2009 CFN Preview - Unit Rankings ... Defenses

CFN 2009 Preview Unit Rankings - Defenses Ranked 1 to 120

Preview 2009 ... Unit Rankings

Defenses

- CFN Preview 2009
- CFN's Top 200 Players of 2009

CFN 2009 Unit Rankings
- Offenses | Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Receivers | Offensive Lines
- Defenses | Defensive Lines | Linebackers | Secondaries  | Special Teams

1. Florida
 
The defense had to all but start from scratch two years ago with nine new starters thrown into the fire. After a fantastic year when everyone seemed to grow up at once, this should be a brick wall of a D with 11 starters back, all the top reserves returning, and enough overall talent to keep the NFL stocked for years. The stars are at linebacker where Brandon Spikes should be off to the big league with tens of millions in his back account. The ends, Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap, will be ten-year NFL starters while the tackles should have a tremendous rotation. Corner Joe Haden makes a ton of tackles and can lock down on any receiver, while the safeties are ball-hawkers who make every play possible. The overall stats might not be quite as good as last year, mainly because teams will put up garbage-time numbers in blowouts, but the defense will be better.

2. Oklahoma
 
The defense will never get the spotlight like the high-octane offense, but there are areas that are just as strong as anything on the other side of the ball. The defensive line might be the strength of the team with too many great pass rushers to get on the field at the same time, and they're all going to work around tackle Gerald McCoy, who could start in the NFL right now. With the return of Ryan Reynolds in the middle, the linebacking corps is loaded helped by Travis Lewis, who made 144 tackles, and Keenan Clayton on the outside. The secondary isn't going to be a rock, but it'll get a ton of help from one of the nation's best pass rushes and has great potential with corners Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson good ones to rely on. The depth is lacking in the back seven, but there are great athletes across the board. On the flip side, the line is loaded with a second team good enough to start almost anywhere else.

3. USC
 
Losing seven starters at a place like USC can mean just one thing: It’s time to anoint a new wave of stars. The way the Trojans recruit and coach, even the departures of NFL types, like Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, and Clay Matthews, aren’t enough to derail this defense. Sure, it may not be historically good, like a year ago, but it’ll remain plenty stingy and ridiculously fast. It all starts with All-America FS Taylor Mays, the top cop in the nation’s top secondary. The linebackers will be young, but their talent and upside is indisputable. Up front, there are an unusual amount of question marks, putting pressure on DE Everson Griffen to deliver the season of his life. Tuck aside names, like Armond Armstead, Chris Galippo, Malcolm Smith, and Shareece Wright. They may be unfamiliar today, but odds are that they won’t be by Halloween.

4. Virginia Tech
 
If ever there was a time when the Hokie D was on its heels, it would’ve been 2008. Seven all-stars had run out eligibility and the two-deep was littered with unproven players. So what happens? Tech finishes No. 7 nationally in total defense and No. 9 in scoring defense. It’s no wonder long-time assistant Bud Foster is widely hailed as one of the nation’s premier defensive coordinators. His Hokies will be air-tight again this season, welcoming back starters at every level and a slew of key letterwinners. If there’s an All-America candidate in this no-name crew, it’s junior DE Jason Worilds, who toyed with opposing tackles throughout his first season as a regular. He’ll set the tone up front for a defense that doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses and faces a schedule that’s light on firepower.

5. LSU
 
The defense wore the LSU uniforms, and it had several players that were part of the team that won the national championship in 2007, but it didn't look like LSU. The pass rush was spotty, the secondary was a sieve, and there weren't nearly enough big plays all across the board. Welcome to 2009, and welcome to John Chavis, the former Tennessee defensive coordinator who's going to have this ultra-athletic group flying around. The line loses three starters, including Tyson Jackson, but it might be more productive with pass rushing terror Rahim Alem in a full-time role and Drake Nevis about to become a star on the inside. The linebacking corps is loaded with Perry Riley, Kelvin Sheppard, and possibly top-tackling safety Harry Coleman flanking Jacob Curtera, who should be an all-star caliber defender in the middle. The secondary has speed and experience, but someone has to pick off a pass now and then and there has to be more production against the better passing teams.

6. Alabama
 
Forgetting for a moment how the defense didn't wake up against Utah until it was too late, 2008 was a special season against the run and this season the defensive front should be even better. Terrance Cody should be a starting anchor in the NFL right now, while linebackers Rolando McClain and Dont'a Hightower will soon be there. The front three in the 3-4 is huge with tackle-sized players at each spot, and that includes the backups, while the fantastic linebacking corps, a major strength after being a concern going into last year, will clean everything up. The secondary is functional and will put up nice overall stats, but the better passing teams should be able to move the ball considering the front seven doesn't generate much pressure.

