When we started our 2024 Top 10 rankings in college football, we started at quarterback, which made sense given the importance of the position.
This week we focus on players whose job it is to make quarterbacks' lives miserable.
We asked our reporters to rank their top 10 pass rushers. The list was surprisingly diverse. We have had several transfers, veterans and underclassmen, and even a couple of teammates.
Points are allocated based on votes, with 1st place deducting 10 points, 2nd place 9 points, and 10th place deducting 1 point.
The results are as follows.
Previous top 10 list: Receiver | Running Back | Quarterback
Statistics for 2023: 10 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles
point: 58 (5 first place votes)
Tennessee signed six blue-chip players in the 2022 recruiting class. Pierce wasn't among them, but he has a strong prospect list that includes Georgia, Florida State, Oklahoma State and Texas, and quickly developed into one of the best players in his first season as a regular. did. pass rusher in sports. He was seventh nationally with 10 sacks and fifth with 11 (first pressure that ended up being a sack). He boasts a pressure rate of 19% (3rd nationally) and a pressure rate of 10% of his passes and rushes from the snap (which he also ranks 3rd) within 2.5 seconds of the snap. He beat the quarterback at least once in eight of 13 games and had at least three pressures in eight games, including five of the last six games. He was Pro Football Focus' highest-ranked SEC defensive lineman.
Pierce is lanky at 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, but he also proved capable of doing damage against the run, finishing the season with 10 run stops. He was one of only 12 defenders (and one of only two in the SEC) to record double-digit run stops and sacks. He is an absolute threat and is only a junior in college, so he may still have a lot of room to grow. — bill connelly
Statistics for 2023: 11 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles
point: 53 (1 first place vote)
When Gillott announced he would return to Louisville for one more season, the decision delighted Cardinals fans. Gilotto gives Louisville a bonafide star heading into the 2024 season. This is a player who has been on a steady upward trajectory since his freshman year in 2021. Gilotto has started 26 games over the past two seasons, but he broke out with 14.5 tackles last year. He had a loss and 11 sacks (his sack total ranks 10th in the nation). As a result, Gillott earned first-team All-ACC honors and was also named a second-team Walter Camp All-American.
Entering this season, Gillotte will lead a defense that returns six starters and has made significant strides up front with one of the best pass-rushing teams in the ACC. He will be a candidate for preseason ACC Defensive Player of the Year. — andrea adelson
Statistics for 2023: 14 sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble
point: 43 (2 first place votes)
Don't be surprised if Moore is one of the most impactful non-quarterback transfers during the 2024 season. He brings elite pass-rushing skills to a rising Texas defense looking to join the SEC and need to replace Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Tyvondre Sweat and other standouts. There is. Moore shined at UTSA, setting a team record for tackles for loss (18) as a redshirt freshman and setting a sack record with 14 last season, just one-half sack shy of the AAC record. He won the conference Defensive Player of the Year award and recorded 35.5 tackles, 22 sacks and three forced fumbles over the past two seasons with the Roadrunners.
The San Antonio native should fit seamlessly into coordinator Pete Kwiatkouki's defense. The defense showed clear improvement in 2023, but no player had more than 5.5 sacks. Moore collected a sack last season, recording three or more sacks in three contests. He fills a clear need at Texas, where no player has reached 13 sacks since Jackson Jeffcoat in 2013. Moore has room to grow as a run defender, and with Texas moving to the SEC he would be able to hone his skills against top opponents before likely moving to the NFL. — Adam Rittenberg
Statistics for 2023: 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles
point: 35
Sawyer said he knew deep down it wasn't right for him to leave Ohio State after last season, which prompted his return and led the Buckeyes to one of the nation's top defenses in Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau. You will get one of the end tandems.
The 6-4, 265-pound Sawyer was ESPN's No. 1 rated prospect overall in the 2021 signing class and played the second half of last season as well. He has 5.5 of 6.5 sacks over the past six games and also had eight tackles for loss during that span. He spent the 2022 season in a hybrid “jack” linebacker role, but has the burst, size and skill to reach double digits in sacks on a loaded Ohio State defensive line in 2024. — chris lowe
Statistics for 2023: 7.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles
point: 35
Here's what Bane played against him in 2023: He was a true freshman. He was splitting time between edge rusher and inside defender. For the second year in a row, he was on a team that he felt lacked direction. It would have been perfectly reasonable to think then that Bane would treat the season as a learning experience, polish off some rough edges and be ready to take the ACC by storm in 2024. Unfortunately for opposing QBs, he wasn't that patient. .
