College Football 2011: Predicting the 10 Most Lethal Pass-Rushers in the Nation

This year's 2011 NFL Draft will be filled from top to bottom with talented pass-rushers that will make a living at the next level by terrorizing opposing quarterbacks.

But while all of those feared defensive ends move onto the next chapter in their career, who will dominate the defensive line in 2011?

We have all seen how important having a dominant pass-rush can be to a team's success. Just look at Nick Fairley with Auburn, JJ Watt with Wisconsin and Cam Heyward with Ohio State. All three of those guys were dominant pass-rushers, and all three of their teams played in BCS Bowls this past season.

With that said, let's take a deep look into next year's college football season and come up with a list of the 10 most lethal pass-rushers in the country. Beware quarterbacks, this is a list that you all might want to take notice of.

10. Nick Perry, USC

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PASADENA, CA - DECEMBER 6: Nick Perry #8 of the USC Trojans walks on the sideline against the UCLA Bruins on December 6, 2008 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. USC won 28-7. (Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images)

Nick Perry was an absolute stud for the Trojans in his first year playing for the Trojans in 2009. As a freshman, Perry appeared in all 13 games while recording 24 tackles, including 9 for losses. He was named a Freshman All-American by every sporting publication known to man.

But what makes Nick Perry so special is how he has this unique ability to get to opposing teams quarterbacks.

Perry recorded a team-high eight sacks as a freshman and then followed that up with 25 tackles and five sacks in his sophomore year.

Next season, Perry will return as a second-year defensive end, and he should be looked at to terrorize Pac-10 quarterbacks from day one. If he continues on this pace, he should be a first-round draft pick in the near future.

9. Devin Taylor, South Carolina

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ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 04: Devin Taylor #98 and Cliff Matthews #83 of the South Carolina Gamecocks force a fumble by quarterback Cam Newton #2 of the Auburn Tigers during the 2010 SEC Championship at Georgia Dome on December 4, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia.

With names like Stephen Garcia, Marcus Lattimore and Alshon Jeffrey stealing all the headlines with what should be a dominant offense in 2011, many forget to mention South Carolina's defense.

Leading the way on that defense is junior defensive end, Devin Taylor. This 6'7" 248 pound lineman hit the scene in a big way last year and left fear in the eyes of any quarterbacks that have to go up against the Gamecocks in 2011.

This past season, Taylor recorded 46 tackles to go along with seven sacks, which ranked forth in the SEC Conference. He was named first-team ALL-SEC by the Associated Press and will likely be looked at as an All-American candidate heading into next season.

When you talk about a pass-rushing force, this guy is 248 pounds of steam running at you. Now that's lethal.

8. Andre Branch, Clemson

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AUBURN, AL - SEPTEMBER 18: Andre Branch #40 of the Clemson Tigers against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

First it was Da'Quan Bowers, but now with one former Clemson star defensive end moving onto the NFL draft, another star takes his place.

Andre Branch was a highly-touted kid coming into Clemson and he sure played like it last year. Despite playing opposite of Bowers, who led college football in sacks, Branch managed to record six sacks of his own.

In Clemson's bowl game, Branch was an apsolute force, recording 7 tackles and two sacks from the defensive end position. Look for him to take on a much bigger role in 2011 and by seasons end, you will hear his name mentioned plenty of times by Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. when they are discussing the top defensive lineman in the 2012 draft.

7. Vinny Curry, Marshall

Regardless of the fact that Vinny Curry plays for Marshall, he will still be looked at as one of the top defensive ends in the country in 2011.

Curry is an absolute beast coming off the end, and when you talk about lethal pass-rushers, this guy's 12 sacks in 2010 certainly makes him qualify for that list. Standing at 6'5" 242 pounds, Curry could have left early and been a high draft pick this year, but he chose to come back for his senior season, which isn't great news for opposing quarterbacks.

Chances are that when next season comes up an end, Curry will find his name right near the top of the nations' sack leaders once again.

6. Shea McClellin, Boise State

While so much focus has gone to Kellen Moore and the prolefic Boise State offense over the past couple of years, there has been a guy on the defensive end who has put up some eye-popping numbers as well for the Broncos.

