Ranking the Top 15 College Football Defenses for the 2024 season

With 2019 LSU being an exception, defenses have essentially carried national championship programs in recent years.

Georgia set the bar back in 2021 when the Bulldogs orchestrated one of the greatest defensive seasons in college football history.

Last season, the Michigan Wolverines cruised to a national title behind a defense that led the country in scoring defense (10.4 PPG allowed), total defense, and turnover margin (+1.3).

In fact, Michigan’s defense played 863 snaps in 2023 and only played from behind on 13 of them!

So yes, defense still wins championships and will never not matter in the college football world. Here’s a look at the top 15 defenses ahead of the 2024 season.  

What an offseason for the Buckeyes. A handful of superstars return on the defensive side of the ball, most notably edge rushers Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau and cornerback Denzel Burke.

The “weaker” position group on this unit is linebacker as the Buckeyes need to replace both Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg, but do-it-all safety Sonny Styles is bumping down to the second level and either Cody Simon or former five-star CJ Hicks will slot into the other spot.

The secondary should be the nation’s best with the addition of Alabama transfer Caleb Downs to go along with Jordan Hancock and Burke. Throw in the fact that Jim Knowles is a top-five defensive coordinator and this defense is as complete as they come.

The Bulldogs missed the CFP last season, but still ranked ninth in total defense and fifth in scoring defense. And as long as Kirby Smart is in town, this defense is going to be nothing short of elite.

Georgia returns a plethora of top-shelf talent in preseason All-Americans Mykel Williams (DE) and Malaki Starks (S). Second-team All-SEC defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse is back and so are two linebackers listed atop the 2025 NFL Draft charts; Smael Mondon and Jalon Walker.

Don’t be fooled, Georgia’s backups would start for most other teams as well, so depth is not a concern either. Realistically, Ohio State and Georgia are 1A and 1B on this list.

Offense jokes aside, head coach Kirk Ferentz knows how to produce high-level defenses on an annual basis.

Last season, Iowa ranked in the FBS top 10 in total defense (7th), scoring defense (4th), and passing defense (5th). Phil Parker is one of the top defensive coordinators in the country and will once again have an outstanding group this fall.

The secondary loses second-round defensive back Cooper DeJean, but this group has statistically been a top-25 pass defense since 2017 and returns standouts Sebastian Castro and Quinn Schulte.

The linebacker corp will arguably be the nation’s best to the likes of second-team All-American Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson (110 tackles in 2023). Expect the Hawkeyes to be their normal dominating selves in 2024, especially with a favorable schedule at hand.

From front to back, this Fighting Irish defense is loaded with NFL talent. Chuck Nagurski winner Xavier Watts, who led the country with seven interceptions in 2023, is back at safety and will patrol the secondary with All-American caliber cornerback Benjamin Morrison.

Veteran Jack Kiser will be the anchor at linebacker after leading the team with 41 solo tackles last season.

Up front, Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist Howard Cross III returns and so does defensive tackle Rylie Mills, whose 13.5 percent pressure rate ranked fourth among FBS interior linemen in 2023. If Notre Dame heads to the promised land this season, this defense will carry them there.

The losses of head coach Jim Harbaugh, DC Jesse Minter, and five starters make this unit slightly weaker, but what Michigan retained on defense is still impressive.

The defensive front will continue to be the nation’s best to the likes of All-American Mason Graham and second-team All-Big Ten Kenneth Grant — two future NFL starters.

While the linebacker room lost all three starters, the secondary will still be potent with All-American Will Johnson and safety Wesley Walker, even if free safety Rod Hill tore his ACL in the spring.

Former NFL defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will inherit a defense that should still be one of the country’s most gifted and this group will once again carry the Wolverines in 2024.

Losing defensive coordinator Manny Diaz is a tough blow, but that does not mean that this Nittany Lion defense will take a noticeable step back this fall.

Former Indiana head coach Tom Allen fills into the position and inherits one of the most talented units in the nation — one that features a future first-round linebacker and a strong rotation of talented defensive linemen.

Penn State only allowed 2.3 yards per carry in 2023, and, despite the loss of Chop Robinson, the team has eight defensive linemen capable of replicating those numbers.

All-Big Ten linebacker Abdul Carter is back and is accompanied by Kobe King (No. 2 tackler in 2023) and the promising Tony Rojas.

The secondary is a riddle yet to be solved, but the additions of cornerbacks Jalen Kimber (Florida) and AJ Harris (Georgia) could be the answer. This will still be a stout group and the backbone of a Nittany Lions squad that faces a very generous Big Ten schedule in 2024.

There’s a reason why the Ducks are a preseason national title contender and it doesn’t just have to do with their high-flying offense.

Backed by a vicious pass rush and a talent-rich secondary, there’s every reason to believe that Oregon will have a top-10 defense in 2023. Edge rusher Jordan Burch is a freak of nature who has "first-round draft pick" written all over him.

Throw in five-star Elijah Rushing, four-star Aydin Breland, and Houston transfer Jamaree Caldwell, and the trenches are set. The secondary returns five starters and added Washington transfer and second-team All-Pac 12 cornerback Jabbar Muhammad.

Oregon also brings back its second-leading tackler from a season ago, second-team All-Pac 12 linebacker Jeffrey Bassa. America will find out just how good this defense is on Oct. 12 when Ohio State comes to town.

The Seminoles are on a revenge tour this season and are hoping to return to the CFP for the first time since 2014. Defensively, Florida State will have one of, if not the best unit in the ACC.

