Oliver Hoyte ILB 6'3 245 North Carolina St.
By: Robert Davis

On a very talented Wolfpack defense, Hoyte was the glue and the leader in the middle. Despite only having one start as a freshman, he had 51 tackles, three for loss, and a sack. He moved into the starting lineup full time as a sophomore, and finished the year with 97 tackles, eight of them for loss. Hoyte was again a rock in the middle as a junior, finishing with 93/14.5/1.5. As a senior, he tallied 79 tackles, 8.5 for loss, and a sack.

Hoyte is the classic run stuffing middle linebacker. He has great size, is very strong, and is aggressive attacking the line in run support. He is stout at the point of attack, can shed the block, and bring down the ball carrier. He is a true student of the game, and it shows with his on field intelligence. He reads and reacts very quickly, and is a leader on defense.

Hoyte just does not have the physical ability to do anything other than stuff the run. He does not have the athleticism, agility, or speed to cover down the field. He needs to be kept in the middle and stop the plays that happen in front of him.

With his upside only as a two down run stuffer, Hoyte will not bring a great deal of value on draft day. His intelligence ability to stuff the run will command attention on Day Two.