Bane recorded 7.5 sacks, 12.5 lost tackles, four quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and 31 pressures en route to being named the league's Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. , he became a natural, finishing ninth in the ACC. . His expected growth in 2024 is one reason Miami believes this season could be a turning point for the Canes. — David Hale
Statistics for 2023: 8.5 sacks, 15 lost tackles, 1 forced fumble
point: 30
Rucker is one of the most experienced pass rushers in the country, starting a game in each of the past four seasons. He showed the ability to confuse quarterbacks early in his career, but didn't have his true breakout year until 2023. He recorded 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hurries on the year. He led UNC in all three categories, earning second-team All-ACC honors and ranking seventh nationally with 41 total quarterback pressures. Rucker opened the 2023 season with a career performance, recording 5.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks in a win. South Carolina. He enters his final season with 16 sacks, 30.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles in 28 career starts.
Rucker, an unprecedented three-star recruit out of Georgia, gave Tar Heels defensive coordinator Jeff Collins the status of a proven star in 2024. Rucker, nicknamed “Butcher,” was a big factor in stopping him from scoring, scoring a career-high 61 points. He had 24 more tackles in 2023 than any other season. At 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, Rucker is slightly undersized, but he makes up for it with his technique and familiarity with chasing quarterbacks. He will be one of the most recognizable defenders in the ACC heading into the fall. — rittenberg
Statistics for 2023: 5.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles
point: 26
There's no disputing Perkins' out-of-this-world pass-rushing skills. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2022 and had a welcome reception in a 13-10 win over Arkansas, racking up four sacks and virtually shutting down the Hogs' offense on his own. Big things were expected of Perkins' sophomore campaign, but results were mixed. He continued to be a force off the edge, recording 5.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and an impressive 16% pressure rate when rushing the quarterback.
However, Perkins struggled mightily against the run and often had no impact on defense when playing inside. LSU has indicated they plan to use Perkins inside again this season as he works to become a more well-rounded defender. It remains to be seen how much that takes away from his biggest strength as a pass rusher, but the bottom line is indisputable. Good things happen for LSU's defense when Perkins is released as a passer. — Hale
Statistics for 2023: 5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss
point: twenty three
A number of Ohio State's talented players chose to return for the 2024 season, and Tuimoloau was at the top of that list. He was named first team All-Big Ten a year ago and at 6-foot-4, 270 pounds, he has the strength and power to overwhelm opposing offensive tackles. Tuimoloau's height makes it difficult for quarterbacks to throw past him, making him a constant threat for down passes at the line of scrimmage.
He had five sacks, second on the team behind returning defensive end Jack Sawyer last season, and led the Buckeyes with six quarterback hurries. This is Tuimoloau's fourth season with the program, and as he himself said, the Buckeyes have “athletes all over the place” on defense. — low
Statistics for 2023: 7 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss
point: 19
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin went into the transfer portal to rebuild his entire roster, and one of the best players he brought in has the ability to add to an already solid defense that likes to be aggressive. ing. Umanmielen starred as an edge rusher at the University of Florida last season, recording 11.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks, earning All-SEC Second Team honors.
However, it's safe to say that we probably haven't seen the best of him yet. His career numbers may not be like that, but in the defensive scheme he's entering, Uman Meelen could put up career-best numbers. At 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Umanmilen uses his large size to his advantage. However, his former coach at Florida also praised his lower body control, allowing him to maintain balance while playing. — adelson
Statistics for 2023: 9.5 sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles
point: 18
When a former blue-chip player leaves his former school in search of new opportunities (and perhaps a little more playing time), this is how you want things to happen. After starting five games and recording three sacks at the University of Florida in 2022, Powell-Ryland left for Blacksburg. He ranked second in the ACC in sacks (9.5), first in individual sack percentage (3.9%) and third in pressure percentage (14.6%). He was third nationally in three forced fumbles from sacks. In Tech's 30-13 win over Wake Forest in October, he had one of his best games as a pass rusher, recording six pressures and four sacks on just 29 pass rush attempts. did. The following week against Syracuse, he had four more pressures and two sacks.
Despite being slightly smaller (6-3, 246), Powell-Ryland, a native of Portsmouth, Virginia, proved solid in run support, recording eight run stops and a total He finished the season with 15 tackles. Even better, he will be back for another season, anchoring one of the most experienced defensemen in the country. — connelly
Also accepting votes: Patrick Payton, Florida (17). Elijah Roberts, SMU (15); Jah Joyner, Minnesota (11); Anthony Hill Jr., Texas (10). Deonte Lawson, Alabama (8); Mikel Williams, Georgia (8); Landon Jackson, Arkansas (7); Tyler Barron, Louisville (5); Jordan Burch, Oregon (4); Josiah Stewart, Michigan (4); JaSean Davis, Wake Forest (3); RJ Oben, Notre Dame (3); Aeneas Peebles, Virginia Tech (2); Valin Sorrell, Texas (2); Maxwell, Kentucky・Hairston (1)
