College Football Rankings 2011: Rating the Defenses of the Top 25 Teams
Defense! Defense! Defense!
It’s what we chant each and every game. We look for it in the closing moments when we want our team to win more than ever. Defense wins championships, yet is often overlooked.
What I love most about football is that a score can occur on any single possession.
Watching a quarterback complete a deep bomb to his wide receiver for a touchdown is a thing of beauty, but just as pretty is watching a cornerback pick off the passer and taking it back to the house.
A defensive stop, turnover or touchdown energizes the team and crowd just as much, if not more, than an offensive touchdown, first down or dynamic play.
As we look ahead to the 2011 college football season, it’s time we take a look at the Associated Press’ Top 25 Rankings, thanks to SI.com, and rate each team’s defense heading into the season.
Who will replace Nick Fairley on the defensive line for the defending National Champion Auburn Tigers?
Which teams have the best linebacker tandems in the country? Just how good is Dont’a Hightower of the Alabama Crimson Tide?
Which players will help the Oregon Ducks make it back to the National Championship game?
How much trouble is the rest of the WAC in now that Nevada stands alone with Boise State joining TCU in the Mountain West Conference?
There are a lot of questions regarding team defenses and there a lot of great defenders who have the answers. The nation is littered with defensive stars to look out for in 2011, let’s analyze the teams and rate them on a five star scale like they do with their prospects.
25. North Carolina State Wolfpack
1 of 25
NC State dominated West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl. They gave up, on average, 22.5 points and 340.5 yards per game.
Arguably the biggest player to look out for is D.J. Green, who is moving from safety to linebacker. NC State will hope that his speed and instincts will allow him to better track down ball carriers and attack quarterbacks. Green does need to bulk up a bit, but he should be highly motivated to start at linebacker for the Wolfpack.
Green will team with fellow linebackers Audie Cole and Terell Manning to make a very good unit in the ACC. Cole finished the season with 81 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception.
Manning is also looking to further breakout following a season in which he amassed 70 total tackles, five sacks, one forced fumble and one interception.
With this type of athletic linebacking unit, NC State’s defense looks promising in the ACC.
Rating: ***
24. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
2 of 25
Tulsa is making very good strides after winning 10 games in 2010. The defense will be much improved in 2011 with most starters returning with valuable experience, which is big for new head coach Bill Blankenship.
The team surrendered just less than 30 points and 442.6 yards per contest in 2010, but they will certainly improve as the offense improves along with the defense.
The key to the defense is linebacker Curnelius Arnick, who in the big bowl win over Hawaii, picked off Warriors quarterback Bryant Moniz twice, taking one back to the house for a touchdown. He finished the season with four interceptions, five sacks and 108 total tackles. In six contests last year, he posted double-digit tackles.
He’s clearly a player to watch out for in the Golden Hurricane uniform.
Marco Nelson may turn out to be the star of the entire unit. In his freshman campaign, he posted 81 tackles, one forced fumble, six interceptions and one touchdown. Wow.
Rating: **
23. Maryland Terrapins
3 of 25
The Maryland defense is a fine unit, which gave up 22.3 points and 353.1 yards per game. They dominated East Carolina in their last game.
It’s going to be difficult to pass on the Terrapins as three seniors return to lead the defense from the secondary position—safety Kenny Tate and cornerbacks Cameron Chism and Trenton Hughes.
Tate is looking to prove he is one of the best all-around safeties in the nation after amassing 90 total tackles, four sacks, three forced fumbles, three interceptions and one touchdown. These are remarkable numbers and everybody should be on the lookout for him all over the field in 2011.
Chism is the man assisting Tate in the secondary at the corner position. He somehow had 67 total tackles, one sack and one forced fumble.
Hughes had one interception, one sack, one forced fumble and 38 total tackles.
This trio will hope to have Maryland leaping up the rankings in 2011.
Rating: ***
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22. South Carolina Gamecocks
4 of 25
The Gamecocks boast one of the best offensive units heading into 2011. That will greatly assist the defense, which gave up 22.9 points and 357.9 yards per game.
Everyone is looking out for top high school recruit, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, to see how much playing time he’ll receive. Clowney is an absolute freak of an athlete with exceptional combination of speed and power. Expect to see a lot of him as a true freshman.
Defensive end Devin Taylor may just be the top star on defense, or at least the most important. He will be relied upon heavily again in 2011 to disrupt opposing quarterbacks. Expect his sack total to reach double-digits. He had eight sacks and one interception in 2010.
