10 Best Defensive Players in College Football
The 2016 NFL draft will be full of collegiate talent on both sides of the ball, but it certainly won’t lack for defensive star power. With the likes of Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa, UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland, Ole Miss defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche and many more in the draft pool, college football lost a boatload of talented defensive players.
However, there is plenty of talent left behind, that’s for certain. A number of impressive defenders remain on college rosters, and many more are sure to emerge in 2016 to fill the void left by 2015’s stars. That’s the cyclical nature of college football.
Here’s a look at the top 10 defensive players in college football. They were selected by the nature of their accomplishments and the accomplishments they’ve piled up on the field. They’ll be among the nation’s top players and All-America fixtures this fall.
10. Northern Illinois CB Shawun Lurry
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Northern Illinois has a well-earned reputation as one of the nation’s best mid-major programs. Guys like Shawun Lurry are a big reason why. Lurry stands just 5”8”, 180 pounds, but the Huskies junior cornerback stands out in a big way.
A year ago, Lurry led the nation with nine interceptions, including one returned for a 64-yard touchdown against Bowling Green in the MAC title game. He snagged interceptions in five consecutive games. Amazingly, it was only his second season as a full-time cornerback; he arrived at NIU as a receiver.
Tod Leonard of the Chicago Tribune says hard work has paid off for Lurry.
"Attention to detail on the playbook and a whole year in the weight room," NIU coach Rod Carey said. "He got here as a freshman and worked out in the summer, and then he played right away. Getting that training in the spring and summer is a whole different deal. He's put in the work and he deserves it."
Lurry was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top secondary member, and he was named as an FWAA first-team All-American, the only Group of Five representative on the first team.
He’s reason alone to check out Northern Illinois in one of its Tuesday or Wednesday night MACtion spotlights on the ESPN family of networks.
9. Michigan CB Jabrill Peppers
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Brady Hoke’s tenure left Michigan fans with a sour taste in their mouths, but Hoke did leave a pretty solid foundation for incoming coach Jim Harbaugh to mold into a 10-win team last fall. One of the gems? Cornerback Jabrill Peppers.
Peppers was forced to redshirt his freshman season following multiple leg injuries, but once he got on the field last fall, he quickly showed why he was one of the nation’s most prized recruits in 2014.
He is one of the nation’s most versatile, talented players. Peppers became a starter at cornerback, with 45 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. He also made eight receptions for 79 yards and rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns. As a kick returner, he averaged 27.9 yards per kick return and 11.4 yards per punt return.
With a healthy sophomore year behind him, Peppers’ role should only increase for what will be an improved Michigan team in Harbaugh’s second season in Ann Arbor.
8. Michigan State DT Malik McDowell
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Michigan State has some major holes to fill following its first College Football Playoff berth on both sides of the ball. The defensive line must find a way to compensate for the loss of standout defensive end Shilique Calhoun, a dominating pass-rush force. The Spartans might already have their man, even though he plays defensive tackle.
Junior defensive tackle Malik McDowell had a high-profile recruitment, and in two seasons, he has fulfilled the hype. He had 15 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks as a freshman. Last fall, McDowell blossomed into a true force with 41 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
At 6’6”, 280 pounds, McDowell is a powerful force on MSU’s interior defensive line. He’ll face more attention this fall with Calhoun gone, but if he takes another step, he’ll easily be one of the nation’s most dominant linemen.
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7. Northwestern LB Anthony Walker
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Northwestern enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2015, finishing 10-3 with an Outback Bowl appearance following consecutive 5-7 seasons. A huge factor in the turnaround? The Wildcat defense. Northwestern allowed a very stingy 18.6 points per game. The defense’s heart and soul resided in its linebacker corps.
Sophomore linebacker Anthony Walker had a breakout season with 113 tackles. That led Northwestern’s roster by more than 40 tackles, and he added 19.5 tackles for loss. That was the third-most TFL in NU history, and second-best nationally last fall.
Walker will be a redshirt junior in 2016, and if he can continue his prolific ways, the Wildcats will be a factor in the Big Ten and in line for another prominent bowl game while he climbs the NFL draft charts.
6. Alabama DE Jonathan Allen
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Alabama has work to do defensively this spring and summer. The Crimson Tide’s defense was a typically stout feature of Nick Saban’s fourth national title with the program, allowing 15.1 points per game. But the unit was wracked by graduation and NFL draft departures. Monstrous defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson declared early, with linebacker Reggie Ragland, defensive end Jarran Reed, linebacker Dillon Lee, Jack linebacker Denzel Devall and cornerback Cyrus Jones graduating.
