Projecting College Football's Top 8 Defensive Stars in 2024

The players who are most involved in scoring touchdowns tend to capture the most attention around college football.

But that's not always fair, is it?

Elite defenders can change a game, even if doing so isn't as likely compared to offensive stars. Long runs and big catches are important, but sacks, interceptions and third-down stands are just as clutch.

The list, while subjective, includes eight players with the upside of becoming clear-cut All-American defenders on one of the nation's top teams. Several of them, in fact, have already earned that billing.

Clemson lost several key defenders to the NFL draft and another to a transfer. Still with the Tigers, however, is Barrett Carter.

The veteran linebacker has produced 135 tackles with 20 for loss (nine sacks) during his two seasons as a starter. He's also broken up 13 passes, grabbed three interceptions and forced two fumbles.

Carter's well-rounded impact will be especially valuable now that fellow linebacker and top tackler Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is headed to the pros.

As the Tigers work to reclaim the ACC and return to the College Football Playoff, Carter will be the featured player of their defense.

With a nod to star nickelback Sebastian Castro, Iowa's leader is tackle machine Jay Higgins.

Higgins occupied a limited role in 2020 and 2021 before shifting into a rotational spot in 2022. Last season, though, the linebacker earned a starting job and exploded for a nation-high 171 tackles.

"He's gotten better year in and year out," teammate Quinn Schulte said, per John Steppe of the Cedar Rapids Gazette. "The thing that I think people don't realize is that last year, before (Jack) Campbell had his breakout season, Jay was still running with the ones during the spring."

Iowa desperately needs its offense to improve, but Higgins will be the critical man in the middle of another sensational defense.

Harold Perkins Jr. dazzled the country as a true freshman with 73 tackles—including 14 for loss and 8.5 sacks—and four forced fumbles. He was an all-around menace for a surprise SEC West-winning LSU team.

Naturally, that impressive year led to major expectations for 2023, but he wasn't quite as loud.

Perkins recorded 75 stops with 13 for loss and 5.5 sacks, adding five pass breakups and three forced fumbles. He garnered second-team All-SEC recognition, so Perkins still had a quality year.

There's no question he's capable of more, though.

Particularly if new defensive coordinator Blake Baker unleashes Perkins as a pass-rusher, he could be the nation's most feared defender.

During the opening month of the 2023 season, Rueben Bain Jr. only played a majority of snaps in one game. He'd performed incredibly well but didn't have a consistently large role.

Soon enough, Miami could hardly take him off the field.

The freshman edge-rusher contributed on a tackle for loss in eight of the Hurricanes' 13 contests, ending the campaign with 12.5 stops in the backfield. Bain collected 7.5 sacks and forced three fumbles.

Miami picked up Marshall transfer Elijah Alston to fortify the edge-rushing group, and both Akheem Mesidor and Nyjalik Kelly are returning from injuries. This won't be a one-man show in Coral Gables.

Bain, though, has immense breakout potential in 2024.

It would be nothing short of ridiculous to not mention the reigning Bednarik Award winner, right?

Xavier Watts tied Wisconsin cornerback Ricardo Hallman—who's not formally highlighted here but is another star player to watch—with a nation-leading seven interceptions in 2023. Most notably, the Notre Dame safety grabbed two picks against USC's Caleb Williams.

Beyond the takeaways, though, Watts collected 52 tackles with three for loss and broke up four passes.

Given that Notre Dame appears to have a favorable schedule in 2024, Watts and a veteran-laden defense can be the backbone of the Fighting Irish's pursuit of a CFP trip.

Amid the fallout from Nick Saban's retirement, Alabama lost a potential superstar in safety Caleb Downs.

Be sure to say thank you, Ohio State fans.

Downs amassed a Bama-best 107 tackles as a true freshman, holding down the back end of a top-25 defense. He also grabbed two interceptions, broke up four passes and forced a fumble as the Crimson Tide recovered from an early loss to win the SEC and make the CFP.

Ohio State has a star-studded unit thanks to the return of NFL-eligible players JT Tuimoloau, Jack Sawyer and Denzel Burke. Truly, I could feature any of them and quickly defend it.

But between the transfer spotlight and his 2023 performance, Downs is the Buckeyes' main defender to know.

Similar to Ohio State, Oklahoma has multiple options. Be sure to not overlook linebacker Danny Stutsman, who racked up 124 tackles in 2022 and posted 104 more in 2023. He's a spectacular player.

When a defender scores three touchdowns in a year, though, it's tough to not be drawn that way.

Billy Bowman Jr. is a versatile safety who spends a good portion of his time aligned in the slot. A standout wide receiver in high school, Bowman has shown off his ball skills with nine interceptions in the last two years—and returned three of his picks to the end zone in 2023.

Throw in his pair of 60-tackle seasons, and Bowman is an integral piece of OU's success (and transition to the SEC).

Texas, meanwhile, has brought in a stellar reinforcement to the defensive line in advance of the program's SEC debut.

During the 2022 season, Trey Moore gathered 58 stops with 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks. Last year, the UTSA edge-rusher notched 45 takedowns with 17.5 TFLs and 14 sacks en route to winning AAC Defensive Player of the Year.

As you can imagine, then, Moore became a high-priority target for the Longhorns once he hit the portal.

How exactly the Longhorns will utilize Moore is a fair question, and a deeper rotation than expected may limit his statistical upside. Still, offenses must be prepared to scheme around Moore.