Illinois Football 2025 Scouting Report: Outside Linebacker Leon Lowery Jr.

A veteran with five years and 40 games of college experience, Lowery brings IQ and athleticism to the Illini

Oct 5, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Leon Lowery Jr. (8) during the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Illinois on SI is delivering scouting reports for each of the key players on the Illini football team's 2025 roster. Below, we present our breakdown of Illini senior outside linebacker Leon Lowery Jr. We will add more as other on-field contributors emerge during the season. Find our scouting reports of other Illinois players by searching in your favorite browser or clicking in our projected depth chart – coming soon.

Leon Lowery Jr. | Outside linebacker | Senior | No. 9

Hometown: Elizabeth, New Jersey

High school: North Brunswick

Transfer schools: Syracuse, Wisconsin

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 255 pounds

Scouting report

A bit slimmer (255 pounds) than his outside linebacker counterparts in Gabe Jacas (275 pounds) and Joe Barna (265 pounds), Lowery is the speed yin to Jacas' and Barna’s brute-strength yang. An absurdly athletic edge rusher, Lowery is seemingly shot out of a cannon on every snap. He takes advantage of his burst and explosion to blow past offensive lineman and get consistent pressure on quarterbacks.

With excellent play recognition, Lowery knows the scouting report like the back of his hand – evident in his ability to get to running backs behind the line of scrimmage or stifle them just across it. His best attribute might be his sheer will in pursuit of ball carriers.

Experience

Lowery has played a whopping five years of college football – and is now on his third school. At age 23, he has not only a physical maturity advantage over his peers but also a mental edge. He peaked in 2023 (7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks), and after 30 games and four years at Syracuse (two of which didn’t count towards his eligibility), Lowery transferred to Wisconsin.

Last year in Madison, Lowery appeared in 12 games (10 starts) but didn't make a measurable impact (29 tackles to lead Wisconsin's outside linebackers, plus four quarterback hurries and a sack. Lowers felt he wasn't a good fit for the Badgers, and believes Illinois' 3-4 scheme will put him in better position – literally – to make the most of his abilities.

Year	Team	Games	Tackles	TFL-Yds	Sacks	INTs	Pass breakups	Forced fumbles
2024	Wisconsin	12	29	1	1.0	0	0	0
2023	Syracuse	12	46	8	3.5	0	1	0
2022	Syracuse	12	25	6	1.5	0	1	1
2021	Syracuse	2	2	0	0	0	0	0
2020	Syracuse	3	5	1	0	0	0	0

Media highlights

What they're saying

“Leon’s came in, he’s picked up on the defense. He’s very twitchy, he’s very fast [and] finishes around the ball. It’s impressive to watch. He doesn’t make mistakes and he competes. When he gets corrected on something, he fixes it the next day. And that’s huge. Being able to be coachable, not make the same mistake twice – and Leon’s very good at that," outside linebacker coach Trent Harris said during the 2025 preseason.

2025 outlook

Although Jacas – a preseason All-American candidate – is a surefire starter, the outside linebacker spot opposite him is up for grabs. It appears to be a competitive battle between Lowery, Joe Barna, Alec Bryant and Daniel Brown.

With his on-field experience, explosiveness and intelligence, Lowery already has a leg up in the competition. Regardless of who starts games, Lowery will almost certainly get a healthy enough dosage of snaps to bounce back from last season – and possibly be a big difference-maker for the Illini.

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