Big Ten Football 2011 Preview: Ranking the Top 10 Defensive Linemen
There's no hiding the fact that the Big Ten lost a ton of star defensive linemen from a year ago.
DE Ryan Kerrigan, DT Corey Liuget, DE Cameron Heyward and DE J.J. Watt were all first-round picks in the 2011 NFL draft.
None of those four will be easy to replace by any stretch of the imagination, but that doesn’t mean the conference’s cupboard is bare when it comes to top-notch defensive linemen.
While we probably won’t see four Big Ten defensive linemen chosen in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, it’s safe to say that at least a few will receive heavy consideration.
Let’s have a look at the Big Ten defensive linemen who should make the biggest impact in 2011.
1. DT Jared Crick, Nebraska
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The Nebraska defense is shaping up to be one of the elite units in college football this season.
The Cornhuskers are loaded with star power and players like LB Lavonte David and CB Alfonzo Dennard should quickly make a name for themselves in the Big Ten Conference.
There’s one player in particular who will keep offenses shaking and that’s DT Jared Crick.
Crick is one of the most heralded NFL prospects of the 2012 class and with good reason.
The 6’6’’, 285-pound senior assumed Ndamukong Suh’s role as a dominant defensive force last year, racking up a team-high 9.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.
This season, Crick will once again be the face of one of college football’s most imposing defensive lines.
2. DT Kawann Short, Purdue
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It’s completely understandable that a young star player could become frustrated because he is forced to play second fiddle to an older veteran. But if Kawann Short was upset at having to defer much of the attention to last year's Big Ten sack master, Ryan Kerrigan, the big 300-pound junior certainly didn’t show it.
Short went about his business, collecting 4.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss and he displayed the type of rare ability that caught every onlooker's attention.
Now that Kerrigan’s gone, it’s time for Short to step out of his former teammate’s shadow and follow a similar path to stardom.
3. DT Jerel Worthy, Michigan State
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Michigan State won’t have an easy time figuring out how to cover up the loss of star All-American MLB Greg Jones. But the Spartans don’t have to hit the panic button just yet.
Even though Jones, who was the team's leading tackler and top defensive leader for the past three years, is gone, the Michigan State defense should still be strong up front with big DT Jerel Worthy taking up space in the middle.
Worthy, who finished the 2010 season with eight tackles for loss and four sacks, may have the highest ceiling of any defensive lineman in the country.
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4. DE Broderick Binns, Iowa
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Iowa loses three outstanding defensive linemen—Adrian Clayborn, Christian Ballard and Karl Klug—from a year ago, but the Hawkeyes do have two tough players returning to the trenches in DE Broderick Binns and DT Mike Daniels.
At this point, Daniels is the more proven commodity out of the two but Binns appears to possess the potential to be a pass-rushing star.
The 6’2’’, 260-pound senior has dealt with a few bumps in the road during his collegiate career but he now looks ready to finally put his talent to good use.
Binns went sackless last season after losing his starting job, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him approach double-digit sacks in 2011.
5. DT Mike Martin, Michigan
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The Michigan defense wasn't just bad last season; it was basically nonexistent.
Last season, the Wolverines finished dead last in the Big Ten in both scoring defense and total defense, allowing 35 points and 450 yards per game.
The glaring troubles cast a dark cloud over the entire unit, but in reality, most of the costly mistakes could be traced back to a young, inexperienced secondary.
Michigan’s three-man defensive line, led by DT Mike Martin, actually played fairly well as a whole.
Martin, one of the strongest defenders in all of college football, anchored the middle of the defense and swallowed up double-teams with great regularity.
Martin and DE Ryan Van Bergen are back to give the defense two proven leaders up front.
The 6’2’’, 300-pound senior should continue causing havoc for opposing offensive linemen throughout the 2011 season.
6. DE Vince Browne, Northwestern
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Northwestern needed someone to emerge along the defensive line and become an impact player after star DE Corey Wootton moved onto the NFL last year.
The Wildcats found the man they were looking for with DE Vince Browne.
Browne stepped up in Wootton’s absence and became the star of the defense, leading the team with seven sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.
The 6’5’’, 265-pound senior is a strong and active edge player who has the same type of pro potential as his predecessor.
7. DT Devon Still, Penn State
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Penn State seems like it could be one of those "waiting in the weeds, ready to pounce" type of teams this year.
The Nittany Lions have a ton of talent returning and there are impact players all over the offense and defense.
The key player for the Penn State defensive front four will be imposing tackle Devon Still.
Still will be counted on to be one of the main leaders of a defense that fell back to the pack in 2010 after two consecutive dominant seasons.
The 6’5’’, 305-pound senior led the team with four sacks and 10 tackles for loss last season, and he’ll likely repeat that feat again in 2011.
8. DE Nathan Williams, Ohio State
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The loss of DE Cameron Heyward is a tough blow for the Buckeyes defense and it certainly doesn’t help that the unit loses six other starters besides Heyward.
That means experienced veteran starters such as DE Nathan Williams will have to step their game up and carry the defense early in the season.
Last year, Williams led the team with 4.5 sacks, added 8.5 tackles for loss and played a big part for Ohio State’s outstanding run defense.
Williams will team with John Simon to give Ohio State a formidable defensive line duo.
9. DE/LB Michael Buchanan, Illinois
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The Illinois roster loses some big names from 2010 but the Illini are loaded with potential breakout players on both sides of the ball.
On defense, somebody along the front seven will have to make up for the loss of LB Martez Wilson and that player appears to be Michael Buchanan.
Buchanan, who plays the hybrid Bandit position for the Illinois defense, racked up a modest 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks last season, but he did manage to show flashes of his immense potential on a consistent basis.
The 6’6’’, 225-pound junior is an athletic and speedy specimen who should be able to pick up right where Wilson left off.
10. DT Baker Steinkuhler, Nebraska
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Jared Crick isn’t the only player to watch on Nebraska’s defensive line.
The Cornhuskers have a front four that could go toe to toe with any other defensive line in college football and the main complement to Crick will be his sidekick, fellow tackle Baker Steinkuhler.
Steinkuhler isn’t going to make Nebraska fans forget about Ndamukong Suh anytime soon, but the 6’6’’, 290-pound junior has developed into Crick's perfect partner in crime.
The former standout of the 2008 recruiting class made his presence felt early on in his career in Lincoln.
Steinkuhler racked up 3.5 sacks last year and with Crick eating up blockers, he should be able to find his way to the quarterback a whole lot more this season.
Honorable Mentions
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Mike Daniels, Iowa
Ryan Van Bergen, Michigan
Louis Nzegwu, Wisconsin
Jack Crawford, Penn State
Cameron Meredith, Nebraska
John Simon, Ohio State
Jordan Kohout, Wisconsin
Anthony Jacobs, Minnesota
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