Shea McClellin has been in apsolute sack machine for the Blue and Orange during his collegiate career. He has been a mainstay at the defensive end position since his freshman season, but it was his junior year that really stood out. McClellin recorded a team-high 9.5 sacks last season, which ranked in the top-20 in the nation.

McClellin is a lot like JJ Watt, who will likely be an early first round pick in this year's draft. He is strong, has good size, and has that non-stop motor, which coaches love to see in a player. And just like Watt did, McClellin loves to get after the opposing teams quarterbacks.

5. QuInton Coples, North Carolina

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CHAPEL HILL, NC - OCTOBER 11: Quinton Coples #90 and Tydreke Powell #91 of the North Carolina Tar Heels celebrates after sacking Jimmy Clauson #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Kenan Stadium October 11, 2008 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo b

At this point, you are probably wondering to yourself, how many dominant defensive linemen does North Carolina have?

With Marvin Austin and Robert Quinn both being suspended this past season and now moving onto the NFL, that opened the door for a guy like Coples to make a big splash in the college football world.

Standing at 6'7" and weighing just under 250 pounds, Coples used his superior size and strength combination to breeze past offensive tackles in the ACC this year. He recorded a team-high 10 sacks and the scary part about it is, he will only get better in the offseason.

The question that people have to be asking themselves is: If North Carolina has all these outstanding defensive lineman, why aren't they a better football team?

4. Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh

Brandon Lindsey is the only defensive tackle to appear on this list. But when you play in a major BCS conference, and record 10 sacks as an interior lineman, you are well deserving of this No. 4 spot here.

Nick Fairley is a canidtatte to be the No. 1 pick in this April's NFL Draft, but when you look at the numbers, Lindsey was right there with Fairley as far as statistics go. In fact, he was the only defensive tackle other than Fairley and Roosevelt Nix of Kentucky, to play in a BCS conference and record 10 or more sacks this past season.

Lindsey dosen't have exceptional size, but he converted from an outside linebacker in his sophomore season, to a defensive end in his junior year, and now is playing tackle.

If Lindsey can continue to add on some more muscle and weight, he will be one of the best pass rushers in all of college football next season. 

3. Jonathan Massaquoi, Troy

I tagged Jonathan Massaquoi as one of my breakout stars to watch entering the 2011 college football season, and I will stick with that prediction until he proves me wrong.

Despite playing for a small school like Troy, Massaquoi is still as feared a pass rusher as there is in all of college football. His 13.5 sacks in 2010 ranked third in the nation last year. 

Massaquoi is a guy that comes from a football family. He is a cousin of current Minnesota Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and Cleveland Brown receiver Mohammed Massaquoi. While his cousins are paid big money to catch the ball, Massaquoi instead chooses to terrorize opposing quarterbacks. And chances are that if he keeps up this type of pace, he will get getting paid big money to play on Sundays as well, just like his cousins.

2. Brandon Jenkins, Florida State

There really aren't too many players throughout the country, reguardless of position, that are expected to be as dominant as Brandon Jenkins is this year for Florida State.

This 6'3" 260 pound defensive end had a breakout year last season, recording a team-high 13.5 sacks, which ranked third in all of college football. In fact, Jenkins was so dominant off the edge, that he recorded a sack in all but two games that he played in this past season.

Keep in mind that Jenkins is only 20 years old, which means that he still has more time to grow and fill out what is already an intimidatting body frame. It wouldn't surprise me if this guy led the nation in sacks next season and went on to be a first round draft pick the following year. He's just that good.

1. Bruce Irvin, West Virginia

When you record 14 sacks in your season and are known throughout campus as "the sack master," you better believe that you are going to appear at No. 1 on this list.

Bruce Irvin hit the scene in a huge way in 2010 and was an abbsolute  menace to every Big East quarterback that he lined up against. Irvin's sack total ranked second in the nation, only behind Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers, who will likely be a top-5 pick in this April's NFL Draft.

After a sub-par year in 2010, West Virginia is yet again ranked in the preseason top 25 in most polls. Some people question why that is, but when you look at their defensive line, which is anchored by a guy like Irvin, that should make it pretty clear as to why.

Look for this guy to be amongst the nation's leaders in sacks in 2011 and go on to be a feared pass rusher in the NFL. When you hear anyone talk about the most lethal pass-rushers in college football, it would be impossible not to mention Bruce Irvin in that category.