1. Starks, Malaki*
Georgia 6010 205
Three-year starter Jefferson, GA. First-team All-America last season and 2022 Freshman All-America. Won the national championship with Georgia in 2022. A do-it-all player with alignment versatility to play safety and nickel; sparingly outside at cornerback in specific coverages. An excellent athlete who makes plays all over the field. Notable instincts and processing speed to read concepts and take away multiple routes at once over the top. Great range in one-high and two-high schemes. Sticky in man coverage with impressive technique and excellent hip fluidity to carry receivers across the field with limited separation. Strong jams in catch-man with his physical play-style, and plays through the receiver’s hands to break up passes. An asset in run support who is more than willing to fill a gap and make tackles with good form. Possesses a light frame that could create minor strength deficiencies at the next level. Blue chip player.
2. Emmanwori, Nick*
South Carolina 6030 227
Three-year starter, Irmo, SC. Freshman All-America in 2022. An excellent frame with top-notch height and weight. Remarkable athlete with great foot quickness, agility, and change-of-direction skills. Shows the versatility to excel both at nickel and at safety. Can carry wide receivers with top-tier speed downfield using excellent acceleration and burst. Fluid backpedal to gain depth quickly and read route concepts. In underneath zone he leverages his area well while keying the quarterback. Tremendous ball skills; tracks the ball in the air and utilizes impressive range from both underneath and from depth to get in the passing lane and pick it off with soft hands. He is patient in run support and doesn’t overcommit early. Flies in like a hammer to make tackles in the box and in space. Needs to keep his base underneath him to click-and-close quicker. He must be more assertive when taking on and shedding blocks.
3. Watts, Xavier
Notre Dame 5116 203
Three-year starter, Omaha, NE. Bronko Nagurski Award winner and first-team All-America in 2023. His seven interceptions were the most in the FBS last year. An explosive defender with considerable athletic ability. Quality range from one-high alignments with good speed to protect the deep middle of the field. Sees the whole field with exceptional processing speed and a knack for finding the ball. Elite ball tracking ability to regularly put himself in position for takeaways. Asked to cover big slots and tight ends in press coverage; uses physical jams and good hip fluidity to match targets across the field. Able to carry receivers vertically downfield. He is a missile coming downhill with notable burst that makes him a challenge to block. An aggressive tackler who uses good form and possesses the strength to bring all types of ball carriers to the ground. Sometimes takes overaggressive angles to the ball trying to make a play. Needs to find ways to get off of blocks, especially crack blocks.
4. Winston Jr., Kevin*
Penn State 6020 208
Two-year starter, Columbia, MD. Big-Ten All Conference honorable mention last season. Typically aligns as the boundary safety with the versatility to play closer to the box. An agile athlete with twitch and change-of-direction skills to cover an extensive area of the field. Excellent range with instincts and explosiveness to track and play the ball both underneath and deep in coverage. Gets his hands in the way of the ball to break up passes with physicality. Quality man coverage skills and can stick with speedy wide receivers downfield. Explosive downfield when he reads run, and he is not afraid of contact when taking on blockers. Outstanding tackling form and technique and is able to finish the play against ball carriers of all sizes. His speed and relentless motor help him make plays all over the field and in pursuit. Lacks strength to take on blocks, and will allow notable yards-after-contact on tackling attempts.
5. Nwankpa, Xavier*
Iowa 6020 215
Three-year starter, Pleasant Hill, IA. Typically aligns as the field safety in Iowa’s quarters-based defense. His frame stands out immediately with great muscle mass and notable length. Solid athlete with quality movements skills. A quick processor and turns his eyes accordingly based on different route concepts. Triggers to the ball in a hurry with good burst to throw his body at a player to deliver heavy hits and break up passes. Will make his money in the box with his physical play-style and tackling ability. In run support he is able to fill a gap and handle his own in the trenches. Gets off of blocks with strong hands and a violent shuck, and able to bring down ball carriers with strength. Impressive speed in pursuit. Limited ball production due to the position he plays and lack of sideline-to-sideline range. Needs to take better angles to receivers in space. Work-in-progress in most coverages due to heavy quarters scheme.
6. Moore, Rod
Michigan 6000 185
Three-year starter, Clayton OH. Third-team All-Conference last year, 2022 All-Conference honorable mention. Suffered a season-ending injury prior to the 2024 season. Versatility to play both safety positions and in the slot. An excellent athlete with notable hip fluidity, change-of-direction skills, and agility to make plays in coverage. Great range from deep safety to take away a large portion of the field. In underneath zone coverage he is able to jam receivers while leveraging his zone with authority. Has a knack for finding the ball in the air with six interceptions over the past two seasons. Physical in man coverage with proper technique to lock bigger receivers down. Destroys blocks with a physical engagement and strong hands to shed. Excellent violence at the point-of-attack to fill gaps and make tackles with limited yards-after-contact. Needs to position himself better based on route concepts and the quarterback to make more plays from depth. His light frame creates concern despite his physical play-style. Without the injury Moore would be ranked higher. When and where he returns is up in the air. He is currently working as a student coach helping with the secondary.
7. Mukuba, Andrew
Texas 6011 195
8. Cooper, Jeremiah
Iowa State 6000 190
9. Sabb, Keon
Alabama 6012 196
10. Bowman Jr., Billy
Oklahoma 5100 191
11. Moore, Malachi
Alabama 5106 196
12. Ramsey, Kamari*
USC 6000 204
13. Clark, Alijah
Syracuse 6010 180
14. Sanders, Shilo
Colorado 6000 195
15. Castro, Sebastian
Iowa 5114 210
16. Wohler, Hunter
Wisconsin 6020 210
17. Taylor, CJ
Vanderbilt 6000 205
18. Pace, Deshawn
Central Florida 6020 215
19. Ransom, Lathan
Ohio State 6010 205
20. Silmon-Craig, Cam’Ron
Colorado 5100 185
21. Hook, Maxen
Toledo 6006 207
22. Burks, Aubrey
West Virginia 5104 205
23. Childress, Zion
Kentucky 6000 198
24. Ellington, Corey
Mississippi State 6030 200
25. Burns, Major
LSU 6016 193
*Denotes Underclassman