Thomas has been an all-around great player, but his impact has been most notable against the run, where he ranks second in the Power Five in grade (89.3). College Football: Ranking the top 10 defenses entering the 2021 season Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Malachi Moore (13) reacts with linebacker Christian Harris (8) and wide receiver John Metchie III (8) after a play against the Florida Gators at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Pass-rush matters at the Power Five level, as the pass rush can explain what happened on a given pass play just as much as coverage. A disciple of Nick Saban, Geoff Collins took over as the full-time defensive coordinator at Mississippi State just last season and led a unit that finished top-20 in defensive F/+. Comments. The goal for defensive coordinators used to be 3-and-outs and forcing turnovers. The stress of coordinating defense behind an Air Raid offense will continue at USC. I dont believe our players( in this case our CBs) are as bad as you are making them out to be. Cornerback Sauce Gardner has been the star of the group for the third consecutive season, as the true junior is in the midst of one of the best seasons from an outside corner in the PFF College era (2014-present). NFL Defensive Coordinators. True/False , Top Newcomers . News Joshua L Jones. College football involves the collective effort of the players, as well as the coaches who hone their skills and develop strategies to suppress their opponents. Before the games, he will study the approach the opposing team is likely to use during the game and then come up with a game plan that will work well against the opponent. An outstanding defensive line will key the Bearcats in 2021. With his strategies, the Wisconsin team has ranked top 5 in defense rank, and the Badgers ranked third in scoring defense and improving the points and yards allowed per game. A longtime college assistant, his 2nd season as DC at NC State in 2021 finished with the No. Theres a reason why Chris Ash, who was known for playing press, didnt in 2020. Jeff Lebby, OC, Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin has one of the brightest offensive minds in today's game. Tony Gibson, NC State. Jetson212 said (original post) Playing off coverage was done because Texas had zero defensive backs who could play press. Anon736773 said (original post) https://twitter.com/BigGameBoomer/status/1478059492801658880?s=20Posted without comment Wait.you mean to tell me PK didnt make a list for Top DC OF 2021 after fielding a terrible defense in 2021? Sixth-year DC Scalley always has the Utes among the conferences best in stopping the run and before a slow 2020, his guys had generated a ton of QB pressure. Special teams 1. I'm TELLING you they do. This sounds like standard talking points crafted by a marketing department. Take an already tough UC defense (allowed 16.8 PPG last year) and add veteran Tressel, who spent 14 years as DC at Michigan State. The Top 15 Havoc-Inducing Defensive Coordinators No surprise here with the No. This 44-year-old legend has made his mark as a top defensive coordinator in college football stealing our hearts with the great work he did when he was at Texas A&M. In zone, Iowa jumps to No. Students from various colleges form teams to compete against each other. He was one of the best defensive coordinators in college football the Wisconsin team has ever seen before going over to Baylor Bears to be the head coach. For an encore, his defense finished fourth nationally in 2021. He has earned a grade north of 86.0 against the run to go with a 90.5 grade as a pass rusher. 1. The 2019 (No. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees visited both within the past week. RELATED: 15 Largest College Football Stadiums in USA. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Brent is one of the best defensive coordinators in college football and a force to reckon with in 2022. Off-ball linebackers Leo Chenal and Jack Sanborn have generated pressure when blitzed, as they rank second and eighth respectively among Power Five off-ball linebackers in pass-rush grade. A year later, he was hired at Cincinnati as DC, and the Bearcats had the No. Without further ado, here are the top 25 defensive coordinators in college football. Also, I'm not tacitly implying other programs on the list has superior talent. The Sooners had 37 sacks in 11 games last year, and theyre a solid national title contender for 2021 partially on the strength of this great Grinch defense. It would be like if one of our posters made a graphic for their top 50 list. Depending on what the defensive coordinator for a college football wants for the team, the defense schemes vary. Lewis Cine and Christopher Smith Jr. are the first and third highest-graded safeties in the SEC while Derion Kendrick and Kelee Ringo make up the third highest-graded outside cornerback tandem in the Power Five. Hell do better with more and better players in 21. In his first season at Wisconsin, Dave led a defense that was ninth nationally in defensive F/+. Ivin Jasper (Navy) Sure, it takes a lot scrolling through the NCAA passing rankings to find the Middies, but there's a reason Jasper is the 2nd-longest-tenured coordinator in college football (entering his 14th season). The 39-year old has been arguably one of the nation's most successful assistant coaches since becoming the Badgers' Defensive Coordinator in 2016. He commanded a Utah State unit that placed No.9 in the nation in defensive F/+ the last two seasons. This isnt to say that any team can get by with a scrub defensive unit and coast to a College Football Playoff (CFP) berth, as strong defenses still matter in college football. The times that Jameson played press coverage, he got absolutely torched by Tech WRs. If you want