Most Exciting College Football Defensive Players
Dave Curtis - SportingNews.com
May 04, 2010
Sporting News college football columnist Dave Curtis offers his 10 best for a specific topic each week. This week's top 10: most exciting defensive players.
1. Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama. This qualifies as a slight leap of faith, given the knee injury that kept Hightower out for more than half of last season. But Nick Saban and Kirby Smart love this guy, and he has looked like the next great one out of Saban's system.
2. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU. Blessed with the size and speed to become a great NFL corner, Peterson already has proved his value in clashes with Alabama's Julio Jones and Georgia's A.J. Green. The Tigers have enjoyed great secondary play in recent years, and Peterson might be their best individual talent.
3. Robert Quinn, DE, North Carolina. Saban isn't the only college coach known for churning out game-changers on defense. Quinn might be the best defender UNC coach Butch Davis has produced, and NFL coaches will salivate over his quickness at 6-5 and 260-plus pounds.
4. Marcell Dareus, DE, Alabama. The King of Spring in Tuscaloosa, Dareus enters the season as the SEC's most feared pass rusher. He'll always be popular in Tide lore for his pick-six in last year's BCS national championship game.
5. Cameron Heyward, DE, Ohio State. The son of former NFL back Ironhead Heyward looked especially impressive during the Buckeyes' November sweep of Penn State, Iowa and Michigan. He's as strong against the run as he is rushing the passer.
6. Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri. Smith piggybacked a fantastic spring onto a superb freshman season in 2009, when he racked up 11.5 sacks. Another big year, and he's a first-round pick in next year's draft. He might need to add to his 255-pound frame to be most effective.
7. Devon Kennard, LB, USC. He played end and outside linebacker a year ago as a freshman. The Trojans' new coaching staff has moved him to the middle, where he could develop into the Pac-10's top defensive player.
8. Greg Romeus, DE, Pitt. The Big East's 2009 co-defensive player of the year, Romeus possesses outstanding ball skills for a 270-pounder. If the Panthers want to win an elusive conference crown, he'll need another POY-level season.
9. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa. Look no further than his Orange Bowl MVP performance to prove Clayborn's worth to the Hawkeyes. Relentless and tough, he's a lock for the first round next year.
10. Rahim Moore, S, UCLA. Moore's 10 interceptions last year separate him from the field as the top playmaker out west. Lots of competition for this last spot, including young FSU corner Greg Reid and 2009 Division I-A sack leader Von Miller from Texas A&M.
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