While offenses create highlight reels, defenses are the backbone of every successful football team. It doesn’t matter how good your offense is without the ability to stop your opponent.
Let’s celebrate sensational secondaries, standout sack artists, and rampant run stuffers with the top 25 college football defenses since 2019, as determined by our College Defense+ metric.
PFSN’s College Defense+ assigns a letter grade to a team’s defensive performance. We arrive at the grade by combining a variety of situational passing and rushing EPA and success rate metrics, weighted for volume.
The last part is key, given the wide variance in college offensive systems. A defense that holds an opponent to a 30% rushing success rate on 50 carries will get far more credit than one that does so while facing 10 carries.
Each team’s game and season grades are also adjusted for opponent strength. Past seasons used end-of-season strength of schedule, SOS, but this means that in-season grades can and will fluctuate as we learn more about each team’s true performance level.
25) Indiana Hoosiers, 2024
College Defense+ Grade: 88.79 (B+)
Curt Cignetti’s appointment completely transformed the Indiana Hoosiers. While their offense drew plenty of attention, the one-year turnaround from having one of the worst college football defenses in 2023 to a top 25 unit since 2019 is outstanding.
Having conceded 29.9 points per game the previous season, the 2024 Hoosiers allowed an average of just 15.6 points per game, which ranked sixth nationally.
Mikail Kamara led the team with 14.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, contributing to a 39.4% pressure rate, which ranks ninth among all college football defenses since 2019.
Their 17.4% turnover rate ranked second in the 2024 season, while the 4.3 yards per play is the 12th-fewest allowed since 2019. Running on the Hoosiers was a hazardous exercise, with their 67.5% rush success rate ranking inside the top 30 in our database.
24) Ohio State Buckeyes, 2022
College Defense+ Grade: 88.89 (B+)
2022 was the first season with Jim Knowles as the defensive coordinator, and the Ohio State Buckeyes saw an immediate improvement from their defense. After ranking 38th for scoring defense with 22.8 points per game allowed in 2021, the Buckeyes shaved 1.8 points off and leaped up 14 spots to 24th in the country.
The Buckeyes’ defensive rush success rate ballooned from 58.7% in 2021 to 67.7% in 2022, a mark that sits within the top 25 among all college football defenses since 2019. Their defensive pass success rate followed a similar trajectory, and they were stingier on “money downs” and more efficient as a red-zone unit.
23) Ole Miss Rebels, 2024
College Defense+ Grade: 88.90 (B+)
Since Lane Kiffin took the helm of the Ole Miss Rebels, the offense has been sensational, and the defense has been suboptimal. However, in 2024, Pete Golding’s influence was firmly established, as the Rebels allowed just 14.4 points per game, ranking second in the country.
Before the defensive coordinator arrived in 2023, the Rebels had never allowed less than 24 points in a season during Kiffin’s tenure.
Although Ole Miss had three players log interceptions, Trey Washington with one, John Saunders Jr. with three, and Daijahn Anthony with three, the Rebels’ prowess against the run was the driving factor behind their 88.9 grade.
Only two other college football defenses since 2019 have recorded a better defensive rush success than the Rebels in 2024, with 71.2%. They also rank in the top 25 sack rate, taking down the quarterback on 11.6% of pass attempts.
22) Iowa Hawkeyes, 2022
College Defense+ Grade: 89.10 (B+)
With minimal offense in recent seasons, the Iowa Hawkeyes have learned to lean on their defense to compete in the Big Ten Conference. 2022 was the only season in the last 10 years that the program didn’t feature in the AP Poll, but that wasn’t a reflection on the defensive unit.
They allowed just 13.3 points per game, pitching shutouts against the Nevada Wolf Pack and Kentucky Wildcats.
Iowa really had two white CBs this year. And both of them were good!
You’ve probably heard of Riley Moss, but remember Cooper DeJean for 2024. 5 INTs with three pick-6s, and he’s super fluid in coverage. Could be an early-rounder next year. pic.twitter.com/pO4mPUEqgd
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 22, 2023
With Cooper DeJean leading the nation in interception touchdowns, with three, and Jack Campbell earning All-American honors, no other team allowed fewer yards per play than the 2022 Hawkeyes, with 4.0.
