Cody Lindenburg, LB, Minnesota
Size:
Height: 6023
Weight: 236
Arm: 32 ¾”
Hand: 9”
Accomplishments:
Second-Team All-Big Ten (2024) • Three-star recruit
“Cody Lindenberg is a downhill, gap-flying linebacker who throws his body around and flashes athletic ability in coverage.”
Strengths:
Explosive downhill
Play recognition
Zone feel and movement
Communication
Concerns:
Block stack and shed
Overpursuit/missed tackles
Lateral change of direction with momentum
Film Analysis:
Cody Lindenberg was a two-way player in high school and compiled 30 receptions for 506 yards (which led the team), four touchdowns, and added 233 passing yards and 150 rushing yards. He also recorded the fourth-most tackles total on the team while playing outside linebacker for Anoka High School. The three-star athlete committed to Minnesota and spent five seasons with the Gophers, where his first two seasons were spent earning a role on special teams, and then missed most of his 2021 season due to injury. He fought back in 2022, playing in all 13 games and starting the last six of the season. He looked to be a starting off-ball linebacker in 2023 for Minnesota, but once again missed most of that season with another injury. He saved the best for last, leading the team with 94 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, and six passes defended, earning All-Big Ten honors.
At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, Linenberg looks the part of an off-ball linebacker and shows off his speed with quick downhill movements to trigger into open gaps and get in the backfield. He’s spent five seasons in college and compiled a Rolodex of information that helps with player communication and play recognition. His quick acceleration gets him to gaps, but he struggles to stack blocks from offensive linemen, locate the football, and shed quickly. He needs to work on extending his arms more against blocks, not leading with his shoulder into the lineman, and losing sight of the football. As a force defender on the play side, he does well to attack the edge and force ball carriers inside, using that outside linebacker background to his benefit. He frequently finds himself around the football, but as a pursuit defender, he overruns the ball-carrier and misses too many tackles. Squaring up more consistently will improve the tackling numbers. He operates best sifting through traffic and getting into the backfield, where he can use his speed to impact the run game.
Lindenberg looks comfortable in coverage with proper depth and smooth movements, recognizing route concepts and keeping his eyes on the quarterback. He’s quick to drop into coverage when mugged up and dropping, and displays good backpedal to get into place. He’s a good athlete, but when moving with momentum laterally, he struggles to change directly quickly and accelerate. He’s a high-energy pursuit player, which can work against him in coverage, but he has the tools to succeed in coverage with his football IQ and how he reads and reacts to the quarterback's eyes.
He’s got good arm length and timing, which shows up in pass deflections in space and leaping to make tackles. He can play man against tight ends and running backs, but quick movements will put him in trail technique where he doesn’t want to be. Minnesota used his past experience as a pass rusher in obvious passing situations and lined him up on the edge, where he flashed some pass-rush moves. Having two full seasons of playing time as an off-ball linebacker due to injury and learning the position makes Lindenberg an intriguing upside player, even in his fifth year.
Lindenberg projects as a WILL linebacker in the NFL with his coverage upside and pursuit of the football in the run game. If he can improve his ability to stack and shed in the run game, he’ll be a more complete linebacker.
Prospect Projection: Day 2 — Adequate Starter
Written By: Daniel Harms
Exposures: Illinois (2024), Penn State (2024), Michigan (2024), USC (2024)
