Every year, offensive players rule the national talk and steal the Heisman spotlight. It’s time to give the defensive players around the nation a little love, because after all, defense wins championships. Below are the players who have been tackling, sacking and intercepting opposing offenses and giving offensive coordinators headaches throughout the first five weeks of the college football season. Look for their names on All-American sheets and award watch lists down the stretch.
Key:
Tackles (TK) – Tackles for loss (TFL) – Sack (SK) – Interception (INT) – Forced Fumble (FF) – Pass Deflection (PD) – Touchdown (TD)
Linebackers:
Greg Jones – Michigan State
41 TK – 5 TFL – 1 SK – 3 FF – 2 INT
Possibly the best linebacker in college football, could have been a first round pick last year.
AJ Klein – Iowa State
52 TK – 6 TFL – 3 INT – 2 TD
Has been a welcoming surprise to the ISU defense. Returned two INT’s for touchdowns.
Mario Harvey – Marshall
65 TK – 6 TFL – 4 SK – 2 FF
A fierce competitor, Harvey stacks in below six foot but has the speed to catch anyone from behind.
Luke Kuechly – Boston College
51 TK – 7 TFL - .5 SK
Finished second in the nation in tackles last year. Only a true sophomore.
Sean Spence – Miami (FL)
38 TK – 8 TFL – 1.5 SK
Averaging over nine tackles a game, had 14 stops against Clemson. Tied for first in TFL for linebackers.
Nate Irving – NC State
39 TK – 8 TFL – 3 SK – 1 FF
First season back from a horrendous car accident, Irving is back to his old form.
Jonas Mouton – Michigan
47 TK – 4 TFL – 1 SK – 2 INT
Has been a bright spot on a young and struggling Michigan defense.
Kelvin Sheppard – LSU
48 TK – 4.5 TFL – 1.5 SK
One of the driving forces of one of the nation’s top defenses.
Akeem Ayers – UCLA
33 TK – 7 TFL – 3 SK – 2 INT
Is doing it all for the Bruins defense. Has become a leader of a defense filled with future draft choices.
Ja’Gared Davis – SMU
36 TK – 11 TFL – 6 SK – 1 FF – 1 TD
Only a sophomore, Davis gives the SMU defense a mean streak.
Defensive Line:
Jeremy Beal, (DE) – Oklahoma
25 TK – 8.5 TFL – 6 SK – 3 FF
A pass rush specialist, Beal is the leader of the Sooners front four.
Vinny Curry, (DE) – Marshall
50 TK – 13 TFL – 8 SK – 2 FF
Another member of the Herd defense, Curry leads the nation with eight sacks.
Nick Fairly, (DT) – Auburn
22 TK – 11 TFL – 5 SK – 1 INT
Fairly, a junior college transfer has been a disruptive force in every game.
Kyle Wilber, (DE) – Wake Forest
35 TK – 12.5 TFL – 5 SK – 3 FF – 1 BK
Brought in 11 tackles and two sacks against Florida State.
Da’Quan Bowers, (DE) – Clemson
23 TK – 10 TFL – 4 SK – 1 FF
Bowers is living up to the high school hype, and is shooting up draft boards.
Drake Nevis, (DT) – LSU
26 TK – 6 TFL – 3.5 SK – 1 INT – 1 FF
Nevis has made opponents think twice about running up the middle on the Tigers defense.
Ryan Kerrigan, (DE) – Purdue
34 TK – 12 TFL – 4.5 SK – 3 FF
Has been the brightest spot of a Purdue team that is falling apart piece-by-piece.
Stephan Paea, (DT) – Oregon State
16 TK – 4 TFL – 3 SK – 1 FF
Almost an unmovable force in the middle of the Beavers defense.
Brandon Bair, (DT) – Oregon
16 TK – 8.5 TFL – 3 SK – 5 PD
At 6-foot-7, Bair has gotten his hands on five passes this season at the line of scrimmage.
Vince Browne, (DE) – Northwestern
21 TK – 8 TFL – 5 SK – 1 FF
Browne has already matched his last season sack total of five, through just five games.
Defensive Back:
Dre Kirkpatrick, (CB) – Alabama
24 TK – 3 TFL – 3 INT – 1 FF
Has intercepted a pass in three straight games for the Tide defense.
Cliff Harris, (CB) – Oregon
13 TK – 4 INT – 8 PD – 1 TD – 2 PR TD
Harris has scored three touchdowns this season and is tied for the nations lead with four interceptions.
T.J. McDonald, (S) – USC
42 TK – 2 TFL – 1 SK – 2 INT
McDonald has done everything for the Trojans defensively, including leading the team in tackles.
Ahmad Black, (S) – Florida
37 TK – 3 TFL – 3 INT – 1 FF
Black has been the force behind one of the nation’s best secondaries.
Patrick Peterson, (CB) – LSU
15 TK – 2 INT – 6 PD – 2 PR TD
Peterson is so talented he has become a Heisman candidate in the minds of many.
Ray Ray Armstrong, (S) – Miami (FL)
22 TK – 2 INT – 4 PD – 1 TD
A fierce hitter at 6-foot-4 220 pounds, Armstrong has become a force in the Miami secondary.
Sterling Moore, (CB) – SMU
14 TK – 2 TFL – 1 SK – 2 INT – 7 PD – 1 TD
Has done a bit of everything for the SMU defense this season.
Janoris Jenkins, (CB) – Florida
19 TK – 3 TFL – 1 SK – 2 INT – 1 TD
Teams with Black to make one of the best corner and safety combos in the country.
Robert Lester, (S) – Alabama
22 TK – 1 TFL – 1 SK – 4 INT
Only a sophomore, Lester has become just as intimidating a player to throw at as teammate Mark Barron.
Terrence Sweeney, (CB) – Kansas State
16 TK – 1 TFL – 2 INT – 8 PD – 1 FF
Just 5-foot-8, Sweeney continues to get tested by quarterbacks and continues to make them pay.
No comments:
Post a Comment