They rank eighth among college football defenses since 2019, with 1.01 points per drive allowed, and also had one of the most efficient red-zone defenses, with 41.2%, in our database, ranking third in the 2022 season.
21) Penn State Nittany Lions, 2022
College Defense+ Grade: 89.24 (B+)
The 2022 Penn State Nittany Lions defense was packed with talent. Cornerback Kalen King led the Big Ten Conference with nine pass breakups.
Three players tallied double-digit tackles for loss, including Abdul Carter, playing the freshman campaign of what would be a terrifying college football career, with 10.5 tackles for loss. Ji’ayir Brown paced the team in combined tackles, with 74, and interceptions, with four.
They allowed just 18.2 points per game, 10th nationally in 2022, while ranking among the top 25 college football defenses since 2019 for defensive pass success, 64.7%, and pressure rate, 38.6%.
The Nittany Lions’ unit ranked third in the 2022 season with 4.6 yards per play allowed, seventh for points per drive, with 1.33, and 15th for turnover rate, with 14.3%.
20) Oklahoma Sooners, 2024
College Defense+ Grade: 89.25 (B+)
It was a brutal first campaign in the Southeastern Conference, SEC, for the Oklahoma Sooners, recording their worst conference record, 2-6, and tying their worst overall record, 6-7, this millennium.
The offense was putrid, but the defense allowed them to pull off a surprise late-season win over the Alabama Crimson Tide and held teams under 30 points in 69.2% of their 13 games in the 2024 season.
Kip Lews was one of five players who tied for the lead in the country in interception touchdowns, with two. Danny Stutsman tallied over 100 tackles for the third successive season, with 120 total tackles, while R Mason Thomas paced the team in tackles for loss, with 12.5, and sacks, with 9.0.
The 2024 Sooners were particularly strong against the run, limiting opponents to 3.14 yards per carry, 12th nationally, and posting the 16th-ranked rush success rate, 69.0%, among all college football defenses since 2019.
19) Marshall Thundering Herd, 2022
College Defense+ Grade: 89.89 (B+)
The only Group of Five team represented among the top 25 college football defenses since 2019, the 2022 Marshall Thundering Herd will best be remembered for beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish early in the year. However, their defense was a truly talented unit, helping the team to nine wins, despite the offense ranking 90th in the country.
Averaging just 16.0 points per game allowed, Charles Huff’s team held seven of their 13 opponents to under 20 points. No unit since 2019 has been better at thwarting offenses on third and fourth down, with a 26.3% conversion rate. Meanwhile, they rank fourth among all college football defenses in our database with a 66.9% pass success rate.
With Owen Porter exerting pressure, with 10.5 tackles for loss, and Micah Abraham, with six interceptions, and Steven Gilmore, with three interceptions, patrolling the secondary, opposition offenses rarely stood a chance. The Herd allowed just 4.6 yards per play in 2022, ranking 10th since 2019.
18) Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 2023
College Defense+ Grade: 89.97 (B+)
Having a former linebacker and defensive coordinator as head coach has paid serious dividends for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Before Marcus Freeman’s hire, they hadn’t ranked in the top 10 scoring defenses since 2012.
However, in his second season at the helm of the prestigious program, the Irish allowed just 15.9 points, as the seventh-ranked scoring defense in the country.
RELATED: Elite 2026 DB Joey O’Brien Reveals ‘Crazy’ NIL Offers He Rejected to Commit to Notre Dame
With Howard Cross III and Rylie Mills eating up the interior, eight different players registered multiple sacks, and a terrifying linebacker trio terrorized offenses. If a quarterback managed to get off a pass, Xavier Watts was there to intercept it, leading the nation with seven picks, winning the Nagurski Award, and earning All-American honors.
The 2023 Irish rank 30th among all college football defenses since 2019 for points per drive allowed, with 1.27, 16th for yards per play conceded, with 4.4, and red-zone efficiency, with 41.2%, and 13th for pressure rate, with 38.9%.
