10 Sack Artists Who Will Terrorize Your Quarterback in 2015
Three of the top six, four of the top nine and nine of the top 15 sackers from 2014 return to college football next season.
That is an unusually high number, as evidenced by last season, when two of the top six, three of the top nine and four of the top 15 sackers returned from 2013.
More than that, 2015 marks the return of Auburn defensive end Carl Lawson, who missed last season with a knee injury, and former Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Devonte Fields, who spent last season in junior college and will play next year at Louisville.
Could either of those guys crack our list of the 10 best sack artists? Based on talent alone, of course. But this list also considered health, recent production, the supporting cast around each pass-rusher and whether they're a proven fit within their current scheme.
Sound off below and let us know what you think.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 11
Here are 10 players who just missed the cut:
- DE Hunter Dimick, Utah
- DE Ken Ekanem, Virginia Tech
- DE Devonte Fields, Louisville
- LB Deon Hollins, UCLA
- DE CeCe Jefferson, Florida
- DE Carl Lawson, Auburn
- LB Curt Maggitt, Tennessee
- LB Eric Striker, Oklahoma
- DE Kemoko Turay, Rutgers
- DT Anthony Zettel, Penn State
DE Derek Barnett, Tennessee
2 of 11
Size: 6'3", 267 pounds
2014 Recap
Derek Barnett logged 10 sacks in 13 games, breaking Jadeveon Clowney's record for SEC freshmen (eight). The bad news? Another SEC freshman broke Clowney's mark before him and finished with the new record (11.5). The good news? Barnett finished with more tackles for loss than that rival, whom we'll identify later in the list, and also logged more sacks against SEC competition.
2015 Supporting Cast
Tennessee returns Danny O'Brien and Curt Maggitt and adds three top-55 recruits (Kahlil McKenzie, Kyle Phillips, Shy Tuttle) to the defensive line. There are supplementary weapons to occupy blockers and prevent teams from consistently doubling Barnett.
McKenzie in particular should benefit Barnett next season. Michael Felder of Bleacher Report and Bud Elliott of SB Nation each called him the best player in the recruiting class.
DE Joey Bosa, Ohio State
3 of 11
Size: 6'5", 278 pounds
2014 Recap
Joey Bosa followed a late-blooming freshman season with a dominant sophomore season, recording 13.5 sacks and earning unanimous first-team All-American honors. One of those 13.5 sacks was a walk-off against Penn State in overtime, when he barreled running back Akeel Lynch into the legs of quarterback Christian Hackenberg on a pivotal fourth down. Hitherto, that's the biggest play of his career.
2015 Supporting Cast
Ohio State loses defensive tackle Michael Bennett and bookend Steve Miller, but Bosa won't lack protection. Granted, defensive line is the only place on the roster one might rightfully call a "weakness," names like Adolphus Washington, Tommy Schutt, Jalyn Holmes, Tyquan Lewis, Jashon Cornell and Sam Hubbard will keep opponents occupied.
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DE Shilique Calhoun Michigan State
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Size: 6'5", 256 pounds
2014 Recap
Shilique Calhoun didn't take the statistical leap some hoped for, increasing from 7.5 sacks in 2013 to eight sacks as a junior. Part of that, however, had to do with the defensive end across from him, Marcus Rush, getting to the quarterback before him on plays where Calhoun was in striking distance. Another part concerned quarterbacks throwing the ball away when Calhoun put them in a suplex.
2015 Supporting Cast
Rush departs from the opposite side of the line, and so does defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi. Other than that? Michigan State is stacked. Former blue-chip recruits Lawrence Thomas and Malik McDowell have come into their own at tackle, and coaches have raved about redshirt sophomore Demetrius Cooper at end.
DE Kamalei Correa, Boise State
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Size: 6'3", 244 pounds
2014 Recap
Kamalei Correa came on strong in the middle of last season and now looks like the next great Boise State defender. He logged 10 of his 12 sacks and 15.5 of his 19 tackles for loss in the final nine games of the year, including two sacks in the Fiesta Bowl win over Arizona. Who needs Demarcus Lawrence?
2015 Supporting Cast
Boise State loses bookend Beau Martin but returns every other contributor up front. The Broncos lack massive defensive tackles, but for a Mountain West team, they are fine. Correa will face his fair share of double-teams, but no so many that his production will dip.
DE Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
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Size: 6'5", 255 pounds
2014 Recap
Myles Garrett broke Clowney's SEC freshman sack record before Barnett and set the new mark with 11.5. Yes, he padded those stats with eight sacks against Lamar, Rice and Louisiana-Monroe, but the visceral excellence of his freshman year impressed all the same. Also of note: Garrett was the No. 2 overall recruit in 2014.
