College Football's Top 10 Defenses for 2011
The old adage that says defense wins championships in football hasn’t always proved to be true at the collegiate level.
Sure, we’ve seen teams like Alabama back in 2009 that have been able to ride a dominating defense all the way to the national title. But more times than not, championship contenders are most reliant on playmaking offensive skill position players, whether it be a quarterback, running back or a wide receiver.
In this day and age of high-octane spread offenses, the main goal and focus for most teams is to put as many points on the scoreboard as possible.
Still, it never hurts to have a defense that can stop opponents cold in their tracks on a consistent basis.
With that in mind, here’s a look at a few of college football’s most talented defenses for the upcoming season.
1. Nebraska Cornhuskers
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The Cornhuskers are making the move to the Big Ten Conference this year, and they will have the benefit of the most talented defense in America to help ease the transition.
Nebraska does lose star CB Prince Amukamara, the No. 19 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft, along with a few other key members of the secondary such as safeties DeJon Gomes and Eric Hagg. But virtually every other key player returns from a unit that finished No. 9 in the country in scoring defense last year.
There’s a bona fide star player on every level of the defense.
DT Jared Crick, a likely future first-round pick, returns for his senior season to anchor a defensive line that returns three starters and is shaping up to be one of the fiercest in all of college football.
Crick, who finished the 2010 season with 9.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss, will be joined once again by DT Baker Steinkuhler and DE Cameron Meredith, who both have a shot to be All-Big Ten players.
Eric Martin, who is making the switch from linebacker to defensive end, opened some eyes in the spring, and he could turn out to be a more than serviceable replacement for the departed Pierre Allen.
At linebacker, 6’1’’, 210 lb. senior Lavonte David returns after leading the Big 12 with a whopping 152 tackles last season.
David will be flanked by Sean Fisher and Will Compton, two very capable outside linebackers.
It’s CB Alfonzo Dennard who looks like the real star of the defense though.
Dennard, a 5’10’’, 195 lb. senior, is one of the top pro prospects in America, and he made plenty of offenses regret testing him last year.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
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It’s obvious that coach Nick Saban’s genius has rubbed off on the Crimson Tide defense. Alabama has finished in the top 10 in total defense each of the past three seasons.
That likely won’t change this year, even though the team will have to make up for the loss of star defensive linemen Marcell Dareus, the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Alabama’s defense is once again loaded with players who will join Dareus in the pros someday soon.
After returning only two starters last season, the defense is now an experienced and battled-tested group that brings back 13 out of the top 15 tacklers from a year ago.
The strength will be at linebacker. This season, Alabama looks to have the best linebacker corps in not only the SEC but the entire country.
There are five players, Courtney Upshaw, Dont’a Hightower, Nico Johnson, C.J. Mosley and Jerrell Harris, who would be featured defenders on almost any other team in America.
Upshaw and Hightower are the two stars of the show and two future high NFL draft picks while Mosley, who racked up 67 tackles as a freshman in 2010, is one of the brightest young talents in college football.
Up front, the Tide will have to figure out how to replace Dareus, but luckily, they’ve got a few big bodies to throw into the mix.
Nose Tackle Josh Chapman, a 6’1’’, 310 lb. senior, will be the featured player of the three-man line, but guys like Damion Square and Ed Stinson should also make some noise.
The secondary, which will be led by senior safety Mark Barron, is also loaded with NFL talent.
Barron will be the emotional leader of the group, but it’s CB Dre Kirkpatrick and S Robert Lester who have the most natural physical ability.
All three have the potential to be first round picks.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels
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The season-long suspensions of DE Robert Quinn and DT Marvin Austin were major blows to the North Carolina defense last year, however, we may one day look back and view them as a blessing in disguise.
With Quinn and Austin out, players like DE Quinton Coples, DT Tydreke Powell and DE Donte Paige-Moss had a great opportunity to hone their skills and develop into impact defenders.
Coples, a 6’6’’, 245 lb. junior who can line up at either end or tackle, became the star of the defense, racking up 10 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.
He’s almost certain to be a high draft pick someday, and it wouldn’t be surprising if his colleagues, Powell and Paige-Moss, also develop into elite pro prospects.
The Tar Heels appear to not only have a triumphant trio of linemen, they also have a devastating duo at linebacker with Kevin Reddick and Zach Brown—the team’s two leading tacklers from a year ago.
Both Brown and Reddick have NFL futures ahead of them.
The front seven is sure to be stout, but the defensive backfield might need some work.
Safety Matt Merletti, a 5’11’’, 185 lb. senior, is the leader of the group who will have to keep things glued together, but it’s important for players like CB LeCount Fantroy and S Gene Robinson to really step up and play at a high level.
