The trenches, especially on the defensive side of the transfer portal, can dictate not only the pace of the game but also determine who will win. Within a yard of the snap, the entire course of a season can change. Defensive tackles are an underrated part of the game. Who are the best available in the transfer portal window, which opened at midnight on Jan. 2?
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10) Darin Conley, Ball State
PFSN College DT Impact Score: 77.2 (C+)
While the Cardinals struggled, Conley gave them a disruptive force inside. He uses a solid jolt and quick hands to move blockers. He profiles as a three-, four-, or five-technique with the ability to make plays.
9) Malcolm Alcorn-Crowder, Kansas State
PFSN College DT Impact Score: 77.5 (C+)
The former junior college transfer has the length and reach at six feet six and the size at 305 pounds to play every position along the line, regardless of front. However, he seems to excel as a five-technique in an odd front, where he can penetrate the backfield.
8) Devan Thompkins, USC
PFSN College DT Impact Score: 77.9 (C+)
Thompkins beats guards and centers with a surprisingly quick start out of his stance, puts his hands on the blocker, and wins with hustle by converting speed to power. At first glance, he looks like a prototypical standout lineman who can play anywhere in the FBS.
7) Mateen Ibirogba, Wake Forest
PFSN College DT Impact Score: 79.3 (C+)
Across the board, the former Georgetown transfer wants to dominate with brute force, shoving the blocker into the backfield and finishing the play. However, Ibirogba doesn’t close plays as well as he starts them. His tackling could be crisper, turning pressures into stops.
6) Julien Laventure, Akron
PFSN College DT Impact Score: 79.3 (C+)
Laventure made the move from Division 2 to one of the most challenging schools in FBS. At just six-foot-one and 265 pounds, he competes on every snap and stays disciplined within the play. To his credit, Laventure plays the same way in the fourth quarter of a lopsided game as he does on the first snap.
5) Rondo Porter, Appalachian State
PFSN College DT Impact Score: 79.5 (C+)
Teams in need of a run stuffer with some pass rush skills will find what they need in Porter. He does not succeed with finesse. Instead, his hand fighting and close-quarters combat help him separate and get to the quarterback.
4) Traevon Mitchell, USF
PFSN College DT Impact Score: 80.9 (B-)
A prototypical nose tackle, Mitchell uses leverage and power to forklift opponents backwards, clogging the A gaps, and forcing the running back to make a decision. The back will need to move laterally and hope for a hole to open. If it doesn’t, Mitchell’s disruption allows his teammates time to make the play. An underrated player in a deep portal of talent.
3) Santana Hopper, Tulane
PFSN College DT Impact Score: 85.7 (B)
By nature, Hopper is an interior lineman who chooses to attack downhill toward the ball. However, he will use lateral movement to funnel down the line and string out runners on boundary plays. Tulane won the American Conference, led by Hopper’s influence on defense.
2) Ezra Christensen, New Mexico State
PFSN College DT Impact Score: 87.5 (B+)
On this list, Christensen may be the best pass rusher. He can win with power on the outside and uses a quick first step on the inside. He picks a shoulder and attacks that side. Against the run, the former Fresno State rusher anchors well and fights through blocks. He ranked No. 43 in PFSN’s CFB DT Impact metric.
1) Jojo Johnson, Oregon State
PFSN College DT Impact Score: 88.9 (B+)
With two years of eligibility remaining, Johnson will likely find a role on a Power Four team as a nose tackle. Nothing he does is flashy, but he commands double teams and finds openings to make plays in the backfield. If he doesn’t, the havoc he creates redirects the ball carrier toward his teammates.