2015 Supporting Cast
Texas A&M fired defensive coordinator Mark Snyder and hired John Chavis from LSU. Chavis gets the most out of his talent and should parlay A&M's recruiting success into depth along the defensive line. It definitely helps that Daylon Mack, the No. 14 overall recruit and No. 4 defensive tackle in 2015, brings college-ready size (6'1", 330 lbs) to College Station.
DE Dadi Nicolas, Virginia Tech
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Size: 6'4", 231 pounds
2014 Recap
Dadi Nicolas finished third in the ACC with 8.5 sacks, trailing only Clemson's Vic Beasley (12) and teammate Ken Ekanem (10.5). Why Nicolas over Ekanem for this article? Because Dadi also logged 26 quarterback hurries, ranking first among power-conference players. Eight-and-a-half sacks belies the scope of his impact.
2015 Supporting Cast
Defensive line coach Charley Wiles said he grabbed Ekanem in the middle of last year and said, "'Dude, stop acting like a backup,'" which galvanized his strong end to the season, per Norm Woods of The Daily Press. Since then, Ekanem and Nicolas have developed into what might be the best pass-rushing tandem in America. Defensive tackles Corey Marshall and Nigel Williams provide experience up the middle.
DE Shawn Oakman, Baylor
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Size: 6'9", 280 pounds
2014 Recap
Shawn Oakman finished No. 2 in the Big 12 with 11 sacks, stagnating in the middle of the season before ending the year with five sacks in four games. The last of those sacks came against Michigan State left tackle Jack Conklin, who before then allowed zero legit sacks in two seasons. When he's on, Oakman proved, he's an All-America candidate.
2015 Supporting Cast
Does Baylor have the best defensive line in college football? Personally, I think yes. Defensive tackles Andrew Billings and Beau Blackshear tip the scales at 300 pounds apiece, and K.J. Smith posted 9.5 tackles for loss opposite Oakman as a redshirt freshman. Opponents would be wise to double Oakman as often as possible.
At the same time, they'd also be foolish.
DE Emmanuel Ogbah, Oklahoma State
9 of 11
Size: 6'4", 275 pounds
2014 Recap
The Big 12 named Emmanuel Ogbah its 2014 Defensive Lineman of the Year—the first time an Oklahoma State player has ever won that honor. It was deserved after a breakout season in which Ogbah posted 11 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, including two sacks apiece against conference champions Florida State (ACC) and TCU (Big 12).
2015 Supporting Cast
Oklahoma State loses beef up the middle, namely defensive tackle James Castleman, a 300-pounder whose presence opened lanes for Ogbah. Fortunately, the Cowboys return bookend Jimmy Bean, an All-Big 12 honorable mention in 2014, to rush from the opposite side.
DL/LB Pete Robertson, Texas Tech
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Size: 6'3", 238 pounds
2014 Recap
Pete Robertson was the silver lining on a dark cloud, leading the Big 12 with 13 sacks despite playing for the league's worst defense. The rest of the Red Raiders logged 11 sacks in 2014, and no player besides Robertson logged more than three.
2015 Supporting Cast
Texas Tech made one of the best hires of the offseason, luring defensive coordinator David Gibbs away from Houston. The Cougars forced more turnovers than any team in America the past two seasons, and Gibbs' aggressive style should mesh well with Robertson.
Also working in Robertson's favor? Another year of experience up front. Defensive tackles Rika Levi and Keland McElrath underachieved in their first seasons as JUCO transfers, but both have the size, strength and potential to contribute on a solid defense. Same goes for early enrollee Breiden Fehoko, the No. 50 overall recruit in 2015.
ILB Scooby Wright, Arizona
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Size: 6'1", 246 pounds
2014 Recap
Scooby Wright was the best defensive player in college football last season. Honestly, it wasn't all that close. The Bednarik, Lambert, Lombardi and Nagurski winner does more than just rush the passer, but despite that, he finished No. 3 in the country with 14 sacks. No returning player had more.
2015 Supporting Cast
Arizona loses its two best defensive linemen, Dan Pettinato and Reggie Gilbert, along with veteran leader Jared Tevis from the secondary. In some ways, that means Wright will receive less support next season. In others, it means Arizona will rely on him even more heavily.
Good luck with that, Pac-12 offenses.
Note: All recruiting info refers to the 247Sports composite rankings.
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