College football rankings: Top 20 defensive players for 2024 season (2024)

20. Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama

Lawson missed three games last season but still ranked second on the team with 67 tackles and added 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and four pass breakups. The former five-star finished as a finalist for the Butkus Award and was tabbed the Crimson Tide's "most important player" on defense by Bama247's Cody Goodwin.

19. Kaimon Rucker, EDGE, North Carolina

Rucker is one of the most experienced players in college football and one of the lone bright spots on UNC's defense the last two years, leading Power Five edge rushers in pressures (96)during that span. He posted 8.5 sacks last season and is 5.0 away from tying Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor on the Tar Heels' all-time sacks list.

18. Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

Woods arrived at Clemson as a heralded top-60 recruit and finished third among FBS defensive tackles in pass-rush win rate (17.1%) as a true freshman last season. He's shed around 20 pounds this offseason and is poised to play "everywhere" along the Tigers' defensive line.

17. Ashton Gillotte, EDGE, Louisville

Gillotterated as the No. 66 EDGE in the class of 2021 but has grown into one of the ACC's best defenders and finished last season second in the conference's defensive player of the year race. He utilized his elite burst to pile up 11.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.

16. Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami

Bain delivered a dominant true freshman campaign in 2023. He finished with 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks and took home ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Miami head coach Mario Cristobal said he's "expecting an even better year" from the former top-100 prospect this fall.

15. Howard Cross III, DT, Notre Dame

Cross enters his sixth and final season of college ball as the heartbeat of one of the nation's topdefenses. He recorded 66 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and forced two fumbles last season. He was one of two defensive tackles to post 30+ pressures (39) and stops in the run game (32).

14. Danny Stutsman, LB, Oklahoma

Stutsmanhas beena hugepart of Brent Venables' success at Oklahoma. The former Top247 prospect has racked up 229 tackles, 26.5 tackles for lossand6.0 sacks over the last two seasons and will be among the favorites for the Butkus Award this fall.

13. Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State

Sawyer is one of the two highest-rated defensive linemen to sign with Ohio State in the modern recruiting era, and he's played like it. He led the Buckeyes in sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (10) last season and was equally destructive against the run.

12. Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa

Iowa found a diamond in the rough inHiggins, a former three-star recruit who rated as the No. 63 inside linebacker in the class of 2020. He led all FBS defenders in 2023 with 985 snaps and ended the year with 171 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. He was also active in coverage, notching five pass breakups and an interception.

11. Nic Scourton, EDGE,

Scourtonwas the second-highest-rated defensive lineman to enroll at Purdue since 2000, trailing only George Karlaftis. He racked up 10.0 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss as a sophom*ore last season and has his sights set for a bigger year under new Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko, who has a reputation for maximizing defensive line talent.

10. Deone Walker, DT, Kentucky

Scouts viewedWalkeras a slab of clay when he came out of high school as a four-star prospect. Kentucky molded him into one of the nation's best defensive tackles. He rewarded their work with 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss as a sophom*ore en route to AP first-team All-SEC honors last season.

9. Sebastian Castro, DB, Iowa

Castroarrived at Iowa as the No. 111 safety in the class of 2019.He movedinto the Hawkeyes' "cash" position and has blossomed, racking up 74 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions last season. He allowed an NFL passer rating of 43.7 when targeted in coverage.

8. Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson

Carter turned in an All-ACC campaign in 2023 and surprised some around the conference when he opted to return for his senior season in 2024. He'sreadying for one final audition for the NFL, and he's determined to boost his draft stock this fall. A heady player and supreme athlete, Carter racked up 62 tackles, 9.5 tackles for lossand3.5 sacks last season.

7. Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU

Perkinswas one of the most paraded high school linebackers of all time andcommitted to LSU as the No. 5 overall prospect in the class of 2022. He's totaled 147 tackles, 26.0 tackles for lossand13.0 sacks during his first two seasons at LSU and is poised to get even better under new defensive coordinator Blake Baker this season. Baker said he's seen a "senior lightbulb" turn on for Perkins this season, even though he's going into his junior year.

6. Benjamin Morrison, CB, Notre Dame

Morrisonrated as the No. 37 cornerback in the class of 2022 but has outplayed nearly all his peers. He tied for the Power Five lead with six interceptions as a freshman and got his hands on three more as a sophom*ore. He allowed just a 49.0% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks.

5. Mason Graham, DT, Michigan

Scouts viewGrahamas one of the top overall prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, high praise for the class of 2022's No. 207 overall recruit. He totaled 3.0 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss and ranked second among Big Ten defensive tackles with 28 stops in the run game. Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito called Graham an "uncommon" athlete this season and said he plans on increasing his snap count as he enters his junior year.

4. Malaki Starks, S, Georgia

Starksrated as the No. 4 overall prospect and No. 1 athlete in the class of 2022 and led allGeorgiadefenders with 847 snaps during its national championship run hisfreshmanyear.He elevated his game as a sophom*ore, racked up 52 tackles and three interceptions, and was rewarded with consensus All-America honors. Starks is the headliner of the most-talented secondary group in the SEC this season, according to 247Sports' Brad Crawford. He'll be a household name this fall.

3. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State

Downs, a former five-star recruit,ratedas the No. 8 overall prospect and top safety in the class of 2023andput his talent on display early, racking up 107 tackles, two interceptionsand16 coverage stops at Alabama last season. There's little reason to expect any sort of drop-off under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles at Ohio State. Bucknuts' Dave Biddle said the addition of Downs gives Ohio State a chance to have its best secondary in program history.

2. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

Johnson proved himself against the game's best last season, allowing just three receptions on six targets in his matchups against top-10 picks Marvin Harrison Jr. and Rome Odunze. The first-team All-Big Ten performer shined when the lights got bright, picking off another top-10 pick, Michael Penix Jr., on the first play of the second half in Michigan's national championship win over Washington. It was his fourth interception of the season.

1. James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee

Pearceis poised to beTennessee's first top-5 NFL Draft pick since Eric Berry in 2010 after racking up 9.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss as a sophom*ore last season. Pearce led all returning SEC defensive linemen with 52 quarterback pressures last season and is having his best offseason since arriving in Knoxville as a four-star recruit in 2022, according to GoVols247's Patrick Brown. Brown reported Pearce has "looked locked in and engaged" at fall camp and has been "unblockable" against the Volunteers' offensive linemen.