With him on the defensive line is Melvin Ingram, who had nine sacks in 2010.
This defensive line will prove to be one of the best and will solidify this defensive unit in 2011.
Improving the secondary is star cornerback Stephon Gilmore. The junior had 156 tackles in his first two seasons, including 71 last year. He's also recorded three sacks in both of his first two seasons. After finishing with just one interception as a rookie, he tallied three last year.
Watch out for the Gamecocks to rise on the rankings during the season.
Rating: ***
21. UCF Knights
5 of 25
UCF has the luxury of being in a rather poor conference. After winning 11 games last season, I would be surprised if they didn’t reach double-digit wins in 2011.
They closed out the season with a big bowl victory over the Georgia Bulldogs, where the defense only allowed six points. They ranked eighth in the nation as they only gave up 18 points and 318.1 yards per game.
The Knights do lose a lot of experience starters, but they will be able to rely on cornerback Josh Robinson. Robinson should emerge as one of the better corners in the nation.
Another player to look out for in the secondary is safety Clayton Geathers who has very good ball instincts and play making ability.
Kemal Ishmael may just be the most talented of the unit. He has 153 tackles, three forced fumbles and three interceptions in his first two years starting. Expect another stellar season.
Rating: ***
20. Nebraska Cornhuskers
6 of 25
The Cornhuskers have lost Ndamukong Suh and Prince Amukamara the past two seasons to the National Football league. As they enter the Big 10, they’ll need their defensive stars to step up more than ever.
The unit did a great job in 2010, giving up 17.2 points and less than 305 yards per game. They should be able to hold their ground again in 2011.
The unit is led by defensive tackle Jared Crick and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard.
The defensive line is the strength of the unit with three starters returning in Crick, Baker Stienkuhler and Cameron Meredith.
Crick amassed 36 tackles, one forced fumble and a whopping 10 sacks. Fellow defensive tackle Stienkuhler sacked the quarterback four times last season.
Meredith had 64 total tackles and two sacks.
Dennard made opposing quarterbacks pay for thinking he was lesser of a corner than Amukamara. Dennard will prove to everyone he’s one of the nation’s best corners. He had 31 tackles, one forced fumble, four interceptions and one touchdown.
The Cornhuskers have a lot of talent on this squad and should make noise in their first year in the Big 10 Conference.
Rating: ****
19. Texas A&M Aggies
7 of 25
The best player on this Aggies defense, which gave up 20.3 points and 357.5 yards per game, was outside linebacker Von Miller. He will be sorely missed in 2011 as his pass rushing abilities opened everything up for this defense to excel.
I would expect the unit to take a step back without Miller, but cornerback Coryell Judie is going to make me think twice about that.
Judie had 57 tackles and four interceptions last season and won’t be tested often as he is the best player on this defense.
Watch out for Damontre Moore, who as a freshman last year, had 40 total tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception.
I’m really interested in seeing how this unit fares without Miller, who may just be my favorite linebacker in the 2011 NFL Draft class.
Rating: ***
18. Missouri Tigers
8 of 25
The Tigers gave up an amazing 15.2 points and 350.7 yards per game in 2010. A huge reason for that remarkable number was the presence of quarterback Blaine Gabbert keeping the defense off the field and star pass rusher Aldon Smith creating limited opportunities for opposing offenses.
Both are heading to the NFL as first-round locks in April’s draft.
The stars of the defense in 2011 will be returning 2010 starters senior defensive end Jacquies Smith, who forms a very good end duo with junior Brad Madison.
The key man behind them in the secondary will be senior safety Kenji Jackson, who had 67 tackles, one forced fumble and two interceptions last season.
I foresee a drop off in production from the Tigers in 2011 following the loss of Gabbert and Smith.
Rating: ***
17. Florida State Seminoles
9 of 25
The Seminoles defense only gave up 19.8 points and 349.1 yards in 2010. As they dominate the ACC, these numbers will surely improve.
The defense has a few stars to boast, including junior defensive end Brandon Jenkins. Jenkins is easily one of the best defenders in the ACC and will make claims to be No.1 in 2011. In 2010, he accumulated 56 total tackles, one forced fumble and a ridiculous 14 sacks.
Assisting Jenkins on the defensive side of the ball is senior Nigel Bradham. He posted 92 total tackles and five sacks and should reach triple-digits in tackles this season.
For the third stage of the defensive unit, cornerback Xavier Rhodes will try to become one of the best in the nation. In 2010, he had 54 total tackles, two sacks and four interceptions.
