Tag: 2022 college football rankings

College Football News Preview 2022 preseason unit rankings, looking at the top ten defensive back situations and rankings by conference.

The college football secondaries are getting better and better.

In response to all of the high-powered passing games, defenses are putting even more of a premium on the top pass rushers, and they’re getting more and more creative with their defensive backfields.

Now it’s the norm to have a hybrid safety who can be used like an extra linebacker, and as a pass rusher, and as a corner, and …

Versatility is important, and lots and lots and lots of options matter, because the offenses adjusted, too.

Putting more defensive backs on the field is fine, but if there’s one weak link, or if one of part goes down, the improved passers and offensive coordinators have figured out how to take advantage of that better than ever before.

With all of that in mind, here are the defensive back unit rankings with the ten best going into the season along with the rankings in each conference.

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CFN Preview 2022 Preseason College Football Unit Rankings: Defensive Backs

Unit Rankings By Conference: Defensive Backs 
Top 10 | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt

1. Alabama

The Crimson Tide secondary was already great, and then it brought in corner Eli Ricks from LSU – there’s a shot he’s the first defensive back off the board in the 2023 NFL Draft. Safeties Jordan Battle and Brian Branch will also work at the next level, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Khyree Jackson are terrific corners, and Malachi Moore is sure to be special at one of the safety spots if his back problems are over.

2 Notre Dame

There’s a shot the secondary turns into the team’s biggest strength. Corners Clarence Lewis and Cam Hart can hit, the depth is – for the most part – there for all spots, the safeties are experienced, and on top of all of that, Northwestern transfer Brandon Joseph might be the best safety in college football.

3 LSU

The transfer portal taketh away, but it also giveth, and giveth some more. Losing star corner Eli Ricks to Alabama hurts, but LSU was able to load up with five excellent transfers – safeties Greg Brooks (Arkansas) and Joe Foucha (Arkansas), and corners Jarrick Bernard-Converse (Oklahoma State), Mekhi Garner (Louisiana), Sevyn Banks (Ohio State), and Quad Wilson (McNeese State) – who should work right away around veteran safety Jay Ward.

4 Georgia

Like everywhere else on the Georgia defense, a slew of key starts are missing from last year’s national championship group. However, Kelee Ringo – the new legend whose pick six sealed the CFP title – is back at one corner, Christopher Smith is an NFL starting safety, and Tykee Smith is a special free safety if he can get past his injury issues.

5 Penn State

The talent is there, and now the pass rush has to help the cause. Joey Porter might be the best corner in the Big Ten, safety JiAyir Brown is the leading returning tackler, and Kalen King is a strong corner on the other side of Porter. The latest recruiting class is strong enough to push for meaningful time.

2022 CFN Predictions For Every Game 
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt
CFN 2022 Preseason Ranking of all 131 Teams
CFN 2022 Preview of all 131 Teams

6 Texas A&M

The Texas A&M defense is loaded with superstar prospects, but it’s really, really young on the front six/seven. That goes for the key backups in the secondary, too, but the starting five is experienced and very, very good. Safeties Demani Richardson and Antonio Johnson are the best of the bunch, but they’re all going to have to hold off the new guys from finding their way in.

7 Michigan

The Wolverine secondary loses some huge parts from last year’s group, but it has two likely all-stars in corner DJ Turner and safety RJ Moten, and there was enough of a rotation to have new starters ready to step up. The depth is very young, but very talented.

8 Utah

Start with all-star corner Clark Phillips and rock-solid safety Cole Bishop, throw in some good parts around them, and add in former Illinois State star Clayton Isbell at safety and great-looking freshman Sione Vaki, and this will once again be one of the Pac-12’s best defensive backfields.

9 Iowa

The secondary that took the ball away in bunches should be every bit as dangerous with playmaking corner Riley Moss back from a knee injury. There’s experience across the board for what should be one of the most sound pass defenses in the country.

10 South Carolina

The SEC’s No. 1 pass defense – fine, so that’s partly because everyone ran the ball on the Gamecocks – not only gets back  good veterans – starting with safety RJ Roderick and Nickel Cam Smith – but in comes one of the MAC’s best defensive players over the last few years. Devonni Reed is transferring in from Central Michigan to take over at free safety.

Unit Rankings By Conference: Defensive Backs 
Top 10 | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt

NEXT: CFN Preview 2022 Preseason College Football Defensive Backs Unit Rankings: ACC

College Football News Preview 2022 preseason unit rankings, looking at the top ten defensive line situations and rankings by conference.

