Breaking Down the Best Defensive Players in Each College Football Conference
In recent years, college football has become an offense-fueled game. Across the nation, teams that run fast-paced schemes like Ohio State, Oregon, Clemson, TCU, Auburn and Baylor, just to name a few, have enjoyed tremendous success. And more teams are following suit.
While quarterbacks, receivers and tailbacks are crucial to a fast-paced system’s success, someone has to stop them. Or at least try to. That’s where a good defense comes in. Pass-rushing defensive ends, active linebackers and lockdown cornerbacks are just as valuable as ever.
That’s what we’re taking a look at here. This is an examination of the top defensive player in every college football conference. We chose players chosen based on their skills, past statistics and impact on the game, as well as their potential for success in 2015.
American Athletic Conference: East Carolina LB Zeek Bigger
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East Carolina isn’t necessarily known for its defense, but there are exceptions to that rule. Or, at least there should be in Zeek Bigger’s case. The senior middle linebacker was all over the field in 2014, making 140 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions.
With much of the American Athletic Conference’s top defensive players either graduating or going to the NFL, there’s room for fresh or overlooked talent to emerge, and Bigger fits the bill. He makes plays all over the field, and the Pirates will count on him to lead a defense that is young at spots, especially at linebacker. Bigger will have a bigger profile in 2015—that much is certain.
Atlantic Coast Conference: Virginia Tech CB Kendall Fuller
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Under veteran defensive coordinator Bud Foster, Virginia Tech has established a tradition as one of the nation’s nastiest defenses every year. Kendall Fuller knows all about that tradition: All three of his older brothers played for Foster.
In that sense, he has been a natural fit for the Hokies defense. The junior cornerback is one of Tech’s best defenders, and he might be the best Fuller brother to pass through Lane Stadium. He stands 6’0”, 197 pounds and is a lockdown cornerback and one of the nation’s best defensive backs.
Last fall, Fuller had 54 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, two sacks and 15 pass breakups. The Hokies are primed to improve on 2014’s disappointing 7-6 record. They can count on Fuller to anchor their secondary and challenge for All-America status.
Big Ten Conference: Ohio State DE Joey Bosa
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Ohio State’s defense suffered several key losses from 2014’s national championship team, but most of the important pieces are back. Unfortunately for opposing offensive tackles, one of them is junior defensive end Joey Bosa.
He is a pass-rushing beast who stands 6’6”, 275 pounds and is a consistent presence in opponents’ backfields. Last fall, he was nearly impossible to stop, piling up 55 tackles with 21 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. He has a ready-made NFL body and a relentless attitude with great skills.
Bill Bender of the Sporting News says Bosa could be the No.1 pick in the NFL draft soon, but Bosa is only thinking about improvement:
"A lot of the time (last year) I was just doing my own thing just because I felt like I always had to go out and make that play to change the game. ... But watching the film I see that plays could just fall into my lap. As long as I'm doing my job, I'll make even more sacks. I see five or six sacks I could've had because I went inside and they scrambled outside; something like that.
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He has speed and power and is a difficult assignment for any tackle he lines up against. This fall, Bosa will lead Ohio State’s defense, and by this time next summer, he should be preparing for his rookie season in the NFL.
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Big 12 Conference: Baylor DE Shawn Oakman
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Imagine being a collegiate left tackle and settling down into your stance. Then, you look up. Shawn Oakman is lined up across from you. Pretty scary, huh?
At 6’9”, 280 pounds, the Baylor senior defensive end cuts one of the most intimidating presences in college football.
Here's the really scary part: Oakman has lots of room to get better. That's why he decided to return for his senior season of college football rather than enter the NFL draft.
Last fall, his first as a full-time starter, Oakman had 51 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. He’ll be a cornerstone of Baylor’s defense and should be even better in 2015. That’s a frightening thought for Big 12 left tackles.
He's the best defensive player in the Big 12.
Conference USA: Middle Tennessee S Kevin Byard
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Kevin Byard just makes plays. It’s that simple. That’s all he has done in three seasons as a Middle Tennessee safety. Entering his senior season, Byard, who stands 5’11”, 226 pounds, ranks second in program history with 15 career interceptions.