I like the Seminoles to dominate the ACC in 2011.
Rating: ****
16. Virginia Tech Hokies
10 of 25
The Hokies defense is going to be even better in 2011 as they return nearly all of their starters from the 2010 unit that gave up 19.1 points and 348.2 yards per game.
The star of the unit is shutdown corner Jayron Hosley. He had 39 tackles and an amazing nine interceptions last season. Watch his interception total decline as opposing corners stay clear of his way.
With Hosley in the secondary is Eddie Whitley, who recorded 80 tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
In front of Hosley, Whitley and the secondary, is linebacker Bruce Taylor, who is an absolute beast. He totaled 91 tackles and six sacks. Watch him remain a defensive force and become a household name this season.
As Hosley embarks on a journey to become arguably the best cornerback in the nation, the Hokies defense is going be much improved.
Rating: *****
15. Mississippi State Bulldogs
11 of 25
The Bulldogs are returning almost all of their starters to the defense after giving up just 20.3 points and 358.1 yards per game.
Junior cornerback Corey Broomfield was a star for Mississippi State last season, intercepting nine passes and bringing down ball carriers 67 times. He also sacked the quarterback once.
Defensive tackles Fletcher Cox and Josh Boyd both brought down the quarterback three times each. Their pressure up front helps Broomfield and the secondary mightily.
Along with Broomfield in the secondary, safety Nickoe Whitley will try to improve upon his 47 tackles, three interceptions, forced fumble and two sacks.
Mississippi State fans have the defense to rely on in 2011.
Rating: ***
14. Michigan State Spartans
12 of 25
The loss of one of the best inside linebackers in the nation, Greg Jones, hurts a lot. It is going to be difficult to make up for his experience, talent and intensity. Head coach Mark Dantonio does have players who can pick up the slack though to improve on the 20.1 points and 337.8 yards per contest surrendered last year.
The secondary leads the way with senior safety Trenton Robinson and junior cornerback Johnny Adams.
Robinson had 71 tackles last year after recording 67 in 2009. He also intercepted the rock four times in 2010.
Adams, at the corner position, nearly matched Robinson as far as stats goes. He totaled 50 tackles, three interceptions and one forced fumble.
Senior nose tackle Kevin Pickelman could be the key to the defense as he tries to create as much pressure up front to disrupt the timing of the quarterback.
I expect the Spartans to take a major leap in 2011 overall and the defense will need to improve on 20.1 points and 337.8 yards given up per game to prove me right.
Rating: ***
13. Oklahoma State Cowboys
13 of 25
The Cowboys head into the 2011 season with one of the best offenses in the nation led by quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon. This is the greatest asset to a susceptible defense heading into 2011 with changes being made to the front seven.
In 2010, the defensive unit gave up 27.8 points and 412.8 yards per duel.
The secondary, at least, is returning most of its players, including experienced senior safety tandem Markelle Martin and Johnny Thomas. Martin had 55 total tackles in 2010. For his career, he only has three interceptions, but they all came last season. We’re going to see an elevated sense of ball hawking skills in 2011.
Thomas had a very good 2010 campaign, recording 63 total tackles, two forced fumbles and three interceptions.
This safety duo will be the backbone of the OK Corral, excuse me, OK State defense.
Rating: ***
12. Arkansas Razorbacks
14 of 25
Arkansas did well last season and should improve on the 2010 averages of 22.8 points and 339.8 yards given up per game in 2011.
Arkansas returns a lot of starters to the team and most of them are seniors. The unit has an experienced returning starter on all three stages of defense.
We’ll start at the bottom with senior defensive end Jake Bequette, who had 32 tackles and seven sacks last year. Now that his supporting cast is improving, we should see that sack total inch closer to double-digits.
In the middle we have senior star middle linebacker Jerry Franklin. Franklin is the glue for this defense in the toughest conference in the nation, the Southeastern.
Franklin has put up 269 tackles the past three seasons. He posted a career high 95 tackles in 2010, which surpassed his previous career high of 94 tallied in 2009. Franklin was unleashed on the quarterbacks last year, knocking them down seven times after only recording two sacks the previous two seasons.
Look for Franklin to put it all together in 2010 after failing to record an interception last year despite putting up five the previous two seasons.
On top in the secondary is senior safety Tramain Thomas, who posted 73 tackles, one sack, four forced fumbles and four interceptions. It’s going to be difficult to top that type of season in 2011, but with valuable experience and his ability, he just might succeed.
