Orange and Blue News breaks down the game film on new Illini commit Antwon Hayden, three-star linebacker from East St. Louis (Ill.)

Hayden is definitely an inside linebacker at the next level, and he already has prototypical size for the position at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds with the frame to add even more muscle. He will do his best work in the box with a physical, aggressive style of play and very strong upper body. He makes plays parallel to the line of scrimmage, and you don't see ball carriers pick up yards after contact once he gets Hayden gets them in his grasp.

Inside linebackers must have the innate ability to read and react in confined spaces, diagnose the play in front him him, and find the football. Hayden has those types of instincts and football IQ. I really like how he keeps his eyes up field while making quick work of would-be blockers, either by going straight through them or using his hands to cast them off.

Hayden is a hard-hitting, wrap up tackler who can punish ball carriers. As I said, he's better in the box than in space, but you still don't see ball carriers avoiding him much in the open field. I also like how he moves in quick bursts to the ball. He'll be effective on zone blitzes up the middle.

Defending the outside run is where Hayden will likely be most vulnerable. He gets through traffic well and takes good angles, but it takes him a few steps to get up to top speed. His range is above average for a high school linebacker, but I wouldn't call him a sideline-to-sideline player per se.

We don't see Hayden dropping into coverage from the linebacker position on his film. I'm told he plays a LB/DB hybrid position at times, and that he does have good cover skills.