Despite losing three defensive backs to the NFL, the Noles will boast one of the top secondaries in college football with All-ACC talents Fentrell Cypress II (CB) and Shyheim Brown (BUCK) leading the way, as well as promising cornerback Azareye’h Thomas.

DJ Lundy anchors the linebacker room while the defensive front is littered with talented playmakers, such as 2022 ACC Freshman of the Year Patrick Payton and second-team All-ACC Joshua Farmer.

Losing a handful of starters usually calls for regression, but Mike Norvell hit the portal hard to give this defense enough depth to yet again be one of the nation’s strongest.

If you are familiar with college football, you know that Nick Saban-led Alabama teams possessed elite defenses year in and year out. Saban’s successor, Kalen DeBoer, is more of an offensive-oriented coach but still recognizes the need to produce high-caliber defenses in the SEC.

His coaching hire of South Alabama’s Kane Wommack was a sign of fulfilling that need, but replacing four NFL defenders, including Dallas Turner, Terrion Arnold, and Kool-Aid McInstry, plus transfer Caleb Downs, calls for a reload.

The secondary will be young, but still possesses talent with Malachi Moore and transfers Keon Sabb (Michigan) and Domani Jackson (USC). Alabama's interior line should be one of the SEC’s top groups with three starters back, including senior Tim Smith.

Jah-Marien Latham and Damon Payne Jr. add quality depth to the group. Deontae Lawson returns at linebacker and could end up being one of the nation’s best.

Seeing how much DeBoer and Wommack’s defense differs from past Crimson Tide teams will be interesting, but this should still be one of college football’s better units from a talent standpoint. There may be a drop off in terms of production, but certainly not by much.

Barely cracking the top 10 are the Clemson Tigers. Eight starters return on a defense that lost Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Nate Wiggins to the NFL.

Defensive lineman Peter Woods and linebacker Barrett Carter will be the face of the Tiger defense and both are All-American-type talents. Safety RJ Mickens is primed for a breakout year and so is true freshman five-star linebacker Sammy Brown.

It’s a seasoned group with plenty of talent -- most of whom are rising sophomores with a year of experience under their belt -- and Dabo Swinney always produces top-shelf defenses with or without transfer portal help.

A fringe top-10 total defense and scoring defense in Matt Rhule’s debut season, Nebraska should be just as good, if not better, in 2024.

The defensive front is stacked with All-Big Ten talent in Nash Hutmacher, Jimari Butler, and Ty Robinson -- a group who anchored the eighth-best rushing defense in the FBS last season (92.9 YPG allowed).

Safety Isaac Gifford headlines the secondary following a breakout campaign where he became the first Husker to rack up 80+ tackles in a season since Corey Cooper in 2013. It’s one of the most experienced defenses in the nation and should once again be rock-solid in 2024.

The Longhorns took a major step forward on defense last season, finishing 15th in scoring defense and second in third-down defense.

The unit loses first-round draft picks T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy II, linebacker Jaylan Ford, and coveted defensive line coach Bo Davis, but tried to gloss over those vacancies in the transfer portal by adding star edge rusher Trey Moore (UTSA) and linebacker Kendrick Blackshire (Alabama).

Moore and Ethan Burke should lead a terrific pass rush, but questions loom around the interior line and linebacker. The secondary could improve with transfer Andrew Mukuba (Clemson), senior Jahdae Barron (61 tackles), Malik Muhammad, and several blue-chip defensive back recruits. It’s still a good unit, but is it good enough to shut down the Georgias and Ole Miss of the SEC?

Utah is near the top of a lot of preseason Big 12 rankings and for good reason. Many college football fans are familiar with head coach Kyle Whittingham’s consistency and quarterback Cam Rising's veteran prowess, but are they familiar with how good this defense can be in 2024?

The Utes will have one of the deepest front sevens in America, headlined by three-time All-Pac 12 defensive tackle Junior Tafuna. Utah returns seven defensive linemen after producing the fourth-best rushing defense in the country last season (84.6 YPG allowed).

They are backed by an experienced linebacker corp led by second-team All-Pac 12 selection Karene Reid. Replacing NFL defensive backs Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki is a tall order, but the Utes added Stanford transfer Alaka’i Gilman to help glue things back together in the secondary.

This will once again be another physical Whittingham group that is the Big 12’s best on paper.

Jeff Brohm has injected new life into his alma mater after the Cardinals reached the ACC title game last season. What else was surprising was how stout the defense was in the regular season.

Louisville reached massive statistical heights in 2023, finishing ninth in rushing defense and first in red zone defense, and allowed 20 points or fewer in six games. What’s even crazier is that the Cardinals maybe even better in 2024.

Louisville retained dynamic cornerback Quincy Riley, All-ACC edge rusher Ashton Gillotte, and eight other defenders with starting experience.

Brohm hit the portal hard and added key impact players, such as a pair of Tennessee transfers in edge rusher Tyler Baron and safety Wesley Walker. Gillotte and Baron will headline one of the nation’s top pass rush duos and the entire defense should take another step forward.

Sure Jimbo Fisher got fired. Sure Texas A&M has gone 12-13 over the past two seasons. None of that knocks how consistently solid the defense has been in that span.

Since 2022, the Aggies have ranked in the top-six in total defense and top-four in scoring defense in the SEC and have produced six NFL draft picks on that side of the ball. Mike Elko, a defensive-minded head coach, comes in and will look to make a big splash in his debut season.

Key defenders like defensive tackle Shemar Turner and linebacker Taurean York return, and highly-coveted transfers in edge rusher Nic Scourton (Purdue) and Will Lee III (Kansas State) add moxie to this talented unit.

If the Aggies are going to march to the playoffs this season, this defense will need to reach expectations.

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