The defensive lines are going to be outstanding this season – there were at least 20 that could’ve made the preseason top 10 unit rankings.

There’s plenty of talent returning to some of last year’s top defenses, the lost parts on some of the powerhouses will quickly be replaced, and there’s more depth than usual – at least among the top defenses – thanks to the transfer portal adding more options.

As always, styles matter. Some programs know how to get into the backfield and hit the quarterback every year no matter who’s on the defensive front, and others know how to get big humans to clog things up with a three-man line.

Get the job done up front, and everything else on the defense will usually fall into place.

Again, this is a great year for the lines, and there are other options that probably should be here, but the top 10 defensive lines on this list are strong.

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CFN Preview 2022 Preseason College Football Unit Rankings: Defensive Lines

Unit Rankings By Conference: Defensive Lines 
Top 10 | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt

1 Clemson

It’s almost unfair how good this defensive line is – if everyone is healthy. The tackle combination of Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis are NFL-good right now, but Bresee hasn’t had any injury luck so far. Xavier Thomas and Myles Murphy are elite all-around ends, and the depth is there after getting plenty of work thanks to all the fill-in time for the injured parts last season.

2 Georgia

But … but … Georgia lost Travon Walker and Jordan Davis. They’re off to the NFL, but tackle Jalen Carter might end up being the best all-around pro prospect from last year’s line – yeah, potentially even better than the No. 1 overall pick. There’s size among the front three, talent thanks to years of good recruiting classes, and a new wave of freshmen who might be too strong to keep off the field.

3 Alabama

There aren’t any big-name superstars compared to what Bama brings with its phenomenal linebacking corps, but you know what’s coming. Three giant, NFL-caliber linemen who can all move. Byron Young can get into the backfield, DJ Dale is an elite anchor, and the backups are all more giant. NFL-caliber linemen who can all move.

4 Wisconsin

There’s nothing flashy about the Badger front three, but the brick wall on the nation’s No. 1 defense of 2021 is once again loaded with tough run stoppers. The linebackers do the heavy lifting when it comes to getting in to the backfield, and the line takes care of everything between the hashmarks – there’s no moving Keeanu Benton on the nose.

5 LSU

The starting four was already good, and then it got Mekhi Wingo from Missouri to add even more to the interior. BJ Ojulari will be one of the SEC’s top playmakers in the backfield, Ali Gaye is ready to roll on the other side, and Maason Smith has huge upside at one of the tackle spots.

2022 CFN Predictions For Every Game 
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt
CFN 2022 Preseason Ranking of all 131 Teams
CFN 2022 Preview of all 131 Teams

6 Oklahoma State

The tackles are experienced upperclassmen – they’ll be fine. The ends, though, will form a special rotation with almost all the parts back from the defense that led the nation in sacks and was second in tackles for loss. Collin Oliver, Brock Martin, and Tyler Lace are a good pass rushing end tandem as is, and now the rotation gets Trace Ford back after suffering a knee injury.

7 Baylor

The Baylor back seven might be going through some reshuffling, but the line is once again going to be a problem for the Big 12. Siaki Ika is one of the nation’s best nose tackles, Gabe Hall is an all-star on the end, and in comes Jaxon Player from Tulsa as a good option in the rotation.

8 Pitt

It’s Pitt, so you know what’s coming. The D will be among the best in the nation at getting into the backfield – it was second in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss – and it gets back Habakkuk Baldonado to lead the way on the end. Combined with tackle Calijah Kancey, the show goes on.

9 South Carolina

The pass rush needs to be more consistent throughout the season, and it could stand to be a wee bit better against the run – the team lost in the five games the D allowed 200 rushing yards – but the talent is there to be strong for what should be another statistically-solid defense. Zacch Pickens gets into the backfield from the interior and Jordan Strachan is a good pass rusher who can do even more.

10 Florida State

There’s one giant question when it comes to Florida State’s defensive front living in the top ten – can Albany transfer Jared Verse translate his production to the next level with Jermaine Johnson and Keir Thomas gone? If so, the Noles are set thanks to a great group of tackles that should be a dominant against the run.

Unit Rankings By Conference: Defensive Lines 
Top 10 | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt

NEXT: CFN Preview 2022 Preseason College Football Defensive Lines Unit Rankings: ACC

College Football News Preview 2022 preseason unit rankings, looking at the top ten quarterback situations and rankings by conference.

What teams have the best quarterback situations going into the 2022 college football season?