7. Pitt
 
As the defense goes, so goes the Pittsburgh program. Even after losing All-American LB Scott McKillop to graduation, the Panthers are loaded on this side of the ball, especially up front. With three legitimate All-Big East contenders, they’ll control the line of scrimmage most weekends, making life easier for the linebackers and defensive backs. On the outside, Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard form one of the top 10 or so scariest pass rushing tandems in the country. Add in DT Mick Williams, a disruptive force in his own right, and Pitt has a chance to dominate most games at the point of contact. If a suitable replacement can be found for McKillop in the middle, the Panthers will hold opponents to under 20 points a game this fall.

8. Iowa
 
The formula worked last year and it should be more of the same. Don't worry about the pass rush, don't get beaten deep, keep everything in front, and hit, hit, hit. The back seven should be fantastic, possibly the best in the Big Ten, with Pat Angerer leading a loaded linebacking corps and Amari Spievey a rising superstar at corner. The defensive front takes a huge, irreplaceable hit losing tackles Mitch King and Matt Kroul, but there's good size and experience on the outside and a promising, but inexperienced, rotation on the inside. Iowa was terrific last season against the run, finishing fifth in the nation, and it'll be a shock if it's not close to as strong again. While there won't be many plays behind the line and nothing fancy done to generate pressure on the quarterback, it shouldn't affect the overall production.

9. California
 
Outstanding defensive play is not the first thing that comes to mind when Cal football is the subject. Maybe it should be. Without much national pub, eighth-year coordinator Bob Gregory has done a fantastic job with this unit. A year ago, he installed the 3-4, which was an unbridled success. The Bears ranked no lower than 26th nationally in run defense, pass efficiency defense, and scoring defense. Much of that group returns, including a top-flight defensive line and one of the country’s most aggressive defensive backfields. The lone concern will be a corps of linebackers that lost Zack Follett, Worrell Williams, and Anthony Felder to graduation. Mike Mohamed is the next big thing at the position, but he’ll need plenty of help from a quartet that’s expected to roam the field and make plays wherever they’re needed.

10. Georgia
 
The strengths are tremendous while the potential weaknesses aren't all that bad. However, there's one glaring problem, the pass rush, which might require the coaching staff to get more creative. End Justin Houston appears to be on the verge of stardom, but he's suspended for the first two games of the year and there's no one on the outside who can get into the backfield on a regular basis. On the plus side, the tackles are tremendous and the linebackers are fast, athletic, and extremely talented. However, the concern, along with the lack of a pass rushing end, is the lack of a playmaking corner. Reshad Jones is one of the nation's best safeties, but he can't do it all. He was the only defensive back to pick off a pass, and with Asher Allen off to the NFL, star punt returner Prince Miller and Brandon Boykin have to be stars right away. As always, the defense will be more than fine, and while there might be a few meltdown moments, like there were against Alabama, Florida, and Georgia Tech, this will be one of the nation's top 20 statistical defenses.

11	Ohio State
12	Penn State
13	Ole Miss
14	Clemson
15	TCU
16	Tennessee
17	UCLA
18	Texas
19	Florida State
20	West Virginia
21	Notre Dame
22	Miami
23	South Florida
24	North Carolina
25	Auburn
26	South Carolina
27	Arizona State
28	Oregon
29	Georgia Tech
30	Michigan State
31	Nebraska
32	Utah
33	Vanderbilt
34	Arizona
35	NC State
36	Boston College
37	Rutgers
38	Connecticut
39	Northwestern
40	Missouri
41	Colorado
42	Virginia
43	Boise State
44	East Carolina
45	Purdue
46	Mississippi State
47	Oregon State
48	Kansas
49	Texas Tech
50	BYU
51	Illinois
52	Wisconsin
53	Michigan
54	Kentucky
55	Stanford
56	Oklahoma State
57	Cincinnati
58	Maryland
59	Baylor
60	Wake Forest
61	Washington
62	Wyoming
63	Arkansas
64	Duke
65	Troy
66	Minnesota
67	Kansas State
68	San Jose State
69	Louisville
70	Southern Miss
71	Air Force
72	Indiana
73	Arkansas State
74	Washington State
75	Nevada
76	Fresno State
77	Texas A&M
78	Northern Illinois
79	UCF
80	Iowa State
81	UNLV
82	Louisiana Tech
83	Navy
84	Ohio
85	Central Michigan
86	Toledo
87	Syracuse
88	Ball State
89	Hawaii
90	New Mexico
91	Bowling Green
92	Marshall
93	Miami Univ.
94	San Diego State
95	Middle Tennessee
96	Temple
97	Houston
98	Colorado State
99	Western Michigan
100	Memphis
101	Army
102	Tulsa
103	Akron
104	Kent State
105	FIU
106	Rice
107	UL Lafayette
108	North Texas
109	Tulane
110	Utah State
111	UL Monroe
112	Buffalo
113	UTEP
114	SMU
115	Florida Atlantic
116	Eastern Michigan
117	Idaho
118	Western Kentucky
119	UAB
120	New Mexico State