17) Clemson Tigers, 2021
College Defense+ Grade: 90.36 (A-)
The Clemson Tigers have been synonymous with devastating defenses in the Dabo Swinney era. The 2021 unit is the first of three from the ACC program to feature in our list of the top 25 college football defenses since 2019.
Although they lost three games and missed out on the ACC Championship Game, the Tigers’ defense ranked second in the country for points allowed.
The 14.8 points per game allowed by a unit featuring juggernauts Myles Murphy, with 8.0 sacks, and Bryan Bresee, with 1.5 sacks, is the headline to a rich and deep defensive story. After allowing just 4.5 yards per play, 14th since 2019, their 0.99 points per drive allowed is the fifth-fewest among all college football defenses in our database.
The Tigers were particularly strong against the run, with a 67.9% defensive success rate.
16) Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 2024
College Defense+ Grade: 90.45 (A-)
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish played 16 games on their run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. They allowed less than 20 points in 75% of those games, ending the year with the third-highest College Defense+ grade in 2024.
Three of the four College Football Playoff Semifinal teams, Ohio State, Texas, and Notre Dame, had the highest grade of the season.
Many of the components that made the 2023 Fighting Irish unit one of the top 25 college football defenses returned for the 2024 campaign, but the emergence of young talent like Drayk Bowen, with three forced fumbles, and Leonard Moore, with 11 pass breakups, helped produce a slightly elevated grade compared to the previous season.
Although the 2023 team produced fewer points per drive and yards per play than last season’s unit, the 2024 Notre Dame defense was better at restricting teams on third and fourth down, with a 32.8% conversion rate, and forced turnovers, with 16.2%, and sacks, with 8.9%, at a higher clip against a much tougher strength of schedule.
15) Clemson Tigers, 2023
College Defense+ Grade: 90.57 (A-)
With a 9-4 record that included four defeats in the first eight games, the 2023 Clemson Tigers saw increased scrutiny on head coach Dabo Swinney. Many called him outdated in a modern football era shaped by the transfer portal and NIL. The overall record masked a stellar effort from Wes Goodwin’s second-season defense.
On the face of it, allowing 21.1 points per game as the 31st-ranked scoring defense in the 2023 season doesn’t meet the Clemson standard. Yet, they were a top-10 unit that year for yards per play allowed, 4.7, run success rate, 67.6%, turnover rate, 15.1%, and pressure rate, 38.0%, while leading the nation in pass success rate, 66.3%.
14) Oklahoma State Cowboys, 2021
College Defense+ Grade: 91.15 (A-)
With 12 wins, a narrow defeat in the Big 12 Championship Game, and a Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame, 2021 was arguably the most successful season of Mike Gundy’s tenure as the Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach.
However, most of the credit should go to Jim Knowles, whose defense allowed just 18.1 points as the ninth-ranked scoring unit in the season.
If the #Bears take a linebacker Day 3, one potential fit is Malcolm Rodríguez from Oklahoma State.
He’s small, but he’s a 4.52 athlete with good instincts in coverage and a high motor. Could be a nice special teamer and a WILL backup for Roquan Smith. pic.twitter.com/R0jdW4saNI— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) April 10, 2022
The Cowboys had talent at all levels. Collin Oliver led the Big 12 in sacks, with 11.5, while five different players logged double-digit tackles for loss.
Jarrick Bernard-Converse topped the conference with 11 pass breakups, while pint-sized linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez was a force all over the field, with 129 total tackles, whose strength and tenacity belied his diminutive stature.
The Cowboys’ defense success lay with their ability to convert pressure into tangible results. They rank 12th among all college football defenses since 2019 in sack rate, 12.3%. They were also ridiculously stingy on “money downs,” allowing a conversion on just 28.8% of third and fourth down attempts faced, ranking fourth among all defenses in our College Defense+ database.
13) Clemson Tigers, 2019
College Defense+ Grade: 91.22 (A-)
The highest-graded Clemson Tigers defense in our database, the 2019 unit helped take the program to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. While they couldn’t hold a rampant LSU Tigers offense that featured a plethora of superstars, they allowed just 13.5 points per game and only thrice gave up more than 20 points, two in the postseason.