How do all of the quarterback depth charts rank in each conference – to go along with the top ten overall?

It’s tough to do with quarterbacks because, obviously, the superstar starter is among the most important players in the country, but what about the backups?

Which teams have a good No. 2 option, or a third, or have the right mix to work with? Making this even harder is the transfer portal – it’s impossible to keep a good backup quarterback now.

This isn’t a list of the top players – it’s about that depth chart and the overall unit rankings, to a point.

Quarterback unit rankings are different. The elite of the elite starters raise up the entire ranking, but some teams have a better overall situation because of the good backup to go along with No. 1 guy.

Doing the top ten overall and by conference, here are the 2022 quarterback unit rankings.

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CFN Preview 2022 Preseason College Football Unit Rankings: Quarterbacks

Unit Rankings By Conference: Quarterbacks 
Top 10 | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt

1 Ohio State

CJ Stroud is coming off a monster season and should be in for an even stronger one – he might be more effective, even if the stats aren’t as great if he doesn’t have to bomb away so much. Kyle McCord was a big-time prospect coming in last year, and true freshman Devin Brown isn’t going to be bad, but the reserves need experience.

2 Alabama

Go ahead and put Alabama No. 1 if you want – you’re not wrong assuming the team with the reigning Heisman winner has the best quarterback unit in the country. Bryce Young is obviously special, but the backups need some work. Five-star recruit Ty Simpson has the skills – but he’s a true freshman – and Jalen Milroe is a potentially dangerous dual-threat option.

3 LSU

Depth, depth, depth. There isn’t a starter as good as the main men up top here, but Arizona State transfer Jayden Daniels could’ve gone just about anywhere, Myles Brennan has a world of upside if he can stay healthy, Garrett Nussmeier is an interesting option, and Walker Howard was a huge recruit who can do a little of everything.

4 USC

Caleb Williams – this ranking is all about the starter who should continue to shine under Lincoln Riley. It’s a thin room, though, with redshirt freshman Miller Moss the likely backup early on. Former Vanderbilt transfer Mo Hasan has a little experience and was around last year.

2022 CFN Predictions For Every Game 
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt
CFN 2022 Preseason Ranking of all 131 Teams
CFN 2022 Preview of all 131 Teams

5 Tennessee

Is this the year when Hendon Hooker gets national respect for being among the most consistent and effective passers in the country? All he did was throw for close to 3,000 yards with 31 touchdowns and three picks, and he didn’t even start the season – Joe Milton did. Milton struggled at Michigan and early on with the Vols, but he’s not a bad No. 2.

6 Texas Tech

Look … out. This is a nod to the depth and options to run the new high-powered offense that’s going to try to be what Western Kentucky was in 2021. Tyler Shough has NFL starter skills, but can the former Oregon transfer stay healthy and put it all together? Donovan Smith was terrific when Shough got hurt, and Behren Morton might eventually be the best of the bunch.

7 Wake Forest

You could take make this a whole list of ACC teams and not be too terribly far off. However, Wake Forest has the somewhat underappreciated star of the bunch in Sam Hartman, and the team has a reliable backup in Michael Kern to bring in if needed.

8 Coastal Carolina

Grayson McCall is going into his fourth season as one of the nation’s most efficient and accurate passers – and he can run, too. Backup Bryce Carpenter is going into his fifth year with the program, he knows what he’s doing, and he’s been fantastic when needed.

9 South Carolina

Just how much do you believe in Spencer Rattler? He was fine for Oklahoma – he just wasn’t Caleb Williams last year. The pro skills and arm are there to open up the South Carolina attack, and backup Luke Doty hit 60% of his passes over the last two years when needed. True freshman Braden Davis is an interest prospect to keep an eye on.

10 NC State

Devin Leary got lost in all the great ACC quarterbacks in 2021, but he had as strong a season as anyone with 35 touchdown passes and five picks with two rushing touchdowns. Ben Finley is in his third year as a backup, and Jack Chambers is a veteran option from Charleston Southern.

Unit Rankings By Conference: Quarterbacks 
Top 10 | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt

NEXT: CFN Preview 2022 Preseason College Football Quarterback Unit Rankings: ACC

College Football News Preview 2022 preseason unit rankings, looking at the top ten linebacker situations and rankings by conference.

Ranking linebacking corps has become harder and harder over the years.

Do edge rushers count as defensive end or outside linebackers? How about other hybrid defenders who do a little of everything, and what position are the safeties who act as linebackers, and vice versa?

