Shadarius Toodle

Physical Profile

Toodle carries elite positional size at a reported 6-foot-4, 230 pounds — among the biggest linebacker frames either Auburn or Georgia has pursued in recent cycles, and a clear notch above the converted-safety body types most programs now recruit at the position. The athletic foundation backs up the mass: a multi-sport standout who set a school shot put record (explosive lower-half, hip torque) and clocked 11.5-second 100-meter times, which is functional long speed for a 230-pounder. The length and play strength let him stack and shed SEC offensive linemen at the second level, and the frame still has room to add another 10-15 pounds without losing range — projecting cleanly to a 235-245 college playing weight.

Play Style

A throwback, downhill MIKE who plays with physicality and intent. On film he's a sure, wrap-up tackler who arrives with bad intentions and finishes through contact, using his shot-put strength to stack-and-shed at the point of attack. He's at his best flowing to the ball between the tackles and as a designed pass rusher, where his size and first-step quickness create mismatches against backs and tight ends in protection. The interception total (8 career) shows ball awareness and instincts despite the heavy frame. He sets the defensive tone vocally and isn't a coverage liability so much as a coverage projection — his game is built on density, leverage and effort.

Strengths

• Production at volume — 157 tackles, 13 TFL and 2 sacks as a junior, capping a 492-tackle, 8-INT, 12-sack varsity career and two-time first-team All-State honors; this is a four-year tackle machine, not a projection bet.
• Size-quickness combination that unlocks scheme versatility: evaluators credit him with enough burst to play both true Mike and as a third-down edge/pass-rush piece, giving a defensive coordinator a movable chess piece rather than a one-gap thumper.
• Motor, toughness and vocal leadership — coaches describe a player who 'doesn't quit' and 'doesn't shy from anything,' and he models his game after Fred Warner and Ray Lewis, both tone-setting communicators. Combined with his shot-put-caliber play strength, he's a violent, finishing tackler in the box.

Areas to Improve

• Coverage range and fluidity in space — at 230+ pounds his value is downhill, and the questions at the next level will be hip flexibility, change of direction, and matching backs/tight ends in man coverage. Refining zone-drop spacing and pass-pattern reading is the difference between a two-down run-stopper and a three-down SEC starter.
• Pad level and processing speed at the snap — bigger linebackers can play tall and get caught in trash; cleaning up his keys/diagnosis to play faster between the tackles, plus pass-rush hand technique if he's used on the edge, are the primary developmental levers.

College Projection

A developmental redshirt-then-rotation timeline is realistic given SEC linebacker depth — Georgia's own evaluators acknowledged he wouldn't be a Year 1 contributor behind their room, and the same logic applies at Auburn. Expect early special-teams impact (his size and motor translate immediately to coverage units), situational pass-rush snaps as a sub-package edge by Year 2, and a path to an every-down starting Mike role by Years 3-4 as his coverage and processing catch up to his physical readiness. The floor is a high-effort core special-teamer and rotational run-down 'backer; the ceiling is a multi-year SEC defensive signal-caller.

NFL Outlook

As a four-star with rare size and four years of elite production, Toodle has a legitimate Day 2-3 developmental draft profile if his coverage versatility develops on schedule. The size-strength-motor base is the kind teams bet on; the swing variable is whether he proves he can cover enough to be a three-down player or settles in as a two-down run thumper and core special-teamer. NFL comparison archetype: a heavier, more downhill linebacker in the mold he idolizes (the Ray Lewis-style box presence) rather than a sideline-to-sideline coverage 'backer. Draftable upside, with the grade ultimately tied to third-down value.

Best Fit

A physical, gap-sound SEC front that wants a big, downhill MIKE and is willing to deploy him as a hybrid blitzer/edge on passing downs — precisely the role both Auburn and Georgia projected for him. He maximizes in a scheme that keeps him attacking forward (run downs, A/B-gap blitzes, sub-package rush) and protects him in coverage early with zone-heavy concepts, while developing his man-coverage chops over time. Pairing him with a rangier coverage linebacker lets him do what he does best — strike and finish in the box — without exposing his current coverage limitations.