Although his tackles dipped from 106 as a sophomore to 66 last fall, Byard still made six interceptions, four pass breakups and three tackles for loss. He also returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown.
In other words, he does a little bit of everything.
Last fall, Middle Tennessee’s defense allowed 452.2 yards per game, No. 11 in Conference USA. Imagine how bad it would have been without Byard. This fall, the Blue Raiders hope to return to the postseason, and Byard will be a big part of that push as C-USA’s top defender and a legit NFL prospect.
Mid-American Conference: Akron LB Jatavis Brown
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If you’re looking for the MAC’s top defensive player, it’s hard to look much further than Akron linebacker Jatavis Brown. At 5’11”, 217 pounds, the senior makes things happen all over the field. He is the only returning two-time first-team defensive All-MAC honoree in 2015.
As a sophomore, Brown had 107 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks, and he followed that up last fall with 99 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. He is a hard hitter and athletic, in addition to being quite productive.
He has NFL aspirations and will lead an Akron defense that led the MAC in scoring defense in 2014, allowing 23.1 points per game. If the Zips get back to a bowl game, Brown will play a key role.
Mountain West Conference: Boise State S Darian Thompson
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While Boise State’s offense garnered most of the headlines last fall in the Broncos’ run to a 12-2 season and a Fiesta Bowl win over Arizona, the defense wasn’t half bad either. As 2015 begins, the defense will have to carry some of the load for an offensive unit that lost several key pieces, and safety Darian Thompson will shoulder plenty of that burden.
Thompson, who stands 6’2”, 210 pounds, is a huge playmaker. Last fall, he made 71 tackles and seven interceptions, returning one for a touchdown. He is a dependable player who just makes things happen, and that won’t change this fall in his final season as a Bronco.
Pac-12 Conference: Arizona LB Scooby Wright
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Last fall, Scooby Wright rewarded Arizona and coach Rich Rodriguez for taking a chance on him. Coming out of high school, the Wildcats were the only FBS program to offer him a scholarship, a gamble which has paid off many times over for Arizona.
Wright emerged as the nation’s top linebacker and one of its top defenders in 2014, rolling up 153 tackles (No. 1 nationally), 14 sacks (No. 3) and 29 tackles for loss (No. 1) while finishing ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He won every major national defensive award, taking home the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Lombardi Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, as well as the Jack Lambert Award and the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Year.
He plays with a nasty streak and covers tons of ground, going sideline to sideline with a won’t-quit motor and excellent wrap-up tackling ability. He is one of the rare players who could have a chance at the Heisman Trophy and is clearly the Pac-12’s top defensive player, as well as one of the nation’s best players.
Southeastern Conference: Florida CB Vernon Hargreaves III
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New Florida coach Jim McElwain has some holes to fill as he takes over in Gainesville, but the secondary is not a major area of concern. That’s largely due to the presence of junior cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III, a returning All-American and one of the nation’s best defensive backs. At 5’11”, 192 pounds, Hargreaves is the kind of corner that opposing quarterbacks tend to throw away from.
While he’s had a down moment or two in his Florida career (like facing off with future NFL top-five selection Amari Cooper last fall at Alabama), more often than not, Hargreaves has been a consistent shutdown cornerback feared by opposing offenses.
Last fall, he made 50 tackles and three interceptions and was a huge positive in Florida’s disappointing 8-5 season. He earned second-team All-America honors from The Associated Press and will challenge for a first-team selection as a junior. If he finishes the season healthy, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him bolt for the NFL after this season.
Sun Belt Conference: Louisiana-Monroe DT Gerrand Johnson
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Gerrand Johnson took a winding path to arrive at Louisiana-Monroe, but the Warhawks are glad he found his way there. Johnson, a Rayville, Louisiana, native, began his career at Missouri but transferred to Louisiana-Monroe before ever playing a game.
The 6’0”, 280-pounder has developed into one of the Sun Belt’s premier players. He built on a solid sophomore season (56 tackles, 11 tackles for loss) with an excellent junior campaign, making 93 tackles, with 12.5 for loss. He became the first defensive lineman to lead ULM in total tackles since 1980 and should improve on those stats this fall.
He can make an impact as a pass-rushing tackle and will be a handful for opposing offensive linemen to contain in 2015.
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