Top College Football Defenses with Biggest Holes to Fill in Spring Practice
Even the top defenses in college football have holes to fill next season—and some more desperately than others.
The first step to filling those holes is developing players in spring camp. Now is when promising youngsters or veteran career backups are asked to make the leap into something more. It's when coaches do the most actual coaching.
The following teams finished with a top-15 defense last season, per the F/+ ratings at Football Outsiders, but have at least one glaring hole to fill this spring. In most cases, that hole is the product of attrition, as the players responsible for earning a top-15 ranking have departed for the NFL. But in some cases, returning players simply underperformed.
The seven top-15 defenses that didn't make this list (Ohio State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Marshall, Virginia Tech, Florida and Penn State) have losses to deal with also, but their problems have clearer answers than those of the eight listed teams.
Sound off below and let us know what you think.
Alabama
1 of 8
Where's the Hole?
In the secondary. Cyrus Jones will start at cornerback, and Geno Smith will likely start at safety, but the other cornerback spot is up for grabs (again), and the departures of Landon Collins, Nick Perry and Jarrick Williams have left the depth chart bare at safety.
Who Will Compete in Spring Practice?
At cornerback, disappointing veterans Eddie Jackson (who tore his ACL last spring, returned to the lineup in the fall but underwhelmed) and Bradley Sylve will try to hold off sophomore Tony Brown and redshirt freshman Marlon Humphrey. Brown (No. 9 overall) and Humphrey (No. 12 overall) were 5-star recruits in the 2014 class.
At safety, sophomore Hootie Jones has the inside track to replace Collins, but senior Jabriel Washington and freshman early enrollees Deionte Thompson and Ronnie Harrison will push him in spring camp.
Any Reinforcements If They Fail?
At safety, not really. At cornerback, definitely.
Five-star prospects Kendall Sheffield and Minkah Fitzpatrick will join the chaos this summer, and both have the talent to start if Jackson, Brown, Sylve and Humphrey underperform. Cornerback is a position where, historically, 5-star freshmen make an impact.
Clemson
2 of 8
Where's the Hole?
In the front seven. Clemson loses All-American defensive end Vic Beasley, All-ACC defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, All-ACC linebacker Stephone Anthony and fellow starters Tony Steward (outside linebacker) and Corey Crawford (defensive end). Even though it played a lot of bodies, and thus developed decent depth behind them, that's a lot of production to lose in one offseason.
Who Will Compete in Spring Practice?
Shaq Lawson will start at defensive end, but that's the only given. Senior D.J. Reader is a favorite to start at tackle, but he's no lock after a disappointing season. He, junior Carlos Watkins, sophomore Scott Pagano and early enrollees Albert Huggins and Sterling Johnson will compete for snaps on the interior, while juniors Kevin Dodd and Martin Aiken will battle sophomore Ebenezer Ogundeko opposite Lawson.
At linebacker, Dorian O'Daniel should start on the strong side, and Ben Boulware has experience playing both on the weak side and in the middle. Where he lines up will depend on how the other linebackers—namely senior B.J. Goodson—develop during spring camp. Keep an eye on 4-star early enrollee Chad Smith, too.
Any Reinforcements If They Fail?
Smith is the only freshman linebacker expected to contribute, but on the defensive line—yeah, you could say there's reinforcements.
Five-star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, 4-star defensive ends Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant and 3-star defensive end LaSamuel Davis are all set to join the team this summer and compete for early playing time.
Georgia
3 of 8
Where's the Hole?
At inside linebacker. Both Ramik Wilson and Amarlo Herrera were two-year starters up the middle. Each posted back-to-back 100-tackle seasons, with Wilson (243 total tackles) slightly outperforming Herrera (227 total tackles) but Herrera flashing more versatility.
Who Will Compete in Spring Practice?
Juniors Reggie Carter and Tim Kimbrough backed up Wilson and Herrera last season and will get the first shot to replace them. If they stumble, a motley crew of contenders highlighted by UAB transfer Jake Ganus (who can also play outside linebacker or safety), JUCO transfer Chuks Amaechi and backups Ryne Rankin and Detric Bing-Dukes have a chance to supplant them.
Any Reinforcements If They Fail?
Not really. Top-50 overall player Roquan Smith (6'2", 207 lbs) has the pedigree but not the size to start inside, and 4-star freshman Gary McCrae looks like a pure edge-rusher. The only inside linebacker in the class is Juwan Taylor, a 3-star prospect whose listed size (6'2", 200 lbs) suggests he needs a few seasons to develop.
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Louisville
4 of 8
Where's the Hole?
In the secondary. Louisville loses its top five defensive backs: corners Charles Gaines, Terrell Floyd and Andrew Johnson and safeties Gerod Holliman and James Sample. Holliman tied an NCAA record with 14 interceptions last season and won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back.
Who Will Compete in Spring Practice?
