College Football's Top DEs Entering 2015 Spring Practice
With spring practices underway, our position rankings trudge on with defensive ends. From Joey Bosa at Ohio State to Myles Garrett at Texas A&M, there's a tough task ranking the best pass-rushers in college football.
As with every position rankings, stats matter to a degree. However, so does overall game. Is a player a pass-rushing specialist who needs to improve in other areas? Do they rely on one move or have an arsenal of them? Do they have one great season under their belt, or two or three?
Whether a 4-3 or 3-4 defensive end (as determined by ourlads.com), here are the top returning players heading into spring practices.
No. 10 Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State
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Shawn Oakman, who we'll get to later, gets the publicity as the Big 12's best defensive end. However, few defensive players broke out in the Big 12 last season like Oklahoma State's Emmanuel Ogbah.
After finishing his redshirt season with just 20 total tackles, Ogbah more than doubled that amount with 49 tackles in 2014. He also finished No. 12 nationally with 11 sacks and No. 18 nationally with 17 tackles for loss. That was good enough to earn him Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year and first-team All-Big 12 accolades, according to Brandon Chatmon of ESPN.com.
"I would say he has a chance to be as good as anybody we’ve had since I’ve been the head coach here," said head coach Mike Gundy to John Helsley of The Oklahoman last September. "He’s really quick. He’s strong. His attitude’s good. His work ethic’s good. And he’s been very durable and tough."
Ogbah's decision to return for another year is a smart one. While he checks off all of the physical boxes, he's only a redshirt sophomore. There's a lot of room for him to improve on his overall game, especially against the run.
No. 9 Hunter Dimick, Utah
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Hunter Dimick put up excellent numbers a year ago but was greatly overshadowed by some of his teammates.
Consider the following: Dimick finished tied for fifth in the Pac-12 with 10 sacks—but was 8.5 sacks behind fellow Utes end Nate Orchard. Dimick had 14.5 tackles for loss—but, again, that number was dwarfed in comparison to Orchard's 21 TFLs.
Because he's been sitting in second place, so to speak, Dimick is one of the more underrated defensive ends nationally. Still, that doesn't bother him.
"I’ve never worried about that, to tell you the truth," Dimick told Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News last November. "That’s not really my concern. The first concern was getting to a bowl game, now it’s getting to a better one. It’s kind of cliche, but the win column is the only thing I’m concerned about.’’
Dimick has the size and athleticism to be the star of the Utes' defensive line in 2015. The question is whether he can handle the focus and the increased double-teams that come with that.
No. 8 DeForest Buckner, Oregon
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So much of the focus on Oregon's defensive line last season revolved around Arik Armstead. Now that Armstead is off to the NFL, though, it's time for the Ducks' other defensive end, DeForest Buckner, to shine.
As a 3-4 defensive end, Buckner didn't rack up video game numbers with four sacks, but he did have 13 tackles for loss and 81 tackles overall. After Buckner announced his decision to return for another year, NFL.com did a quick scouting report via writer Bryan Fischer:
"Buckner saw his stock take off in the team's run toward the College Football Playoff. At least one scout told CFB 24/7 that he was a better player than teammate Arik Armstead, who announced he would apply for early entry into the 2015 draft. Buckner, a 6-foot-7, 290-pounder, brings a rare blend of size and athleticism to his defensive end spot.
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Buckner is a long and big athlete, just the type that Oregon likes, but was part of a group that got pushed around in the national championship against Ohio State. 2015 can be a big year for Buckner in terms of taking on more focus from opposing lines.
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No. 7 Sheldon Rankins, Louisville
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Another 3-4 defensive end, Louisville's Sheldon Rankins is a big ol' boy at 6'2" and 305 pounds. He perfectly fits that defensive mold for the Cardinals. However, Rankins has underrated athleticism and puts up nice numbers individually.
In 2014, Rankins finished fourth in the ACC with eight sacks and sixth with 13.5 tackles for loss. As David Hale of ESPN.com noted last month, Rankins picked up most of those numbers in the second half of the season:
"The Cardinals dodged a bullet when Rankins announced he would return for his senior season in 2015. In the second half of last season, he racked up six sacks -- tops in the ACC and 12th among all Power 5 defenders. He also forced a fumble and picked off a pass.
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Rankins enters 2015 with a ton of momentum. Without question, he should be on plenty of preseason All-ACC lists.
No. 6 Dadi Nicolas, Virginia Tech
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If there's one player of the non-freshman variety that I'm most excited about heading into 2015, it's Virginia Tech's Dadi Nicolas. And, no, it's not because the picture of him above is epic.
OK, not entirely.
Nicolas was probably a first-team All-ACC snub after he finished second in the conference, behind only Vic Beasley of Clemson, with 18 tackles for loss. He also had 8.5 sacks, two behind fellow Hokies defensive end Ken Ekanem.