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4. LSU Tigers
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It’s hard to imagine that a defense could actually improve after losing its top three players, but LSU is a team that could defy reason.
The Tiger defense loses its three biggest stars from a year ago, CB Patrick Peterson, DT Drake Nevis and LB Kelvin Sheppard, but it still has the makings of being one of the most athletic and sound units in America.
Luckily, the Tigers have capable replacements for all three players.
At cornerback, Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu are a talented duo who are each capable of shutting down any receiver put in front of them.
At linebacker, senior Ryan Baker, the team’s second leading tackler in 2010, is a playmaker who can fly around the field.
The defensive line is a deep and diverse group that can hold their own against both the pass and the run.
Defensive End is a real position of strength, and the rotation is likely to run at least five deep with guys like Barkevious Mingo, Lavar Edwards, Kendrick Adams, Chancey Aghayere and Sam Montgomery all getting a crack.
Mingo, a 6’5’’, 240 lb. sophomore, is the real player to watch.
Michael Brockers, a 6’6’’, 300 lb. sophomore, is the probable replacement for Nevis inside, although highly regarded freshman Anthony Johnson will demand plenty of playing time as well.
One of the key leaders for the defense will be safety Brandon Taylor, a 6’0’’, 195 lb. senior who missed the last four games of the 2010 season with a foot injury.
5. Oklahoma Sooners
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There’s no doubt that Oklahoma is going to enter the season as the No. 1 team in America.
Most will point to their explosive offense, led by QB Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles, as the reason why, but the Sooners defense is more than capable of matching their offensive counterparts.
The Oklahoma defense will once again be led by LB Travis Lewis, who has led the team in tackles in all three of his seasons.
Lewis, a 6’2’’, 235 lb. senior, could have left for the NFL after last year, but he made the wise move to return, and the team is sure glad he did.
Lewis will lead a deep linebacker group that includes the likes of Tony Jefferson, Austin Box and Tom Wort.
The defensive line loses standout DE Jeremy Beal, but they have two players, Frank Alexander and Ronnell Lewis, who are more than capable of picking up the slack.
At defensive tackle, the name to remember is Jamarkus McFarland.
McFarland, a 6’2’’, 295 lb. junior, is former 4-star recruit who is continuing to develop and has a chance to really come into his own this season.
The secondary could either turn out to be great or a disaster depending on many different factors.
The first is if star CB Jamell Fleming, who isn’t currently enrolled in school, is able to find his way back onto the team.
If Flemming returns, it should ease the burden on fellow corner Gabe Lynn.
At safety, converted cornerback Aaron Colvin has a chance to shine this season as does Javon Harris, a 5’11’’, 210 lb. junior. But each must first prove they can handle being full-time starters.
6. Florida State Seminoles
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Two years ago, the Florida State defense hit rock bottom.
In Bobby Bowden’s final season, the Seminoles ranked dead last in the ACC in total defense, and they gave up an average of 30 points and 435 yards per game.
In coach Jimbo Fisher’s first season on the job, there was marked improvement on the defensive side of the ball, and there should be an even bigger improvement this year.
Florida State is loaded with impact players on all levels of the defense.
LB Nigel Bradham, DE Brandon Jenkins and CB Greg Reid are the type of players who can take a defense to the next level, and all three are some of the best at their positions in the country.
Bradham, a 6’2’’, 240 lb. senior, led the team with 97 tackles last season.
Jenkins, a 6’3’’, 260 lb. junior, had a breakout campaign in 2010, racking up 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss.
Reid, a 5’8’’, 175 lb. junior, is a playmaker who can alter the way opposing offenses call plays.
Those may be the three biggest names on the Seminole defense, but there are also plenty of other important cogs.
DT Jacobbi McDaniel, CB Xavier Rhodes and S LaMarcus Joyner are all capable of turning into All-ACC caliber players.
There are also plenty of highly-touted incoming freshmen such as S Karlos Williams and DT Tim Jernigan who will have a chance to open some eyes in fall camp.
7. Missouri Tigers
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I’m going to say it now: Watch out for this Missouri team.
Most of the preseason talk surrounding the Big 12 is going to be about teams like Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. But don’t forget about the Tigers.
The offense should be explosive, and the defense is loaded with intriguing pieces.
DE Aldon Smith made the wise decision to leave school early in order to become a top-10 selection in this year’s draft but don’t expect his departure to be a major deterrent for this defense.
Missouri is set to have one of the best DE duos in college football with junior Brad Madison and senior Jacquies Smith, who combined for 13 sacks and 21 tackles for loss last season.
The Tigers will also have a great pair of linebackers with Will Ebner and Zaviar Gooden.