At cornerback, Louisville has Georgia transfer Shaq Wiggins, who as a freshman started eight games under former Bulldogs and current Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
Wiggins and sophomores Trumaine Washington, Zykiesis Cannon and De'Eric Culver will compete to start on the outside or, potentially, at nickelback, depending on what happens to Jermaine Reve.
Reve played nickelback last season but has the potential to play safety if needed. Former 5-star recruit Josh Harvey-Clemons (another one-time Georgia starter who followed Grantham to Louisville) is favored to start at one safety spot, but Reve seems a likely choice at the other.
Sophomore Terrence Ross was supposed to compete for a starting job at safety, but Louisville suspended him indefinitely following a January arrest for felony assault of a police officer.
Any Reinforcements If They Fail?
Jaire Alexander is the only incoming cornerback, and he barely ranked inside the top 1,000 recruits. But the Cardinal also bring in Khane Pass, a top-600 overall player and top-40 safety with the frame (6'0", 195 lbs) to at least compete for a job.
LSU
5 of 8
Where's the Hole?
At defensive end. LSU leaned heavily on Danielle Hunter and Jermauria Rasco last season, developing little depth behind them. Hunter was on the fence about returning but declared for the NFL draft and left the Tigers with a massive hole on the edge.
Who Will Compete in Spring Practice?
Junior Tashawn Bower is the only returning player with meaningful experience. He's the favorite to start at one spot, while junior Lewis Neal and sophomores Sione Teuhema and Deondre Clark will battle for the other.
Any Reinforcements If They Fail?
LSU scored a much-needed late commitment from Arden Key, the No. 82 overall player in the class, and will throw him into the rotation at once. Other than that, its only defensive end signee was 3-star Isaiah Washington from nearby Edna Karr High School.
Oregon
6 of 8
Where's the Hole?
At cornerback. Seniors Ifo Ekpre-Olomu and Troy Hill started together for most of the past two seasons. One of their primary backups, Dior Mathis, was a senior in 2014 as well. Rising sophomore Chris Seisay started in the College Football Playoff after Ekpre-Olomu tore his ACL, but the other cornerback position needs a body.
Who Will Compete in Spring Practice?
Sophomore Arrion Springs was a top-100 recruit in high school and has the inside track to start. He mostly played on special teams last season, but he was the No. 2 prospect in Oregon's 2014 class, and the only one who ranked higher (running back Royce Freeman) has already become a star.
Behind Springs, Oregon lacks depth. Redshirt freshman Mattrell McGraw and early enrollee Ugo Amadi will push Springs for reps and compete to start in nickel formations. Both ranked between No. 400 and No. 500 in their respective recruiting classes.
Any Reinforcements If They Fail?
Not really. Three-star prospect Jihree Stewart, the No. 677 overall player in the class, is the only pure cornerback Oregon signed. It could toy with moving safeties to the outside, but for now it looks like the four names above, plus Stewart, will populate the depth chart.
Stanford
7 of 8
Where's the Hole?
On the defensive line. Stanford loses all three starters up front, most notably defensive end Henry Anderson, but also nose tackle David Parry and supporting end Blake Lueders.
Who Will Compete in Spring Practice?
A long list of former backups. Once-hyped recruit Aziz Shittu, now a senior, is the logical replacement at nose tackle, although undersized sophomore Harrison Phillips (6'4", 255 lbs) earned reps there last season.
Senior Luke Kaumatule—the older brother of incoming Oregon 5-star Canton Kaumatule—is the only experienced player on the edge and an early favorite to start, although he's never in the past earned steady playing time. Pushing Kaumatule to start are 5-star redshirt freshman Solomon Thomas and seniors Jordan Watkins and Nate Lohn.
Any Reinforcements If They Fail?
None Stanford wants to rely on. The only defensive ends it signed were 3-stars Dylan Jackson and Gabe Reid, both of whom ranked outside the top 600. The Cardinal develop lesser defensive prospects into stars as well as any team in college football, but the process takes time. They can't reasonably expect Jackson or Reid to make an impact.
TCU
8 of 8
Where's the Hole?
At linebacker. All-American Paul Dawson and fellow senior Marcus Mallett recorded 236 tackles last season. TCU's only reliable backup linebacker, Jonathan Anderson, was a senior in 2014 as well. Next year's linebackers have 29 career tackles between them.
Who Will Compete in Spring Practice?
Twenty-two of those 29 tackles come from junior Sammy Douglas. The other seven come from redshirt sophomore Paul Whitmill. Neither player has seen meaningful action, but they're the early favorites to start. They'll be pushed by redshirt freshman Ty Summers and 3-star early enrollees Alec Dunham and Mike Freeze.
Any Reinforcements If They Fail?
Sort of. Three-star inside linebacker Semaj Thomas, the No. 655 overall player in the class, enters with a slightly higher pedigree than those of Dunham (No. 707) and Freeze (No. 1,003), but not enrolling early puts him at a serious disadvantage.
Note: All recruiting info refers to the 247Sports composite rankings
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