And, of course, the schemes have changed up and morphed to deal with the high-powered offenses, going to more 4-2-5 alignments with the need for more speed on the field.

Okay, so this actually isn’t that hard to figure out, except when conferences are relatively dead-even after the best ones up top – like the SEC – and this can all change in a hurry depending on transfers, game plans, and …

Here are the top ten linebacker unit rankings along with figuring out conference by conference how they all shape up.

Just be warned – out of all the unit rankings, these are by far the most fluid.

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CFN Preview 2022 Preseason College Football Unit Rankings: Linebackers

Unit Rankings By Conference: Linebackers 
Top 10 | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt

1 Alabama

Start with Will Anderson in the edge rusher Jack role, and everything else falls into place. Alabama has the nation’s best pass rusher on the outside, Dallas Turner is a playmaker in the backfield from the strongside, and Henry To’o To’o will be one of the SEC’s best tacklers in the middle.

Depth isn’t always a given with the Tide linebackers – it wasn’t exactly a problem a few years ago when injuries struck and the backups were way young – but the twos are just fine this year.

2 Oregon

Is everyone healthy? Justin Flowe has as much talent as any linebacker in college football, but he hasn’t had any semblance of a break with injuries. He’s ready to go on the outside, and leading tackler Noah Sewell can do it all in the middle. Throw in pro prospect Mase Fun along with rising star Bradyn Swinson, and the Ducks are loaded.

3 NC State

The already outstanding linebacking corps got a whole lot better with Isaiah Moore returning from injury to take back his spot in the middle. Drake Thomas is an all-star on the strongside, Payton Wilson is back after leading the team in tackles in 2019 and 2020 – he was hurt last year – and the backups know what they’re doing.

4 Washington

How talented is the Washington linebacking corps? It lost top tackler Jackson Sirmon to Cal and it’s still among the best in the country thanks to the transfer portal. Former Pitt Panther Cam Bright is an all-around game-wrecker on the inside, former UAB Blazer Kristopher Moll is also an all-around game-wrecker on the inside, and Carson Bruener is a burgeoning star who’ll push for time somewhere. If big-time tackler Edefuan Ulofoshio is back form after getting hurt, the new coaching staff will have to find ways to get everyone on the field.

5 Iowa

This group can really, really tackle. Jack Campbell is an All-Big Ten hitter who made 143 stops, Seth Benson made 105 tackles on the weakside, and the rest of the corps is loaded with upperclassmen who’ll rotate in if they can ever get Campbell and Benson off the field.

2022 CFN Predictions For Every Game 
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt
CFN 2022 Preseason Ranking of all 131 Teams
CFN 2022 Preview of all 131 Teams

6 Georgia

Georgia might be able to replace the talent of Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, and Channing Tindall, but it’ll be impossible to quickly replace the chemistry of last year’s linebacking corps – maybe. Nolan Smith is right there with those other three with what he can bring, Robert Beal has seen starting time, and Trezman Marshall gets to try replacing Dean. It’s Georgia – there won’t be much of a drop-off, if any.

7 Kentucky

There might not be a whole lot of national star power, but this group is sound. JJ Weaver was the team’s top sacker last year, and he’s back on the outside with leading tackler Jacquez Jones handling the middle. Third-leading tackler DeAndre Square returns on the weakside, and there’s talent backing up all three spots – even if it’s a little green.

8 Syracuse

The Orange went young last year at linebacker, and the payoff is coming with the stars returning from a strong run D that allowed just 3.5 yards per carry. Mikel Jones, Stefon Thompson, and Marlowe Wax were all underclassmen who ended up being the team’s top three tacklers. This group can get into the backfield, too.

9 Notre Dame

The Irish defense is going to be strong, and the linebackers are going to be the stars – this coaching staff knows how to crank up the production from the position. JD Bertrand led the team in tackles, and now he’s back in the middle. Jack Kiser can do a little of everything on the outside, and Bo Bauer is a good backup as part of the good depth.

10 Cal

This group is big, it can thump, and it just got better by landing Washington transfer Jackson Sirmon for the middle. Femi Oladejo is outstanding against the run, Muelu Iosefa was third on the team in tackles, and Orin Patu is a pass rusher on the edge.

Unit Rankings By Conference: Linebackers 
Top 10 | ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
AAC | C-USA | Ind | MAC | M-West | Sun Belt

NEXT: CFN Preview 2022 Preseason College Football Linebackers Unit Rankings: ACC