I don’t expect the loss of Ryan Mallett to the NFL to hurt the team as much as people may think. Tyler Wilson is a fine replacement and running back Kniles Davis will keep the defense fresh and energized throughout the season. Expect this unit to be very good in 2011.
Rating: *****
11. Nevada Wolf Pack
15 of 25
Nevada made a major leap last season and won’t surprise anybody this year. The loss of quarterback Colin Kaepernick and pass rusher Dontay Moch to the NFL hurts this unit, but they luckily return a handful of starters. The best thing going for Nevada is that they play in the Western Athletic Conference—which will now be without the supreme Boise State Broncos.
Senior linebacker James-Michael Johnson is the star of this unit after posting 88 tackles and three sacks and three forced fumbles last year. Watch out for him to become one of the most respected inside linebackers in the nation.
Junior linebacker Brandon Marshall is also a stud in the making after putting up at least 61 tackles in back-to-back seasons. He also put down one sack, one forced fumble and two interceptions last year.
Johnson and Marshall are aided by senior cornerback Isaiah Frey, who recorded 52 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one interception in 2010.
Now that Nevada has the WAC all to themselves, watch for them to greatly improve on the 22.1 and 377.3 yards given up per game last year.
Rating: ****
10. Alabama Crimson Tide
16 of 25
Alabama, where the Crimson Tide generally destroy the opposition. The defense dominated again following their 2009-2010 BCS National Championship.
It is going to be difficult replacing Marcell Dareus, potential No.1 overall selection in the NFL draft, but Nick Saban is the right man to find the right piece.
The defense, which returns most starters, is littered with elite talent.
It all starts with the beast Dont’a Hightower, who is the best linebacker in the nation and should be the first selected in the 2012 NFL draft. Hightower is a monster and a man nobody in the nation wants to mess with this season. He recorded 70 tackles last year but will be relied upon much more this season to lead the defense.
He is joined in the middle of the field by fellow linebackers Nico Johnson and Courtney Upshaw.
Upshaw will remain a stud as he posted 52 tackles, two forced fumbles and seven sacks last year.
Johnson will look to improve on just 33 tackles and one interception last season. Sometimes, there’s just only so much to go around when you’re with Hightower and Upshaw.
Thought we were done? There are more stars in the secondary with junior cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, sophomore cornerback DeMarcus Milliner, junior safety Robert Lester and senior safety Mark Barron.
Barron is the leader of the unit and has posted 151 tackles the past two seasons, including 77 in 2010. He also landed two sacks, two forced fumbles and three interceptions last year. His interception total decreased from seven to three, so expect to see a happy medium in 2011.
The defense is going to prove to be the most valuable unit for the Crimson Tide as the offense loses running back Mark Ingram, wide receiver Julio Jones and quarterback Greg McElroy to the NFL. With Hightower and his supporting cast, Alabama should match last season’s average of giving up just 14.1 points and 296 yards per game.
Rating: *****
9. Boise State Broncos
17 of 25
Everyone loves to shun the Broncos’ defense because Boise State played in the Western Athletic Conference and the offense puts up video game-like numbers with quarterback Kellen Moore.
The defense deserves a ton of credit though as they might be the most underrated unit in the country.
In 2010, the defense recorded a shutout three times. In two other games, the team only gave up six and seven points. That’s five games in which the defense surrendered seven points or less.
It finished the year giving up just 13.6 points and 259.3 yards.
As the Broncos move to the Mountain West Conference, I don’t expect a drop off in production as the team returns most of their 2010 starters.
Senior defensive end Shea McClellin is the stud of the group. He posted 30 tackles, one interception, one touchdown and 10 sacks. Expect him to emerge as one of the top ends in the nation.
With him on the line is senior defensive tackle Billy Winn who took the quarterback down five times last season.
Two other seniors stand out behind the line studs in linebacker Byron Hout and safety George Iloka.
Hout had his season cut short by a broken foot and missed the last four games of the season including the MAACO Bowl. Expect him to be on a rampage and better his 2010 stats, which saw him put up just 34 tackles and one sack.
Iloka is a very good safety and has put up 63 tackles twice in the past three seasons, one of those seasons being 2010. He also recorded one forced fumble and two interceptions.
This is an underrated group, but I’m sure that’s the way they like it.
Rating: *****
8. LSU Tigers
18 of 25
LSU is going to miss defensive tackle Drake Nevis, linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and cornerback Patrick Peterson. All three are among the top of their respective positions, especially Peterson who has No.1 overall talent.
The Tigers constantly overturn talent, so it’s not as if they haven’t met this challenge before.
