2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Ruben Hyppolite II, LB, Maryland

Player Data

Name, Jersey #	Ruben Hyppolite II, #4
School (Code)	University of Maryland (MDUN)
Class Yr	Redshirt Senior
Height, Weight	6-0, 232 pounds
40 Yd Dash	4.73 seconds
Position/Depth	Starting Will LB
Honors/Captainship	2024 Butkus Award Watch List, 2023 Third-Team All-Big Ten, 2023 Team Captain
Season Viewed (yr)	2023
Games Watched	MDUN vs. Auburn (2024), MDUN v Nebraska (2023), MDUN vs. UConn (2023)
Scout Name / Date	Nikhil Mehta, 8/29/2024

Per Year Stats (Most Recent First)

2023	13 games, 13 starts, 66 total tackles (47 solo, 19 ast), 2.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 PD
2022	9 games, 8 starts, 24 total tackles (9 solo, 15 ast), 1 PD
2021	13 games, 12 starts, 62 total tackles (39 solo. 23 ast), 2 TFL, 2 PD, 1 FF

Player Summary:

Ruben Hyppolite is the starting WILL linebacker in Maryland’s 4-2-5 defensive scheme, a role he has held for  most of the last three seasons. He has solid height and solid weight, but a lean build. He has good athleticism – in particular, his speed, acceleration, agility, and lateral quickness – but only adequate balance and play strength. Hyppolite is a good sideline-to-sideline tackler who takes good pursuit angles to ball carriers and stays patient as a backside defender. He is a willing and physical tackler who explodes downhill, but is susceptible to missing tackles by losing his footing. He is disciplined in run defense, staying within his assignment and forcing cutbacks. He can be slow to react off the snap and diagnose developing plays, especially QB options, allowing blockers to climb to him rather than engaging closer to the line of scrimmage. Hyppolite displays good agility to evade blockers at the second level, but struggles to disengage once they latch onto him due to his lack of size and play strength. He displays better instincts against the pass, with active eyes and smooth footwork in zone coverage, though crossing patterns and mesh concepts can get him out of position. Hyppolite has the athleticism to turn and run with tight ends, but struggles to match their physicality at the catch point. He is good at mirroring RBs running routes out of the backfield. As a blitzer, he looks for open lanes rather than beating blockers due to his lack of functional strength and pass rush moves. Hyppolite does display some explosive pop as he moves downhill, but his tackling technique isn’t sound and results in too many missed tackles. 

Scheme Fit:

WLB 

Power Statement:

Hyppolite is a rangy, athletic linebacker who is at his best when he can play downhill or towards the sidelines, but his lack of functional strength and limited play recognition rarely puts him in that role. He is smooth in zone coverage, but lacks upside as a blitzer and will struggle to match up with NFL tight ends. He should be viewed as a developmental sideline-to-sideline run defender who needs solid defensive line play in front of him to make plays downhill.