Tag: defensive players

Top defensive players in the transfer portal that Alabama should add

Top defensive players in the transfer portal that should be wearing Crimson by next season!

Alabama has recently found success in bringing players in from the NCAA Transfer Portal. While no one knows what the inside of the portal looks like, everyone knows Nick Saban holds the key to getting stellar players from it.

Some examples of Crimson Tide success stories from the transfer portal are offensive lineman Landon Dickerson from FSU, linebacker Henry To’oTo’o from Tennessee or the star wide receiver from Ohio State, Jameson Williams.

Roll Tide Wire recently shared the top offensive players currently in the transfer portal that Alabama should add. Now, it’s time to look into the defensive players in the portal.

Auburn football: Top defensive players ahead of 2021 season

From Roger McCreary to Colby Wooden, Auburn has talented players returning on defense in Derek Mason’s first season as coordinator.

For the past several seasons the strength of Auburn has been its defense and despite a new coaching staff and scheme that should still be the case in 2021.

New defensive coordinator Derek Mason will have a talented group that is also returning a ton of production. The Tigers will have five of their top seven tacklers from a season ago have returned and the top six in tackles for loss and four in sacks are also back.

While Mason will have limited time with the players and the defense will look quite different, the level of production should not take a step back from the Kevin Steele defenses that were a staple of Auburn over the past several years.

Here is a look at the top five players on the defensive side of the ball ahead of the 2021 season.

Five standout defensive players from Texas’ 2021 spring game

Texas’ defense seems as if they have not missed a beat from last season. Here are five defensive players who stood out from the spring game.

Throughout much of spring practice, reports surfaced of how well Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense was performing in comparison to the offense. Even with Juwan Mitchell entering the transfer portal and DeMarvion Overshown dealing with surgery, Texas’ defense seemingly didn’t skip a beat.

Caden Sterns and Joseph Ossai add to the major losses from last season. Ray Thornton out of LSU has stepped up to replace the pass rusher, while Jerrin Thompson and Brenden Schooler are battling it out to replace Sterns. Everywhere else across the defense, especially the secondary, will return players who made significant contributions last season.

Saturday’s spring game was a successful one for both the first-team and second-team defenses. Kyle Flood’s offensive line played so poorly because of how dominant Texas’ defensive line was. Some current backups may have opened some eyes heading into the fall.

Here are five defensive players who stood out from the spring game:

Tom Herman lists four potential breakout players on Texas’ defense

Texas head coach Tom Herman has high hopes for four young defensive players.

Texas head coach Tom Herman hired new defensive coordinator Chris Ash at the conclusion of the 2019 season in hopes of improving what was one of the worst units in college football. Continue reading “Tom Herman lists four potential breakout players on Texas’ defense”

Seahawks still saddled by injuries to defensive starters

The Seattle Seahawks lost two running backs Week 16, but it’s been the defensive side of the ball that has been most impacted by injuries.

The Seattle Seahawks were dealt a number of hard blows in their Week-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, including potential season-ending injuries to running backs, Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise.

But until Sunday, it was mostly the defensive side of the ball with the most health concerns. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney was inactive for his second-straight game with core troubles and cornerback Shaquill Griffin has been sidelined in as many matchups with a hamstring injury.

“Both those guys were not right, they couldn’t make it back,” coach Pete Carroll said after the loss. “They both tried, and they weren’t right and they couldn’t pass the tests with the trainers. So, it wasn’t even a tough call when we got down to it. We held out hope that maybe they could turn a corner, but neither one of them did.”

Clowney and Griffin aren’t the only defenders battling injuries, Quandre Digss is still out with a high-ankle sprain and linebacker Mychal Kendricks and defensive end Ziggy Ansah only finally returned to the action Sunday afternoon.

“It’s interesting that a few of our guys – sometimes earlier in the season you get to the end of the week and they can make it back,” Carroll continued. “Here, these guys didn’t in this case. So, we’ll just see how that goes next week.”

Carroll did say that both Griffin and Kendricks would return to practice on Tuesday.

The Seahawks will need every healthy available player when they face off against the 49ers for the division crown Week 17.

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