Chicago Bears rookie outlook: Can LB Ruben Hyppolite II harness his speed within Dennis Allen's scheme?

Chicago Tribune

10-07-2025

Chances are, many Chicago Bears fans never had heard of Ruben Hyppolite II.
When the Bears drafted Hyppolite at No. 132 in the fourth round in April, his name was relatively unknown. The Maryland linebacker wasn't among the 329 players invited to the NFL scouting combine in February.
But his name certainly was one Bears coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles were interested in.
Here's what Bears fans need to know about Hyppolite before rookies report for training camp July 19.
After not receiving an invitation to the combine, Hyppolite's pro day at Maryland took on all the more importance. The 5-foot-11, 236-pound linebacker was clocked at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash on March 28. That caught the attention of NFL talent evaluators. Among off-ball linebackers, Hyppolite's time would've been the fastest at the combine if he'd been invited.
That set off a mad dash for Hyppolite, who visited with a number of teams suddenly interested at a pretty late stage in the process. He said he took 15 flights in two weeks to make all of those meetings. One visit was to Halas Hall. His speed is exactly what new Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is looking for at linebacker.
'(Hyppolite's) a guy that is extremely smart, tough,' Poles said on draft day. 'And one thing talking with (Allen) is we want to continue to add our team speed — and he can fly.'
Hyppolite grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and played at McArthur High School in nearby Hollywood. He became a top recruit as an outside linebacker and chose to attend Maryland over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Florida State, among others.
Hyppolite appeared in 51 games for the Terrapins, and as a senior in 2024, he totaled 66 tackles, 6½ tackles for a loss, one interception and three passes defended. The numbers don't pop off the page, but he was a steady contributor over five seasons and emerged as a team captain late in his career.
Not only did Hyppolite not receive an invite to the combine, but the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl also passed on him. The Hula Bowl was his only all-star game invitation.
'For anyone who's out there who thinks that they need things like the combine, an invite to the Senior Bowl, who thinks that they need that to get drafted — you don't,' Hyppolite said. 'You've just got to put your best foot forward. You've got to run fast and be your best self every day. I feel like I'm showing that.'
Speed, obviously, is a huge part of it. Allen's defenses prioritize speedy linebackers. Hyppolite fits that bill.
The Bears parted ways with linebacker Jack Sanborn during free agency. The Lake Zurich native followed Matt Eberflus to the Dallas Cowboys. Sanborn is a smart player and a reliable tackler, but the move was a clear indication that speed is a bigger priority under the new coaching staff.
Veterans T.J. Edwards — who received a contract extension in April — and Tremaine Edmunds will remain the primary starters at linebacker. But finding a speedy third linebacker became a priority entering draft weekend.
'We need to increase our team speed and athleticism,' Allen said before the draft. 'We've got good size, but I think we can get a little bit more athletic and play the game at a little bit higher speed.'
As the Bears wrapped up mandatory minicamp in June, Johnson was asked which players stood out over the three-day camp. He highlighted four players — and one of them was Hyppolite.
Johnson commended Hyppolite's willingness to learn, even if he was swimming in the deep end, so to speak, as he learned the defensive scheme.
'There's a lot of moving parts there at linebacker play,' Johnson said. 'They're keying and diagnosing a few different details, and with (Allen's) scheme, the match mentality that we like to play a lot of our coverages with, things change quickly.
'He's done a great job adjusting to that speed as we've gone through, and that's going to have to show up once we do get the pads on. But he's been improving every single day and we're hoping that course continues.'
There's no question Hyppolite has speed. The rookie has to learn how to use it properly within Allen's scheme.
Hyppolite spent time learning various linebacker spots this spring. Edwards missed portions of the spring with an injury, which allowed Hyppolite to work with the first-team defense in place of the veteran.
'It's all about just understanding the tempo and understanding how to use (my speed) and when to use it, when to not,' Hyppolite said during the final week of organized team activities. 'So I've been able to gauge that over these six, seven weeks we've been here. It's been a great adjustment period for me. Now it's time to go full speed.'
Learning the playbook quickly will be a big factor in whether Hyppolite plays much as a rookie. As things stand, Hyppolite and third-year pro Noah Sewell are likely to be battling for the third linebacker job.
Like most NFL teams these days, the Bears spend the majority of the time with five defensive backs and only two linebackers on the field. But that third linebacker spot can be crucial against certain looks from the offense. That job previously belonged to Sanborn. Sewell has appeared in 22 games over his first two seasons but primarily on special teams.
If Hyppolite can harness his speed and come to understand instinctively what his defensive coordinator expects of him, he could find himself on the field as a rookie.