Who are the best defensive tackles coming into the 2019 college football season? Here are the 2019 CFN All-America defensive tackles and 30 top players.
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– CFN Preview 2019: All 130 Team Previews
Who are the best defensive ends coming into the 2019 college football season? Based on projections for this year – and not necessarily based on pro talent and potential ….
Honorable Mention All-American Defensive Ends
30. Doug Costin, Sr. Miami Univ.
He’s not a pro prospect, and he’s not a space-eater, but the 6-2, 295-pounder is a good all-around veteran tackle who can get behind the line and holds up well against the power teams. Going into his third year as a starter, he’s coming off an all-star 52-tackle, six-sack, 10.5-tackle-for-loss season.
– 2019 Miami University Preview
29. Michael Williams, Sr. Stanford
Stanford defensive tackles make a whole lot of plays, and that’s exactly what the 6-2, 293-pound Williams did with 42 tackles with a sack and two tackles for loss. He’s not exactly an anchor, but he’ll be a good part of a potentially great Cardinal defense.
– 2019 Stanford Preview
28. Reese Donahue, Sr. West Virginia
One of the key parts of the transition in eras and coaching, he’s a solid veteran who’d been a good part to the line for the last three seasons, making a 76 career tackles with 2.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss.
– 2019 West Virginia Preview
27. Jerome Johnson, Jr. Indiana
He might not be an elite pro prospect, but the 6-3, 294-pounder is an active, rising talent coming off a strong 32-tackle, 3.5-sack sophomore season. He’s not huge, but he can move and can be used in a variety of ways.
– 2019 Indiana Preview
26. Fua Leilua, Sr. Utah State
Who’s going to be the star in the middle of the Aggie defensive front? The 6-3, 305-pound former Oklahoma State Cowboy is active and athletic with the ability to play inside or out, making 38 tackles with 1.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. He’ll do a whole lot more in the backfield.
– 2019 Utah State Preview
25. Tanner Karafa, Sr. Boston College
While not a star on a good line, he was good as a defensive end and turned into a solid defensive tackle, making 47 tackles with four sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss. He’s not huge at 6-3 and 285 pounds, but he’s active and he’s tough as nails.
– 2019 Boston College Preview
24. TJ Smith, Sr. Arkansas
A smart, tough leader for a defensive front that needs to be a whole lot better, he’s a good 6-3, 304-pound veteran who won’t do too much in the backfield, but he’ll hold his own in the interior. He made 26 tackles with 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.
– 2019 Arkansas Preview
23. Jordan Jackson, Jr. Air Force
A feisty, undersized lineman who earned All-Mountain West honors with 54 tackles with 4.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. A mauler with tremendous quickness, the 6-5, 270-pounder finds ways to get behind the line on a regular basis.
– 2019 Air Force Preview
22. Eli Hanback, Sr. Virginia
There’s nothing flashy about his game, but he’s going into his fourth year as the starter in the middle of the Cavalier defensive front that’s about to have its best season yet under Bronco Mendenhall. The 6-4, 300-pounder has made 4.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss, but his worth is as a volume tackler with 140 stops on the inside.
– 2019 Virginia Preview
21. Viane Moala, Jr. Utah
The Hawaii transfer has grown a whole lot bigger and stronger since playing for the Rainbow Warriors, betting up to 301 pounds on his 6-6 game. He hasn’t played since 2017 – when he made 38 tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss for Hawaii – and now he’s about to gum up the works for the Utes.
– 2019 Utah Preview
19. Darrion Daniels, Sr. Nebraska
If he’s healthy, the Huskers got a gem. The 6-3, 320-pound Oklahoma State transfer was banged up for the Cowboys, but that turned out to be a plus for Nebraska – he only played four games and kept a year of eligibility. He’s a good-sized veteran with something to prove to the NFL types.
– 2019 Nebraska Preview
19. Channing Hames, Sr. Marshall
While he’s way undersized at 6-5 and 264 pounds, he’s a tough interior defender who makes up for his lack of bulk with tremendous quickness and playmaking ability. One of the stars on another great defense, he came up with 45 tackles with 7.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.
– 2019 Marshall Preview
18. Quinton Bohanna, Jr. Kentucky
Most of the tackles on this list are about getting into the backfield and doing a whole slew of active things. That’s not why you’re putting Bohanna in the middle of the line. The 6-4, 361-pounder got a sack with four tackles for loss with 17 tackles, but his job is to be the Coke machine in the middle to work around.
– 2019 Kentucky Preview
17. Jordan Davis, Soph. Georgia
When it comes to the big-time talents Georgia brings in, Davis was just an okay recruit in last season’s haul. The 6-6, 330-pounder was only part of a rotation, but he appears to be a fixture on the Bulldog line for the next few years after coming up with 25 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
– 2019 Georgia Preview
16. Corey Bethley, Jr, TCU
Okay, so he’s sort of an end as much as he is a tackle on the Horned Frog line, but the 6-2, 290-pounder is better built for the interior. Tremendously quick, he came up with five sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss and 29 tackles as a disruptive force up front.
– 2019 TCU Preview
15. Neville Gallimore, Sr. Oklahoma
Really big and really loved by the pro scouting types, the 6-2, 330-pound veteran was one of the bright spots on a mediocre defense, coming up with 50 tackles with three sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. He might not be all that tall, but he’s built for the inside, and he’s quick.
