2012 Season Countdown: #60 Antonio Poole

Antonio Poole

Name: Antonio Poole
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 212 lbs.
High school: Cincinnati (OH) Wintin Woods
Position: Weakside linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #40
Last year: I ranked Poole #73 and said he would be a backup linebacker.  He redshirted.

As you can see from last year's post and from his high school recruitment, I like Poole as a player.  He's more of a downhill, blitzing linebacker than a read-and-react type of guy.  He was very light as a true freshman at only 212 lbs. or so, and that was one of the things that kept him off the field.  The other factors were guys named Brandon Herron, Brandin Hawthorne, and Desmond Morgan, each of whom earned starts at WILL before Morgan locked down the job.

Recently, it was noted by a reader that Poole suffered a torn biceps while doing off-season weightlifting.  Poole had been running as the #2 weakside linebacker in the spring and even got some snaps at the MIKE position, but a torn biceps typically knocks a guy out for a full season.  It looks like we'll have to wait yet another year to see Poole on the field.  With Kenny Demens graduating after 2012 and the possibility that Morgan will be sliding over to MIKE, Poole should have a chance to compete for the starting WILL spot in 2013.

Prediction: Bench player while recovering from injury