As a result, they conceded just one point per drive faced, tying for sixth among all college football defenses since 2019. The unit, led by Isaiah Simmons’ All-American campaign, with 8.0 sacks, recorded the fourth-best defensive pass EPA per dropback, 0.23, and was a top-25 defense for red-zone efficiency, 42.4%.
The 2019 Tigers’ 10.9% sack rate was the second-best for a Clemson defense in the past six seasons.
12) Wisconsin Badgers, 2019
College Defense+ Grade: 91.37 (A-)
While Jonathan Taylor was bullying his way to a 2,000+ yard rushing season and All-American acclaim, the 2019 Wisconsin Badgers defense was hard at work ensuring his effort wasn’t in vain.
Allowing just 16.9 points per game, it featured two players with double-digit sack and tackle-for-loss campaigns, Chris Orr with 11.5 sacks and 14.0 tackles for loss, and Zack Baun with 12.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. Jack Sanborn established himself as one of the top linebackers in the country with a do-it-all campaign featuring 9.0 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and three interceptions.
The 2019 Badgers’ unit was a juggernaut on money downs, allowing a 29.1% conversion that ranks seventh among all college football defenses since 2019. Thanks to the efforts of Chris Orr and Zach Baun, plus seven other players with multiple sacks, they logged the 12th-best sack rate, 12.3%, in our College Defense+ database. They also produced the second-best turnover rate, 13.2%, of any Wisconsin defense in the last six seasons.
11) Illinois Fighting Illini, 2022
College Defense+ Grade: 91.71 (A-)
In 2022, Illinois Fighting Illini defensive coordinator Ryan Walters established himself as one of the top assistant coaches in college football by producing arguably the greatest defense the program has ever seen. Illinois had the top-ranked scoring defense in the country, averaging just 12.8 points per game allowed.
Featuring a scintillating secondary, cornerback Devon Witherspoon earned All-American honors while Sydney Brown led the Big Ten in interceptions, with six, one of six players to tally multiple picks. Led by defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton, with 6.0 sacks, the Illini were dominant in the trenches.
RELATED: Why Michigan’s $10 Million Bryce Underwood Gamble Could Reshape the Big Ten’s Power Structure
Trying to run against them was futile, with the 2022 Illinois unit ranking fifth among all college football defenses since 2019 for rush success rate, 70.6%. They also rank 14th for pressure rate, impacting the quarterback on 38.9% of dropbacks without dialing up a blitz.
10) Georgia Bulldogs, 2019
College Defense+ Grade: 91.89 (A-)
Unsurprisingly, multiple Georgia Bulldogs units are within the top 10 highest-graded college football defenses. The program’s ascension to a superpower has been built on a rock-solid foundation of furiously flying to the football. In 2019, for the first time this millennium, they boasted the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense, allowing just 12.6 points per game.
That equated to 0.96 points allowed per drive, the third-best of any team in our College Defense+ metric. The Bulldogs also ranked 10th for yards per play, 4.3, finishing second to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2019 season.
A remarkable 22 players logged multiple tackles for loss in 2019, contributing to a run defense that ranks fifth in defensive rush EPA, 0.29, since 2019. Meanwhile, nine players registered more than one sack after applying pressure on 33.5% of dropbacks.
9) Georgia Bulldogs, 2022
College Defense+ Grade: 92.17 (A-)
The 2022 Georgia Bulldogs are a great example of why basing defensive rankings solely on points allowed is a folly.
Statistics state that the team allowed 14.3 points per game, ranking it fifth in scoring defense in the country that year, but anyone who watched the team play knows that they were unequivocally the best defense in the 2022 season and in recent times.
The unit allowed more than 20 points just twice in the regular season and pitched two shutouts, Samford and Vanderbilt, with their average impacted by postseason shootouts with the LSU Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes.
With All-American Jalen Carter anchoring a terrifying defensive front, with 7.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, Georgia ranked 14th in defensive rush success rate, 69.0%, and fifth in EPA, 0.29, among all college football defenses since 2019.
