said. “Parris probably is a little bit ahead of both those guys as we speak today.”
Shafer said Bennett is the best athlete of the three, Thomas has the fastest straight-line speed and Vigille is versatile and has been playing more inside the box.