The defense still has junior cornerback Morris Claiborne, who will take over for Peterson. Claiborne had 37 tackles and five picks last season. Claiborne is assisted in the secondary by two senior safeties, Brandon Taylor and Karnell Hatcher.
Taylor has posted at least 40 tackles the past two seasons. He’ll look to rebound in the interception column after following up his two-pick 2009 campaign with a doughnut in 2010.
Hatcher, last season, put up 64 tackles and one forced fumble. These two safeties love to get at the ball carriers and with a cornerback like Claiborne, things are much easier to accomplish.
Ryan Baker and Stefoin Francois will look to hold down the linebacking unit as Sheppard heads to the NFL.
Last season, Francois posted 37 tackles and one sack and will look to emerge as a go-to player this year.
Baker is the true rock for the unit. He posted 85 total tackles, seven sacks and one forced fumble last year and will produce even further for the Tigers this year.
The Tigers will look to, somehow, improve upon surrendering just 17.8 points and 301.7 yards per contest in 2010. I expect them to come very close to reaching their goal.
Rating: *****
7. Wisconsin Badgers
19 of 25
The Badgers were one of the surprise teams last year and the defense played an important role, as opponents averaged 20.5 points and 323.5 yards per game.
They will need to increase their intensity after losing quarterback Scott Tolzien on offense.
It is going to be difficult replacing defensive end J.J. Watt, who is headed to the NFL as a sure-fire first-round selection. They are also looking to replace safety Jay Valai, who is heading to the NFL with his fellow Badgers.
The Badgers will receive some reinforcements by the name of Chris Borland, who was one of the best freshman in 2009 and missed most of 2010 due to injury. He posted a sack last year, but we’re going to look to see him improve on the five sacks, three forced fumbles, interception and 54 total tackles he put up in 2009.
The defensive line has enough experience to make up for Watt’s departure with seniors Louis Nzegwu and Patrick Butrym.
Sophomore defensive tackle Jordan Kohout will look to dominate after putting up one sack and 22 tackles as a freshman last year.
The stars are in the secondary with senior cornerback Antonio Fenelus and senior safety Aaron Henry.
Fenelus posted his best season last year with 56 tackles, one forced fumble, four interceptions and one touchdown.
Henry recorded 57 tackles, two interceptions and two touchdowns.
With this defense and the rushing attack of Montee Ball and James White, I like the Badgers to have another great season.
Rating: ****
6. Oklahoma Sooners
20 of 25
We finally get to my No. 2 team in the nation, which is mostly for its offense, but not for the lack of defense.
The Sooners are returning nearly all of their starters from last season and will surely improve on their 21.9 points and 363.9 yards given up in 2010.
The returning star is senior linebacker Travis Lewis, who has amassed a whopping 343 tackles in his Oklahoma career. He’s posted triple-digit tackle seasons twice and would have made it three consecutive but he was one shy in 2009. Last year alone he posted 109 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions. Simply put—the man is a beast.
Sophomore linebacker Tom Wort assists Lewis in the unit and had a fantastic freshman campaign recording 66 tackles and five sacks.
Last but certainly not least for this defensive unit is cornerback Jamell Fleming, who is returning for his senior campaign to do massive damage. He managed to put up 71 tackles, one sack, five interceptions and a touchdown.
The Sooners are certainly going to make a run at the Title in 2011.
Rating: *****
5. Ohio State Buckeyes
21 of 25
It’s going to be an extremely interesting season for the Buckeyes as head coach Jim Tressel, quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Dan Herron, wide receiver DeVier Posey, offense tackle Mike Adams and backup defensive end Solomon Thomas are all suspended for the first five games.
The good news for the Buckeyes defense is that they only lose backup Thomas for five games, while the rest of the unit stays intact to hold down the fort to open the season.
The Buckeyes return a few experienced players, most notably defensive tackle John Simon and defensive end Nathan Williams. Both are looking to make up for the loss of Cameron Heyward to the NFL.
The linebacking and secondary units take a hit, but both are at least returning one player respectively. Senior linebacker Andrew Sweat recorded 41 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception last year but will be relied upon heavily this season as an experienced leader.
Junior safety Orhian Johnson will look to better his game further after posting 50 tackles, one forced fumble and two interceptions in 2010.
Back to the defensive line, this will be the unit to hold everything together for the Buckeyes as they have one of the best lines in the nation with Simon, Williams and sophomores Adam Bellamy and Johnathan Hankins.
Simon posted 41 tackles and three sacks from the d-tackle position in 2010.