Furthermore, they only allowed opponents to convert 28.1% of their third and fourth down attempts, the third-best figure in our College Defense+ metric. They were also a top 10 unit for red-zone efficiency, 38.2%.
8) Texas Longhorns, 2024
College Defense+ Grade: 92.18 (A-)
Anyone who thought the Texas Longhorns would just roll over and die in their first season in the SEC was sadly mistaken.
With the Arch Manning versus Quinn Ewers debate heightening attention on their offensive performance, Steve Sarkisian’s team produced a dominating, destructive, devastating defense around an alluring mixture of experience and fresh young talent.
Texas boasted the second-highest graded defense in the 2024 season, beaten only by the eventual national champions. Linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. led the SEC in forced fumbles, with four, and tackles for loss, with 16.0.
Jahdae Barron and Andrew Mukuba shared the conference lead with five interceptions each, and Colin Simmons had a freshman campaign for the ages, with 14.0 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks.
The Longhorns had a top 20 season among college football defenses since 2019 for yards per play, 4.4, points per drive allowed, 1.14, and defensive pass EPA, 0.2. Meanwhile, they’re one of the most efficient red-zone defenses, 46.2%, the SEC has ever seen, since 2019, ranking eighth among teams from the conference.
7) Ohio State Buckeyes, 2023
College Defense+ Grade: 92.43 (A-)
Although 2023 was the lowest that a Ryan Day-led Ohio State Buckeyes team has finished in the AP Poll, 10th, it wasn’t for a lack of defensive prowess. Only one other defense allowed fewer points per game, 11.2, than the Buckeyes.
Jim Knowles’ unit gave up 10 points or fewer in seven of their 13 games, with only the Michigan Wolverines putting more than 20 points on them.
With Jack Sawyer, with 10.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, and Tyleik Williams, with 10.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, leading from the front, Jordan Hancock, with two interceptions, and Sonny Styles, with 53 total tackles, shoring up the secondary, and Steele Chambers, with 83 total tackles, and Tommy Eichenberg, with 82 total tackles, commanding from the linebacker position, the 2023 Buckeyes allowed just 0.97 points per drive, the fourth-fewest since 2019, while giving up the seventh-fewest yards per play, 4.2, in our database. Dominant.
6) Penn State Nittany Lions, 2023
College Defense+ Grade: 93.25 (A)
The 2022 Penn State unit checked in at No. 21 in our highest-graded college football defenses since 2019, and in 2023, they took the next step in their development. Averaging 13.5 points per game allowed, 4.7 points per game fewer than the previous season, they were the third-ranked scoring defense in the nation, buoyed by a nasty pass rush attack.
Only one team in the 2023 season had a better pressure rate than Penn State, 39.1%, a mark that ranks 12th since 2019.
They translated that into a 14.4% sack rate, the second-highest among all college football defenses in our database. While they excelled at getting after the quarterback, they were also solid against the run, ranking 12th out of over 700 eligible units for defensive rush success rate, 69.0%.
5) Ohio State Buckeyes, 2024
College Defense+ Grade: 94.40 (A)
While Will Howard, a terrific tandem at running back, and one of the most impressive freshman wide receiver seasons we’ve ever seen, certainly contributed to their success, the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes defense is the epitome of the cliche that “offenses win games and defenses win championships.”
The Buckeyes have always had strong offensive units, but in 2024, they finally produced a defense to match.
CALEB DOWNS PICKS IT OFF‼️
DAGGER. pic.twitter.com/ObSlSInI5Y— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025
Caleb Downs earned All-American honors with two interceptions. Lathan Ransom, with three forced fumbles, and Jack Sawyer, with three forced fumbles, jointly led the Big Ten in forced fumbles. They had two linebackers with over 100 tackles, while J.T. Tuimoloau paced the conference with 12.5 sacks.
The defense allowed just 4.2 yards per play, seventh since 2019, and 1.1 points per drive, 15th. They also ranked in the top 25 for multiple data points that factor into our College Defense+ metric while facing the 10th most difficult strength of schedule in our database.
