There are far more important things in life right now than college football. He still failed to generate a consistent rate of pressure, but the improvement this past season gives hope for a similar one in 2020. They've got to replace two studs in Robert Windsor and projected NFL high-round selection Yetur Gross-Matos. More specifically, while defending the slot in 2019, he ceded a 58.9 passer rating and didn't allow a touchdown in 348 coverage snaps, per PFF. Join today! Gregory Rousseau and Quincy Roche don’t even need an introduction. He demands extra attention off the edge, yet Rumph will also wander around the defensive front to keep blockers guessing. After featuring in a limited role in 2018, Riggins produced an 83.5 pass-rush grade and earned the starting role in 2019. For players on new teams, I simply include their most recent season's production in bot… MORE: Week 4 bowl projections After three weeks of struggling against the spread, it’s time to get back on track. The former 5-star prospect and 6'6", 255-pound physical marvel was an impact player as a freshman who registered 24 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks. Suaava Poti redshirted, and it's a mystery where he fits, if anywhere, in the rotation. His running mate at the other end spot may arguably be better. Losing Young is an impact anybody would feel, but Ohio State gets to replace the defensive end with Zach Harrison. What do you think? Michael Barnett was a quality piece as a rotational guy, too. Posted by Zach | Jun 16, 2020 | ACC, Big Ten, Clemson, Football, FSU, MAC, Miami, Michigan | 0 |. Please check your email for a confirmation. He had an elite 90.0 overall grade through the first nine weeks. He wasn’t terrible rushing the passer overall, with a pass-rush grade of 76.0, but perhaps sticking to one spot on the line would help the junior fare better in 2020. He notched 62 tackles, broke up 11 passes, had four interceptions and forced two fumbles. Get the latest College Football rankings for the 2020 season. He needed to improve his pass-rushing after posting a 59.4 pass-rush grade last year, and he delivered in 2019. In a six-part series, we’ll be looking at the five best defensive lines in college football for this upcoming 2020 college football season. After an explosive freshman season, Xavier Thomas fizzled. Now that the Big Ten season is back, some oddsmakers and sportsbook sites are updating and recycling the college football futures out there. One of the toughest, yet arguably most important position groups in the country is the defensive line. The Lions will be strong yet again, though, especially up the middle where the defensive tackles should be the unit's strength. Watching him creep over the interior offensive line as a linebacker and busting through the gaps right after the snap is a sight to see. The combination of these two pass rushers should be a handful for opposing offenses. In addition to ranking sixth in PFF grade there, he’s the only player to produce run-defense and pass-rush grades above 85.0. Tyler Friday and Javontae Jean-Baptiste provide quality backup options too. Based on returning talent, depth and incoming recruits, B/R ranked the best defensive lines in college football for the coming season. 12. Onwuzurike broke into the rotation as a freshman and has played a key role in the last two seasons. This can indicate a tough run defense or can indicate that the team's offense scores so many points that opponents are forced to pass more. All-in-all, his two-year pass-rush grade is tied for 10th, and with Koonce on the other side, he forms one of the best pass-rush edge duos in college football in 2020. Hutchinson has been pretty consistent rushing the passer at nearly every alignment, except for nose tackle. Welcome to College Football News's European Union Experience. And it starts with a rock-solid secondary. Much like the other three teams in the top four on this list, it comes down to next-level recruiting that produces elite playmakers every season. 26 tackles, six for loss and two sacks in 11 games. He has a monumental impact against the run, and he's an NFL prospect because of his sheer size. We’ll get the bad news out of the way first — Durden’s tackling has been bad. Other players such as Isaiah Mullens, Gio Paez and Rodas Johnson give Chryst a lot of options to play around with. Rittenberg has OSU’s defense ranked as the No. There are plenty of question marks up the middle, but the Hurricanes have lots of capable bodies, and the edge-rushers are as good as any in the nation. Diving into PFF’s database that is used by all 32 NFL teams and 70 FBS programs, we give you the top defensive linemen set to return to college football in 2020: [Editor's note: Check out our other top college football returner lists, including quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, offensive linemen and defensive backs.]