Gooden, a 6’2’’, 225 lb. junior who finished second on the team with 84 tackles last season, is a force to be reckoned with and looks like one of the best linebackers that the Big 12 has to offer this year.
Safety Kenji Jackson, a 5’10’’, 195 lb. senior, is the defensive back to keep an eye on.
Jackson will have a bunch of new faces surrounding him this year, so it’s imperative that he assumes a leadership role and helps to tutor some of the new starters in the secondary.
8. Boston College Golden Eagles
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A team that hasn’t been getting a lot of attention this offseason is Boston College.
The Golden Eagles finished just 7-6 in 2010, but their lack of success can’t be blamed on their defense, which was statistically the best in the ACC.
LB Luke Kuechly is the undisputed leader of the group.
Kuechly, a 6’3’’, 235 lb. junior, has racked up an astonishing 341 tackles in just his first two seasons.
Kuechly will be flanked by freshman sensation Kevin Pierre-Louis, who finished with 93 tackles in his first year on the job.
The star linebacker isn’t the only NFL prospect to watch on the BC defense.
CB Donnie Fletcher, a 6’1’’, 200 lb. senior who picked off five passes in 2010, is one of the best defensive backs in the ACC.
The defensive line has a few concerns, but if junior DE Max Holloway and senior DT Kaleb Ramsey, who combined for 21 tackles for loss in 2010, can stay healthy for the whole year, it shouldn’t be that big of a problem.
Losing LB Mark Herzlich, who was the inspirational leader of the unit after returning from a battle with cancer last season, could be an emotional blow, but there are enough veteran players to keep things straightened out.
Kuechly is what makes this engine go, and when he’s playing at a high level, it’s tough to do much against the Golden Eagles.
9. Florida Gators
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The Gators’ offensive woes may have doomed their chances of contending for the SEC East crown last season, but that doesn’t mean the defense wasn’t up to par.
Florida finished ninth in the country in total defense and allowed just 306 yards and 21 points per game in 2010.
The defense loses star CB Janoris Jenkins, who was booted from the program by new coach Will Muschamp after being charged with marijuana possession for the second time in a four-month span and also gone is leading tackler, safety Ahmad Black.
Keep in mind though that the team has been able to bring in an abundance of top-rated defensive recruits in recent years, and there’s plenty of talent throughout the depth chart.
The front seven, especially, will be a major strength.
LB Jelani Jenkins is pound-for-pound the best player on the defense and one of the best players in the entire SEC.
Jenkins, a 6’1’’, 225 lb. redshirt sophomore, tallied 76 tackles in 2010, and he reportedly looked unstoppable in spring practices.
Jenkins will be joined by Jonathan Bostic to form one of the best 1-2 linebacker punches in America.
Jenkins and Bostic should have plenty of room to roam around this year. The defensive line is a deep and talented group that will eat up blockers and double teams on a consistent basis.
Jaye Howard, a 6’3’’, 300 lb. senior who is capable of playing either end or tackle, is a definite player to watch, but there are also plenty of former top recruits such as Omar Hunter, Ronald Powell, Shariff Floyd and Dominique Easley who are all ready to contribute in a big way.
There are holes that need to be filled in the secondary and the defensive backfield is sure to be the weakness of the defense at the beginning of the season, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t talent back there.
CB Jeremy Brown, a 5’10’’, 185 lb. junior, is a rising star.
10. TCU Horned Frogs
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If you happen to be a gambling man, you’d be wise to never bet against a defense that’s led by mastermind coach Gary Patterson.
Patterson’s TCU defenses have led the nation in total defense the past three seasons, and they’ve never allowed more than an average of 240 yards per game in any of those years.
This season, the Horned Frogs lose a few key players from a group that allowed just 12 points per game in 2010, but they still have enough parts to be stout once again.
Gone are safeties Tejay Johnson and Colin Jones, who combined for 145 tackles last year, as well as the team’s leading pass-rusher, DE Wayne Daniels. However, the Horned Frogs return their two most vital defensive players, linebackers Tank Carder and Tanner Brock.
Brock and Carder are two hard-nosed and athletic backers who are perfect fits for Patterson’s 4-2-5 defensive system.
The real player to watch is TCU’s next prized defensive end, sophomore Stansly Maponga.
The 6’2’’, 260 lb. Maponga started all 12 games as a redshirt freshman, finishing the year with 32 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
10 Other Formidable Defenses
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1. South Carolina Gamecocks
2. Arizona State Sun Devils
3. Miami Hurricanes
4. Texas Longhorns
5. Clemson Tigers
6. Arkansas Razorbacks
7. Pittsburgh Panthers
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
9. Texas A&M Aggies
10. Boise State Broncos
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