4) Georgia Bulldogs, 2021
College Defense+ Grade: 94.59 (A)
The defense that finally returned a national championship to Athens after 40 years of waiting takes pride of place near the top of our highest-graded college football defenses of the past six seasons, setting the standard for Bulldogs teams thereafter.
The 2021 Georgia defense featured two All-Americans, the Bednarik Award winner, and that rarest of beasts, a non-offensive Heisman Trophy candidate in Jordan Davis. He was the poster boy for freak athleticism and defensive dominance, but there were impact-makers at every level of the unit.
No defense has allowed fewer than the Bulldogs’ 0.78 points per drive in 2021. They thrice pitched a shutout in the regular season, Vanderbilt, eighth-ranked Arkansas, and Georgia Tech, and only once gave up more than 20 points, versus Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.
The Bulldogs rank second among all college football defenses since 2019 in yards per play conceded, 4.1. They ranked third for defensive pass success, 67.2%, while possessing the most efficient red-zone unit we’ve seen in the last six seasons, 28.1%. Pure, unadulterated brilliance.
3) Wisconsin Badgers, 2021
College Defense+ Grade: 95.39 (A)
The 2021 Wisconsin Badgers had one of the worst offenses in the country that season, ranking 85th with just 25.4 points per game scored. However, they achieved a 9-4 overall record and a Las Vegas Bowl win by having one of the most dangerous college football defenses since 2019.
Although they didn’t feature a double-digit sack artist, the Badgers produced three linebackers with 10+ tackles for loss, headlined by Leo Chenal, who led the Big Ten by holding the opposition behind the line of scrimmage on 18 occasions. He also tallied a team-high 114 tackles.
Wisconsin allowed just 4.1 yards per play in 2021, tying for second with multiple units that feature in the top 10 of the highest-graded college football defenses. A team that has traditionally thrived in the trenches, the Badgers logged a 69.6% defensive rush success rate, a top 10 marker since 2019.
Although they weren’t as dominant at stopping teams on third and fourth down as their 2020 or 2019 units, which ranked second and seventh, respectively, they still allowed a conversion on just 30.4% of attempts faced, ranking 18th.
2) Michigan Wolverines, 2023
College Defense+ Grade: 95.52 (A)
The 2023 Michigan Wolverines are another program that rode a terrifying defense to a college football national championship. While Blake Corum and J.J. McCarthy finished within the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy vote, the real most outstanding contributor to their title success was every player who helped produce a unit with the second-highest grade since 2019.
Like all legitimate defenses, the Wolverines didn’t rely on one highly productive talisman. Eighteen players recorded multiple tackles for loss, nine had two or more sacks, three had two or more forced fumbles, and eight weighed in with at least one interception.
The result was a unit that allowed just 0.92 points per drive, the second-fewest since 2019, sitting behind only the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs. They also ranked 10th for yards per play, 4.3. The Wolverines recorded the best defensive pass EPA, 0.28, among all college football offenses in our College Defense+ metric.
1) Ohio State Buckeyes, 2019
College Defense+ Grade: 97.26 (A+)
Although they didn’t lead the nation in scoring defense, the 2019 Ohio State Buckeyes were a true terror, an undeniable and unbelievable force that warranted a grade a cut above every other unit, and that’s exactly what they received as the highest-graded college football defense since 2019, according to the PFSN College Defense+ metric.
The Buckeyes’ 2019 roster read like a who’s who of the top defensive players we’ve seen in recent years. Chase Young, despite missing time, finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, was the Nagurski and Bednarik Award winner, and earned All-American honors after leading the nation with 16.5 sacks and the Big Ten with 21.5 tackles for loss.
Jeffrey Okudah also received All-American honors after leading the team with three interceptions and nine pass breakups, while three other Buckeyes, Davon Hamilton with 10.5, Pete Werner with 10.5, and Malik Harrison with 16.5, joined Young with double-digit tackles for loss.
Ohio State ended the campaign with a 13.7% sack rate, the fifth-best among all college football defenses over the last six years. Only the 2022 Iowa Hawkeyes allowed fewer yards per play than the 4.1 conceded by the Buckeyes in 2019. No one has topped their 68.6% defensive pass success rate.
