Ole Miss LB Ashanti Cistrunk Among Top 5 Highest-Graded Returning SEC Linebackers in 2023
OXFORD, Miss. -- After recently highlighting the top returning edge rushers in the Southeastern Conference this fall, Pro Football Focus released the rankings for the 10 highest-graded linebackers returning to the SEC on Monday. The Ole Miss Rebels had one linebacker make the list, senior Ashanti Cistrunk, who came in as the fourth-best player at his position in the SEC with a PFF grade of 76.4.
PFF grades are determined on a play-by-play basis and quantify how much an individual player "contributes to production" on every snap.
Missouri Tigers linebacker Chad Bailey leads all returning SEC players at his position with a grade of 84.2, followed by fellow Missouri Tiger Ty'ron Harper (77.4), LSU Tiger Harold Perkins (77.1), Arkansas Razorback Chris Paul Jr. (76.2), Texas A&M Aggie Jurriente Davis (75.3), Arkansas Razorback Jaheim Thomas (74.7), Alabama Crimson Tide Deontae Lawson (74.3), Florida Gator Mannie Nunnery (74.2), and Georgia Bulldog Jamon Dumas-Johnson (72.6).
Cistrunk cracks the top 5 after recording 72 total tackles, 3.5 TFLs, one sack, one pass breakup, and one forced fumble in 2022. The Louisville, Miss., native appeared in all 13 games last fall for Ole Miss.
Cistrunk is one of four senior Ole Miss linebackers competing for snaps in Pete Golding's new defense including former transfers Khari Coleman (TCU), Monty Montgomery (Louisville), and Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste (UCF).
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