Georgia tops Michigan as they battle for…
|Georgia beats Ohio State and Michigan for the greatest college football front-seven room heading into the 2024 season.
The Bulldogs are going to be elite up front yet again as they gear up for another title run.
It wasn’t long ago that Joe Burrow (LSU, 2019) and Mac Jones (Alabama, 2020) were torching everyone in their path with high-flying offensive attacks that appeared to herald in a new era in college football. Over the last three seasons, however, defense has made a comeback.
Georgia won national championships in 2021 and 2022 with a dominating defense, while Michigan followed suit with an unbeaten 2023 season. As the 2024 season approaches, it looks like Ohio State is attempting to reinvent itself in the image of the Bulldogs and Wolverines.
Is the Ohio State defensive front seven the best in the nation? It may happen by the end of the season. For the time being, however, the benefit of the doubt goes to the two programs that have recently demonstrated their dominance in that field.
Here’s our look at the nation’s best front sevens entering the 2024 campaign.
1. Georgia
It’s business as usual for Georgia’s defense under coach Kirby Smart, which means the Bulldogs will pose a challenge for everyone up front. Mykel Williams is a potential first-round draft pick after two good years on the fringes. Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson have followed the journeyman route at defensive lineman, but they are also on track for an NFL salary when they finish their sixth seasons as monstrous run-stuffers.
The Bulldogs are probably even more stocked at linebacker, with players like Chaz Chambliss, Smael Mondon Jr., and CJ Allen, who started five games as a true freshman last season after being rated as a top-50 recruit nationally. He’ll have at least two more seasons to make his imprint in the SEC.
2. Michigan
Michigan saw a program-record 13 players selected in the NFL Draft, but the Wolverines’ defensive front remains well-stocked as Sherrone Moore takes over for Jim Harbaugh. Mason Graham, a sophomore defensive tackle, is already generating first-round draft speculation after tormenting opponents in 2023. With Graham and fellow junior run-stuffer Kenneth Grant — a returning all-conference standout — it will be nearly tough to open up holes against Michigan.
Behind them, Maryland transfer Jaishawn Barham, who earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore, could be one of the most essential additions to the roster at linebacker. He will join productive returners Ernest Hausmann, Josaiah Stewart, and Derrick Moore to form an experienced and intimidating front.
3. Ohio State
Ohio State returns a group of top-tier players from a team that only allowed more than 17 points once last season. The main attraction is defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau, a two-time All-Big Ten selection and likely first-round draft pick. Fellow senior and all-conference star Jack Sawyer anchors the line’s other flank. Tyleik Williams, the enormous havoc-breaker, stands in the center. Any of the three could have declared for the NFL Draft, but all three returned to provide the Buckeyes with one of the sport’s most formidable defenses.
Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg are no longer leading tacklers, but there is still plenty of potential in the linebacker group. If junior linebacker C.J. Hicks lives up to his potential as the nation’s No. 10 recruit in the Class of 2022, the defensive front will become even more formidable.
4. Notre Dame
Howard Cross III, a defensive tackle, returns for his sixth season and will anchor the defense line. Cross, a small bully, finished second on the team in tackles last season with 66. The potential All-American is surrounded by veteran teammates, including productive fifth-year defensive linemen Jordan Botelho and Rylie Mills. Speaking of experience, middle linebacker Jack Kizer has decided to return for his sixth season. Those four alone bring a total of 18 seasons of experience to the 2024 season. If former four-star linebackers Jaylen Sneed and Drayk Bowen are ready for bigger roles, Notre Dame’s defensive front might be one of the strongest in recent memory.
5. Utah
Utah must replace its top sacker, Jonah Elliss, but it has enough talent to do so by committee. Levani Damuni, the team’s leading tackler, returns to linebacker with all-conference player Karene Reid. Junior Tafuna is poised to lead the push for a fourth consecutive all-conference season. Logan Fano and Keanu Tanuvasa, both sophomores, could be poised to become the next great Utah defenders. The Utes also benefit from their coaching constancy, as the program enters Year 20 with coach Kyle Whittingham and Year 9 with defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley. It’s always a good bet to trust the Utes’ front seven when they’re in charge.
Honorable mention
- Clemson (LB Barrett Carter, DL Peter Woods, DE T.J. Parker)
- Penn State (DE Abdul Carter, DE Dani Dennis-Sutton, LB Kobe King)
- Texas (EDGE Trey Moore, DL Alfred Collins, EDGE Ethan Burke)
- Iowa (LB Jay Higgins, LB Nick Jackson, DL Yahya Black)
- Alabama (DL Tim Keenan III, LB Deontae Lawson, LB Jihaad Campbell)