Williams also recorded 45 tackles and five sacks, one forced fumble and one interception last season. His sack totals have steadily increased his first three seasons with the team, expect them to near double-digits in 2011.
I don’t expect much of a drop off, if any, from this unit that only surrendered 13.3 points and 250.3 yards per game.
Rating: *****
4. Stanford Cardinal
22 of 25
Stanford heads into 2011 with superstar quarterback Andrew Luck. His improvement in all attributes of football will greatly assist his defense as he keeps them off the field longer.
Losing head coach and motivator Jim Harbaugh hurts, but I think the team will weather the storm.
The defense is returning a handful of starters, and the strength will be the linebacking and secondary units.
Junior inside linebacker Shayne Skov is the man to look out for after posting 84 tackles, eight sacks and a forced fumble in 2010. Skov doesn’t get the media attention he deserves, so he’ll have to turn it up a notch to make sure everyone knows his name—and he will.
Fellow linebacker Chase Thomas is just as dangerous. He recorded 70 tackles, eight sacks of his own and an interception.
With Skov and Thomas, Stanford boasts one of the best linebacker tandems in the nation.
The experienced secondary is led by senior safety Delano Howell who does a lot of damage behind Skov and Thomas. Last season, he had 60 total tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and five interceptions.
They may not even need him, but perhaps Luck should be defense just for fun…
Rating: ****
3. Oregon Ducks
23 of 25
The Ducks have a great thing going for them—their offense.
Elite running back LaMichael James and quarterback Darron Thomas will keep the defense off the field, allowing them to remain fresh and healthy throughout the season. The defense only allowed 18.4 points and 331.6 yards per game in 2010.
Cornerback Cliff Harris leads the experienced secondary and will keep the Ducks atop the BCS Rankings. The secondary is the unit that will have to be the glue to hold it all together because the front seven is weakened with the loss of star linebacker Casey Matthews leaving to the NFL.
In 2010, Harris recorded 30 tackles, six interceptions and one touchdown.
Joining Harris in the secondary is the tackling safety Eddie Pleasant, who totaled 63 tackles and two sacks to help lead the Ducks to the BCS Championship game.
Michael Clay will most likely have the difficult job of replacing the non-stop motor of Matthews. He had 38 tackles and an interception in limited action.
The Ducks are my No.1 team heading into the season and the defense mixing with the incredible offense is the reason why.
Rating: ***
2. TCU Horned Frogs
24 of 25
The Horned Frogs defense is one of the most underrated in the nation because they play within the Mountain West Conference.
Still, they only surrendered an obscene 11.4 points and 215.4 yards per battle last year.
Tank Carder is the beast of this unit and will attempt to prove that he is the best linebacker in the country.
Not a single ball carrier wants to be hit by that man. He is constantly playing with a chip on his shoulder—perhaps because the media and fans across the nation refuse to give this team credit. Last year, he recorded 61 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble and one interception.
Alongside Carder is Tanner Brock—another man you don’t want to be hit by. Who would want to get hit by some guys named Tank and Brock?
Brock amassed 106 total tackles last year with two sacks and an interception.
Together, these two make up one of the elite linebacker duos in the country. They are the ones who will provide the Horned Frogs with a third straight undefeated season.
Rating: *****
1. Auburn Tigers
25 of 25
The Tigers had one of the better defenses in the nation last season as they went on to become the best team in the country. They gave up 24.5 points
Things won’t be as easy, not that it ever is, in 2011 with Nick Fairley in the NFL. Perhaps even more important is the loss of Cam Newton on offense, who was able to extend drives with his arm and legs.
The defense only returns five starters as they look for back-to-back National Championships.
The secondary is looking to lead the defensive unit back to supremacy now that Fairley isn’t around to create pressure. They’ll have their work cut out for them, but at least they have valuable experience to help ease the pressure.
The player for the secondary who will need to be the leader for this unit is cornerback Neiko Thorpe.
Although Thorpe didn’t record an interception in 2010, he has four on his career resume. Last season, he had 62 tackles and one forced fumble in each of the two previous seasons. Entering his fourth year, he should be able to put it all together.
He will need to step his game up to keep the Tigers at the top.
The man with the most daunting task on defense may happen to be 6’3” 308 pound sophomore Jeffrey Whitaker, who will have to replace Fairley.
Whitaker is taking on an extremely tough task but he certainly has the frame to do so.
I don’t foresee the unit getting the job done as well this season without Fairley and Newton, unfortunately.
Rating: ***
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