Virginia Tech led the ACC in sacks last season, and the truth is Nicolas and Ekanem are big reasons for that. They're both crucial.
The great part about Nicolas is that, according to defensive line coach Charley Wiles, he's only touched the surface of what he's capable of doing. Via Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times:
"Dadi can certainly use more growth as a football player. And then in the weight room when you’re just talking about over a 25-week period, it’s a lot of football. Can he sustain and hold up and hold his body weight? So it’s obviously not going to hurt him getting a year older, getting a year more experienced. And Dadi is a first- or second-round talent. But is he at that point right now?
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No. 5 Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
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The most frightening thing about Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett is that he's just a pup. Still, he broke the SEC freshman sack record (picking up 11.5) held by Jadeveon Clowney at South Carolina. That's good company.
He also led the team with 14 tackles for loss and nine quarterback hurries.
At 6'5" and 255 pounds, the No. 1 word used to describe Garrett is "freak." That word can get tossed around a lot, but the speed Garrett possesses is mind-boggling. He has such a quick burst off of the line and gets around tackles with relative ease.
What you'd like to see out of him going forward is an expanded arsenal of moves; right now, he can blaze by linemen on the outside. There's going to come a point when that's not enough. However, Garrett will continue to grow as a player and should thrive under new defensive coordinator John Chavis.
No. 4 Derek Barnett, Tennessee
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When talking about freshmen defensive ends, Garrett is probably going to be the first name that pops into everyone's head. He's earned that name recognition, to be sure. There's an argument to be made, though, that Derek Barnett of Tennessee was every bit as good as Garrett last season.
As a first-year player, Barnett was a monster with 72 tackles, 20.5 of which went for a loss (best on the team), and 10 sacks. Those TFL and sack numbers were the most by a freshman in school history.
As Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports wrote in December, Barnett was actually more valuable overall to the Vols defense than Garrett was to A&M's.
Like Garrett, Barnett is still figuring out the position. That means in two years he'll be an unstoppable tank. Not that he's all that far off now.
No. 3 Shawn Oakman, Baylor
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The folk lore of Baylor defensive end Shawn Oakman is finally bigger than he is. Oakman is a certified Internet sensation thanks to memes and Twitter hashtags. But the guy can play, too.
Oakman tied for second in the Big 12 with 11 sacks and was a half sack away from tying TCU linebacker Paul Dawson for the most tackles for loss (20). He also had eight quarterback hurries.
Oakman's a pass-rushing specialist, but his overall game can still improve. Even though he's coming up on his fifth year in college, he's still growing into the position. He sat out two years—one as a redshirt at Penn State and the other to satisfy NCAA transfer rules—before playing in 2013.
"He's made progress. He's not where he's going to be though. I'm honest with him. Another year is what he needs," Bears defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said, via the Associated Press. "He's still raw. He's worked hard. The thing about Shawn that's a joy, he knows he's got things to work on. And the best thing about him, though, the sky is the limit for him."
No. 2 Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State
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The 2014 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year is in the next slide, but let's not forget who won the award in 2013. That would be Shilique Calhoun of Michigan State.
Bosa may have brought home the accolades, but it's not like Calhoun forgot how to play. His eight sacks were third in the Big Ten, and he had 12.5 tackles for loss. Calhoun has a ton of experience having played for three years and it shows. He has a variety of moves. He's effective going inside, outside and even through people. He's a smart player who has a nice blend of power and speed.
Calhoun, along with quarterback Connor Cook, is returning to Michigan State in 2015 instead of declaring for the NFL draft.
"I don't think there's any question that our two biggest recruits was the guy that just walked out the door there, Shilique Calhoun, and Connor Cook," Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio said in January via Joe Rexrode of the Detroit Free Press. "I think when you have two guys that are basically All-Americans making a decision to return, it gives you a great push for 2015."
No. 1 Joey Bosa, Ohio State
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Is there a more disruptive force at the defensive end spot in college football than Joey Bosa from Ohio State? Good luck arguing otherwise.
Bosa led the Big Ten with 13.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. Those numbers lead all returning defensive linemen in college football. He also led Ohio State with four quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles. Arguably Bosa's biggest sack came in overtime against Penn State to seal the 31-24 win.
Bosa isn't as big as the NFL player to which he's compared, J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans, but an AFC scout told Chase Goodbread of NFL.com that Bosa is the whole package:
"J.J. is so big and athletic, and Bosa will never be 290 pounds or that long. But Bosa has speed-to-power rush ability and can handle all blockers with finesse and power. He matches up with all. He's a good effort player with talent -- tough matchup. And he plays his best when the game is on the line.
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Bosa has an unreal combination of brute strength and speed. That makes him one of the most complete defensive ends in college football, if not the most. When Ohio State needs a big play, Bosa steps up.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.
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