Saban and Co. scored a major victory when defensive end Jonathan Allen decided to return for his senior season. As a junior, Allen made 36 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. He boasts impressive size at 6’3”, 294 pounds and will be a key pass-rushing force for the Tide’s rebuilt defensive front as a senior.
If he approaches his 2015 numbers, Allen will be a very popular member of the 2017 NFL draft class.
5. Florida S Marcus Maye
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When cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III declared for the NFL draft, Florida lost a key piece of its secondary and its defense as a whole. Hargreaves’ departure is a big hit, but the Gator secondary is far from barren.
Senior safety Marcus Maye will be one of the nation’s best, most versatile defenders this season. Maye can play either safety spot, has a nose for the ball and is capable of blitzing and pressuring quarterbacks as well as covering receivers.
Maye had 82 tackles, six pass breakups, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions as a junior. He’ll be relied on even more heavily in 2016.
4. Michigan CB Jourdan Lewis
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A little advice to quarterbacks on Michigan’s schedule: Don’t throw on the Wolverines. Like, ever. With Jourdan Lewis and Jabrill Peppers, new defensive coordinator Don Brown has a pair of highly talented cornerbacks at his disposal, and he will use them wisely.
Lewis had a tremendous 2015 season and was named as a first-team All-American by USA Today. He had 52 tackles, 20 passes defended and two interceptions. He also returned 15 kickoffs for a 25.2-yard average.
Lewis has speed and plays bigger than his 5’10”, 175-pound frame. He’ll be a leading candidate for All-America and Jim Thorpe Award honors this season.
3. Southern California CB Adoree' Jackson
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If there are players who have greater all-around impact on their team than Adoree’ Jackson, it would be a short list. Perhaps a blank list. The Southern California junior cornerback is one of college football’s most exciting players, and perhaps its most versatile.
Jackson, entering his third season as a starting cornerback, does a lot of everything, and all of it well. He’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball, which is why the Trojans try to get it to him as much as possible. Jackson also returns kicks and punts for USC and sees significant snaps as a wide receiver.
Last fall, he made 12 starts at cornerback, one at safety and one at wide receiver. He had 35 tackles, eight deflections, a forced fumble and an interception for a touchdown as a cornerback. As a receiver, he had 27 receptions for 414 yards and two scores, while averaging 23 yards per kick return and 10.5 yards per punt return with a pair of return scores. Oh, and did we mention that Jackson is the defending Pac-12 long jump champion and a track All-American?
Jackson was the only player nationally with at least 400 receiving yards, 600 kick return yards, 200 punt return yards and 30 tackles. He has drawn favorable comparisons to Heisman Trophy winner and sure-fire NFL Hall of Famer Charles Woodson. He is talented, versatile, and just plain fun to watch as one of the nation’s best defenders.
2. Iowa CB Desmond King
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Iowa had perhaps the most surprising season of any team nationally in college football last fall. The Hawkeyes, fresh off a 7-6 campaign, stunned the nation with a 12-0 regular season and came within inches of winning the Big Ten and making the College Football Playoff. A strong defense keyed the charge, and junior cornerback Desmond King was its most impressive player.
King emerged as a star, making 72 tackles with eight interceptions. He also served as Iowa’s primary kick and punt returner, averaging 24.4 yards per kick return and 14.2 yards per punt return. He won the Thorpe Award as college football’s top defensive back, was a consensus All-American and was a finalist for the Walter Camp Award, given to college football’s top player.
So it came as something of a surprise when King decided to return for his senior season. Iowa and coach Kirk Ferentz are glad he did. He’ll anchor what should again be a very solid defense. If opposing quarterbacks are dumb enough to pass his way consistently, he’ll equal or pass 2015’s interception total as the game’s top cornerback.
1. Texas A&M DE Myles Garrett
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While Jadeveon Clowney’s NFL career has been defined by injuries, there’s no denying the talent he flashed in his three-year collegiate career at South Carolina. Clowney piled up 24 sacks and was generally unblockable, earning his status as the top overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft by the Houston Texans.
A few miles north of Houston, another SEC defensive end is working on his resume as the top pick in the 2017 NFL draft. That’s how good Texas A&M end Myles Garrett has been in his first two seasons with the Aggies.
In 2015, Garrett piled up 53 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. He broke Clowney’s SEC freshman sack record of 8.0 sacks, an impressive feat. Last fall, he was even better. Garrett had 59 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks.
With Joey Bosa gone to the NFL, Garrett is clearly the best pass-rusher in college football. He keeps opposing left tackles up nights scheming to stop him, and there’s no sign he’ll slow down in what should be his final season of college football.
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