– 2019 Oklahoma Preview
14. Lorenzo Neal, Sr. Purdue
At 6-3 and 315 pounds and the quickness to go along with the bulk, he’ll be a part of an NFL defensive front next season. Before that, he’ll be the anchor of the Purdue line after earning all-star honors making 30 tackles with three tackles for loss. He’s not much of a pass rusher, but he’s a rock in the interior.
– 2019 Purdue Preview
13. Jordon Scott, Jr. Oregon
The Ducks are loaded up front, and it has a bowling ball of a defensive tackle to bring it all together. The 6-1, 329-pounder is a dependable, tough leader who has grown into one of the Pac-12’s top run stoppers. He might not do much behind the line, but that’s not his job, making 63 tackles with three sacks and eight tackles for loss in his first two seasons.
– 2019 Oregon Preview
12. Ray Lima, Sr. Iowa State
The Cyclone defense has emerged under Matt Campbell thanks to a slew of tough guys who don’t make a slew of mistakes. The former JUCO transfer has been a main part of the resurgence, earning All-Big 12 honors over the last two seasons, making 34 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss last year.
– 2019 Iowa State Preview
11. Justin Madubuike, Jr. Texas A&M
The A&M defensive front is about to grow into something special, and the 6-3, 304-pound Madubuike is a key reason why. He had a good freshman season, and followed it up with a terrific sophomore campaign making 40 tackles with 5.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. He’s about to grow into an all-star.
– 2019 Texas A&M Preview
NEXT: 2019 Preseason Top Ten Defensive Tackles
10. James Lynch, Jr. Baylor
Great from his first moment with the program, the 6-4, 290-pounder followed up a good 20-tackle freshman campaign with an All-Big 12 performance making 40 tackles with 5.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss. He’s good against the run, but he’s better as a quick option into the backfield.
– 2019 Baylor Preview
9. Jason Strowbridge, Sr. North Carolina
A tweener who can work anywhere on the defensive front – and can be versatile enough to play inside or out on an NFL line – the 6-4, 285-pound Strowbridge has been a good starter over the last two seasons coming up with 36 tackles with 5.5 sacks last year.
– 2019 North Carolina Preview
8. Josiah Coatney, Sr., Ole Miss
A big defensive end or an ultra-quick defense tackle, he’s got all the tools to come up with a huge senior season. The 6-4, 314-pound former JUCO transfer stepped in two years ago and has been solid, making 128 stops with 4.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss over his two seasons.
– 2019 Ole Miss Preview
7. Raequan Williams, Sr. Michigan State
A powerful presence on one of the nation’s top run defenses, Williams is for the inside like Kenny Willekes is on the Spartan end. The 6-4, 298-pound two-time All-Big Ten star came up with a brilliant 53-tackle junior season with two sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss. He became more of a factor to throw over, knocking down five passes to go along with all he did against the run.
– 2019 Michigan State Preview
CFN Third Team All-America Defensive Tackles
6. Rashard Lawrence, Sr. LSU
A very smart, very tough leader for the LSU D, the 6-3, 317-pound future NFL starter has been fantastic over the last two seasons. Last year, he grew into a bigger presence, making 54 tackles with four sacks. With all the talent around him, and with all of his experience, expect him to do even more.
– 2019 LSU Preview
5. Leki Fotu, Sr. Utah
The 6-5, 330-pound powerful defensive tackle doesn’t need any help, but he’s getting it with the expected emergence of Hawaii transfer Viane Moala – that will only make him stronger. Fotu is an All-Pac-12 star as a brutish run stopper making 33 tackles with three sacks after coming up with a 22-tackle junior year.
– 2019 Utah Preview
CFN Second Team All-America Defensive Tackles
4. Javon Kinlaw, Sr. South Carolina
He could’ve turned pro early and been a strong early round pick, but he’s back with the talent to repeat as an All-SEC performer after coming up with 58 tackles with 4.5 sacks. The 6-6, 302-pounder is trying to get healthy again after having a hip problem, but once he’s right, he’s a problem for the rest of the SEC.
– 2019 South Carolina Preview
3. Marvin Wilson, Jr. Florida State
The one-time super-recruit started to shine as a sophomore, and now it’s his time to break through as one of the nation’s best defensive linemen. The 6-5, 314-pound top NFL prospect can move, is strong agains the run, and showed what he could do with 42 tackles with 3.5 sacks.
– 2019 Florida State Preview
CFN First Team All-America Defensive Tackles
2. Raekwon Davis, Sr. Alabama
A tackle in just about any other situation or on just about any other team, he’s an end for the Tide. However, consider the 6-7, 312-pound veteran a rock on yet another amazing Bama line. A tackling machine for a position on a defense that doesn’t do a whole lot for stats, he followed up a 69-tackle, 8.5-sack season with 55 stops and 1.5 sacks.
– 2019 Alabama Preview
1. Derrick Brown, Sr. Auburn
A likely top ten overall draft pick, he’s what you want in an NFL defensive lineman. 6-5 and 318 pounds, he’s got the ideal size, the ideal quickness, and the all-around ability the next-level types are in love with.
With 104 tackles with eight sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss over the last two seasons, he’s coming into the season as one of the nation’s signature defensive stars, and the one who’ll shine on one of the best lines in college football.
– 2019 Auburn Preview
