Pac-12 Football: Ranking the Most Dynamic Defensive Players so Far This Year
It should come as no surprise that Pac-12 offenses are soaring once again in 2014 behind dynamic quarterbacks, breakthrough running backs and a host of other points-scoring weapons.
But the league also boasts the strongest collection of defensive talent in recent years, something that may be going relatively unnoticed in today's how-fast-can-you-light-up-the-scoreboard game.
The top three sack leaders in the country hail from the Pac-12. There are at least four or five linebackers who will be starting in the NFL someday. When you consider these offenses having to go up against the Oregon's and Arizona State's of the college football world, the production becomes all the more impressive.
We're taking a look now at the most dynamic defensive players so far this year. Tons of names were considered and only five were chosen. NFL potential and physical attributes have no weight; this is all about how players have performed this season and what kind of impact they've made on the field in 2014.
Click ahead to check out the five most dynamic defensive players in the Pac-12 thus far, and let us know who's missing or who could jump on to the list by the end of the season!
All stats via cfbstats.com. Just missed: DE Leonard Williams, LB Su'a Cravens, DT Danny Shelton, S Erick Dargan
5) LB Shaq Thompson, Washington
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Ignoring what linebacker Shaq Thompson has contributed to the Washington offense by taking on an extra shift as a running back, the athletic junior has been one of the most impressive players in the country in 2014.
Because this is an article on defensive players, Thompson checks in at the five spot. Were we to include the entire body of work on both sides of the ball, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better all-around athlete in the Pac-12.
That's not meant to downplay his defensive skills, however, as there is no better big-play guy on defense than Thompson. His stats are decent, with 57 tackles on the season and two for loss. But what separates him from most other linebackers is his ability to change games in an instant.
Not only has he broken up three passes and forced two fumbles, but he's returned three loose footballs all the way back for touchdowns, including a 99-yarder against Cal that shifted the entire momentum of the game early on. He also has a 36-yard pick-six which came in a 44-19 victory over Illinois.
He is as pure a football player as you'll find in the game, and his athleticism allows coaches to utilize him all over the field on defense. He hits hard and thrives in stopping the run but has the speed to cover tight ends and even the occasional wide receiver. Thompson has easily been one of the five best defensive players in the Pac-12 so far.
4) LB Eric Kendricks, UCLA
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Coming into 2014, linebacker Myles Jack was the player on UCLA's defense who everyone had circled as the can't-miss prospect after he had a sensational freshman season. That hasn't changed, but his partner in crime at linebacker, Eric Kendricks, is having a whale of a season.
Let's start with the numbers, which are a good way of measuring effort on defense.
Stats can sometimes lie, but tackles often show who gets to the ball the quickest and makes the play before giving up further yards. For example, the nation's leading tackler in 2011 was Luke Kuechly with a whopping 191, more than 30 ahead of the next player. You're probably aware of what the NFL thinks of him so far.
But back to business, where Kendricks leads the Pac-12 with 110 tackles, a number that also ranks 4th in the country and is tied with Texas linebacker Jordan Hicks for best among the power-five conference players. Kendricks' 77 solo tackles are the most in college football.
In addition, Kendricks has two passes broken up, a forced fumble and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. Six of his tackles were for loss, with two being recorded as sacks.
When you watch Kendricks play, he's almost always near the ball. In 10 games, he has eight with double-digit tackles.
In short, when a play is there to be made, Kendricks makes it. There are never any missed tackles and he's rarely out of position, making him not only one of the best players in the conference but likely a first- or second-round draft pick in the 2015 NFL draft as well.
3) Scooby Wright III, Arizona
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At No. 3, you'll find a player who was relatively unknown outside of Tucson heading into 2014, in part because he's only a sophomore. As a freshman, linebacker Scooby Wright III had 83 tackles—nine for loss—to go along with an interception.
As a sophomore, Wright has gone from a solid linebacker to perhaps the league's best, which makes you wonder what's in store for 2015 and 2016, and that's if the NFL doesn't lasso him forward to Sundays.
In nine games, Wright has 107 tackles and an incredible five forced fumbles. One of those was at the expense of Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, which helped seal the game for the Wildcats.
Of his 107 tackles, 20.5 are for loss, and he also has 12 sacks. Those would be mind-boggling numbers for a premier defensive end, yet they showcase Wright's dynamic abilities as a linebacker. He's second in the country in tackles for loss and third in sacks.
One of his best games came in a loss at UCLA in which he had 19 tackles and helped hold the explosive Bruins' offense to just 17 points. Holding the Ducks to 24 might be an even greater feat for the defense, and it would not have happened without Wright.
He's quickly become one of the Pac-12 top defensive players and has definitely been one of the more dynamic guys in 2014.
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2) DE Nate Orchard, Utah
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One of the biggest catalysts for Utah's success in 2014 has been the dominant play of the defensive line. The Utes have 43 sacks for an average of almost five per game, and headlining the group is defensive end Nate Orchard, a 6'4" 255-pound senior who's really come into his own.
Orchard has 13 sacks—good for second in the country—and 15.5 tackles for loss. In a win at UCLA, Orchard had four sacks and was virtually unblockable for large stretches of the game. Had anyone other than Brett Hundley been playing quarterback, the dominant defensive end might have recorded historic stats.
The most impressive aspect of Orchard's tale is his improvement from last season. As a junior, he played Robin to Trevor Reilly's Batman and posted a respectable three sacks. With Reilly gone, the line figured to regress a tad, but instead, Orchard has galvanized the entire unit into becoming one of the nation's best.
Another characteristic of Orchard's play is his relentlessness, something that must be secretly added to the food at the Utes athletic facility because it seems to be a common trait. You'll occasionally see great college players pick and choose their spots, but Orchard never looks lost on a play.
If it weren't for the next player on our list having one of the all-time great defensive campaigns, Orchard would own the top spot. As it is, he should be on the short list for a variety of postseason awards.
1) DE/OLB Hau'oli Kikaha, Washington
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What Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is to offense, Washington linebacker/defensive end Hau'oli Kikaha is to defense, so there shouldn't have been any doubt as to whose name would appear in the final slide.
Kikaha was a name you probably should have known about after a 2013 season in which he posted 13 sacks and 70 tackles. Still, players like Leonard Williams continued to receive the lion's share of the headlines. While Williams' play has been special and he's deserved the accolades, Kikaha is knocking 2014 out of the park.
He leads in the nation in sacks with 16.5. He leads in the nation in tackles for loss with 22.5. He's forced two fumbles, broken up two passes and has 57 tackles in total.
Then there's the consistency. Kikaha has at least one sack in every game this season, with a high of three coming against Cal.
Before the Huskies' matchup at Oregon, Kikaha talked about how his respect for Mariota might result in him being the first signal-caller that he helps up following a sack. He had 2.5 and true to his word, he helped Mariota up.
At 6'3", 246 pounds, Kikaha has that in-between size that might give NFL teams pause about drafting him, but his production should bludgeon that notion rather quickly. Kikaha, in all likelihood, will be the first-team defensive end or outside linebacker on every national team following the season, and he's been the most dynamic defender in the Pac-12 in 2014.
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