to take single seasons as snap judgements on whether someone is a good DC, then by that standard Gary Patterson is a bad DC considering he fielded one of the worst defenses in the country this year. He will have more control of the defense the season with Schumann. The Badgers have allowed a 17.7% successful pass rate when they get pressure on the quarterback, which is the best in the FBS. But he coached UKs pass defense to top of the SEC status and sent a bunch of players to the NFL. Buckeyes coach Ryan Day has done everything at Columbus except win it all in part, because of an inconsistent defense. Under his 3-4 defense scheme, Texas A&M recorded an improvement in their scoring defense. College Football 24/7's 14 for '14 series continues with a look at some of the top coordinators in college football, mixing young up-and-comers with others seasoned with plenty of experience. The Pokes join Georgia, Wisconsin and Michigan as the only Power Five defenses with a grade above 80.0 as a team against the run, rushing the passer and in coverage. Its a list based on 2021. At every position group, Georgia is in the conversation for best in the country. The way he dials up pressure, in particular, has made his Badgers defense so special this year. I think our DBs were very average but good enough to understand down and distance and coachable and disciplined enough to play in press coverage on a few select plays during a game where the down and distance mandates that. Woodys Army defense led the nation in giving up just 275 yards per game. He assisted the Seminoles last year to make notable improvements in their run defense. Cornerback Tayler Hawkins leads SDSU secondary, as he owns an 89.9 coverage grade for the season with only 146 yards allowed across 348 coverage snaps. In three seasons under coach Gus Malzahn, Auburn hasn't cracked the top 50 in total defense. 16 in the nation in scoring defense. His arrival almost made them at Clemson break their bank but the golden question- was it worth it? His achievement was noticeable when they went 9-1 in the last season and the Bearcats were ranked 13th in total defense. PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. On pace to be one of the biggest lockdown years from a CB #CFB has ever seen.pic.twitter.com/pgG0Ezhsy1, Anthony Treash (@PFF_Anthony) November 13, 2021. Now, there certainly may be some underlying context to Pete Golding's exit and Saban may have propped the back door open for . Gardner has allowed just 87 yards and zero touchdowns across 10 starts this season while picking off three passes and breaking up another. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-888- 532-3500(Virginia) 1-800-522-4700 (NV, TN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI). 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Ravens safeties coach D'Anton Lynn is set to be UCLA's new defensive coordinator. Half the time his lists are just troll jobs too. The talent on that side of the ball is as bad as its been in a long time. There is a 20-minute break after the first two quarters. has been the top performer from the group. As part of our annual Top 25 series, heres some fodder for the water cooler arguments, as I rank the nations top 25 FBS defensive coordinators. He is no doubt one of the best defensive coordinators in college football in 2022. The. And I didnt see a unit that looked liked they had high football IQ. A few caveats. Is. Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt make up the highest-graded interior defensive line in college football. One of the surest things in college football is Venables fielding a defense that consistently takes the ball away. So it's a no-brainer that he'll have a top-notch Offensive Coordinator. 2. The head football coach who is in his sixth season at Cal was a top defensive coordinator at Boise State, Tennessee, Washington, USC, and Wisconsin. are the first and third highest-graded safeties in the SEC while. He has won two national coaching awards, and three conference coaching awards and is the architect of the "Air Raid" offense, which set NCAA records. Rudzinski's 2020 defense finished third-nationally in scoring, making it the best at the Academy since 1997. All three of those players own a PFF grade north of 80.0 for the season something only four SEC interior defensive linemen can say right now. When they dont blitz, Leonhard still tries to wreak havoc with a healthy dosage of stunts. A pair of national titles, a Frank Broyles award, even despite some tough season-ending performances the past 2 years, this guy is a top-of-the-list pick until he becomes somebodys head coach. Totally worth it! Follow @martinhouston35 on Twitter and Youtube & @themartinhouston35 or @martinhouston35fanpage on FB! Molding young players to form a strong unit of defense, Phil has done his work as one of the best defensive coordinators in college football since he stepped into the shoes of his predecessor. Wisconsin blitzes at a top-15 rate in the Power Five this season at just over 36% of the time. are among the 11 edge defenders nationally with a pass-rush grade at or above 91.0 for the 2021 season. Just the other day they had Stan drayton at like 30+ for running back coaches. The defensive coach oversees the affairs of the defense unit, assigns roles to players, and helps them prepare better during practices. has been the star of the group for the third consecutive season, as the true junior is in the midst of one of the best seasons from an outside corner in the PFF College era (2014-present). Mason's star is among the most ascendant in all of football -- college or pro. Theyve given up only four touchdowns while picking off 18 passes in zone coverage this season. He allows just 0.27 yards per coverage snap the lowest in the FBS among outside cornerbacks.