{"id":646860,"date":"2026-05-16T14:50:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T14:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/646860\/"},"modified":"2026-05-16T14:50:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T14:50:20","slug":"cbs-sports-ranks-most-feared-defensive-players-in-college-football-for-2026-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/646860\/","title":{"rendered":"CBS Sports ranks most-feared defensive players in college football for 2026 season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Entering the 2026 season, there\u2019s plenty of defensive talent in college football. CBS Sports broke down the most-feared players<\/a> on that side of the ball entering the year.<\/p>\n

EDGE has a number of top-level players in 2026, and three players at the position appear in the top four of CBS Sports\u2019 most-feared defensive players. Texas<\/a> standout Colin Simmons<\/a> and South Carolina<\/a> star Dylan Stewart<\/a> lead the charge as they continue to prove why their were blue-chip prospects as high school recruits out of the 2024 cycle.<\/p>\n

They are two of the top defensive players in the nation heading into 2026. Here are the most-feared defensive players in college football this season, according to CBS Sports.<\/p>\n

1. Colin Simmons, EDGE, Texas<\/p>\n

After back-to-back dominant seasons, Colin Simmons<\/a> will look to take another leap forward at Texas<\/a> in 2026. He led the SEC in sacks as a sophomore in 2025 and enters his junior year as one of the top defensive players in the country.<\/p>\n

Simmons had 43 tackles last season to go with 15.5 tackles for loss and 12.0 sacks. That came after a monster freshman year in 2024 with 48 tackles, 14 TFLs and nine sacks, along with an interception.<\/p>\n

2. Dylan Stewart, EDGE, South Carolina<\/p>\n

The anchor of the South Carolina<\/a> pass rush, Dylan Stewart<\/a> continued to improve as a sophomore last season. He also comes in at No. 2 among the most-feared defensive players in college football, according to CBS Sports.<\/p>\n

Stewart set career-highs with 33 tackles and 12 tackles for loss last year while adding 4.5 sacks. He burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2024 with 23 total tackles, 10.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks after arriving as a top-rated recruit.<\/p>\n

3. Leonard Moore, CB, Notre Dame<\/p>\n

One of the top cornerback prospects in the country is back at Notre Dame<\/a> in 2026. Leonard Moore<\/a> will once again lead the Fighting Irish secondary in a year filled with expectations in South Bend.<\/p>\n

Moore became an All-American as a sophomore last season as he hauled in five interceptions, including a pick-six. He also had 31 tackles and a forced fumble across 10 games, and he will enter 2026 as one of the most-feared defensive players in the nation, according to CBS Sports.<\/p>\n

4. Princewill Umanmielen, EDGE, LSU<\/p>\n

Following a breakout year at Ole Miss<\/a> in 2025, Princewill Umanmielen<\/a> re-joined Lane Kiffin<\/a> at LSU<\/a>. He will look to follow up his production with the Rebels and prove himself as one of the most-feared defensive players in college football, per CBS Sports.<\/p>\n

Umanmielen totaled 44 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss and nine sacks, after transferring from Nebraska<\/a>. He was one of Kiffin\u2019s top transfer portal additions this cycle, ranking No. 3 in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. A\u2019Mauri Washington, DL, Oregon<\/p>\n

As a junior at Oregon<\/a> in 2025, A\u2019Mauri Washington<\/a> cemented himself as a force on the defensive line. He put together a breakout year and ranks as the most-feared true defensive lineman in the country, according to CBS Sports.<\/p>\n

Washington set career-highs with 33 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks across 15 games a year ago. He also had eight passes defended and will look to take a leap forward under new coordinator Chris Hampton<\/a>.<\/p>\n

6. Damon Wilson II, EDGE, Miami<\/p>\n

Miami<\/a> made one of the biggest transfer portal splashes of the offseason in former Missouri<\/a> EDGE Damon Wilson II<\/a>. He had a monster year with the Tigers after transferring from Georgia<\/a> and will try to replicate that production in Coral Gables.<\/p>\n

Wilson had 23 tackles last season, including career-highs with 9.5 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks. He then entered the transfer portal and became the No. 6 overall player to hit the open market, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings.<\/p>\n

7. David Stone, DL, Oklahoma<\/p>\n

After opting to stay at Oklahoma<\/a> for the 2025 season, David Stone<\/a> shined as Brent Venables<\/a> took over play-calling. He will once again look to serve as an anchor of the defensive line this coming season as one of the top defensive players in the country.<\/p>\n

Stone broke out in 2025 as he recorded 42 tackles, including eight TFLs and 1.5 sacks. The former Five Star Plus+ recruit is also generating early NFL Draft buzz, which shows his potential in 2026.<\/p>\n

8. Christian Gray, DB, Notre Dame<\/p>\n

Another important piece of the Notre Dame<\/a> secondary, Christian Gray<\/a> is the second Fighting Irish player to rank in the Top 10 of CBS Sports\u2019 most-feared defensive players in 2026. He was a key part of the 2024 team which made a national championship appearance and was strong again in 2025.<\/p>\n

Last year, Gray recorded 17 tackles and two interceptions while setting a career-high with 11 interceptions. That came after he had 35 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions \u2013 including a pick-six \u2013 as a sophomore.<\/p>\n

9. Ellis Robinson IV, CB, Georgia<\/p>\n

Following a redshirt year in 2024, Ellis Robinson IV<\/a> shined in the Georgia<\/a> secondary. He led the SEC in interceptions in 2025 and is one of the 10 most-feared players in college football this coming year, according to CBS Sports.<\/p>\n

Robinson had 20 tackles a year ago, along with four interceptions on seven passes defended. He arrived on campus as a Five Star Plus+ prospect and appears in line to repeat his success in 2026.<\/p>\n

10. Brandon Finney, CB, Oregon<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take long for Brandon Finney<\/a> to showcase his talent on the Oregon<\/a> defense. He was impressive as a freshman in 2025 and rounds out CBS Sports\u2019 Top 10 most-feared defensive prospects in 2026.<\/p>\n

Finney had 42 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a sack. He also hauled in three interceptions, including a pick-six, while recording eight passes defended.<\/p>\n

Most-feared defensive players: Nos. 11-26<\/p>\n

11. Zabien Brown<\/a>, CB, Alabama<\/a>
12. KJ Bolden<\/a>, DB, Georgia<\/a>
13. John Henry Daley<\/a>, EDGE, Michigan<\/a>
14. Koi Perich<\/a>, DB, Oregon<\/a>
15. Rasheem Biles<\/a>, LB, Texas<\/a>
16. Ben Roberts<\/a>, LB, Texas Tech<\/a>
17. Anthony Smith<\/a>, DL, Minnesota<\/a>
18. Brice Pollock<\/a>, CB, Texas Tech<\/a>
19. Ahmad Moten<\/a>, DL, Miami<\/a>
20. Tyrique Tucker<\/a>, DL, Indiana<\/a>
21. Teitum Tuioti<\/a>, LB, Oregon<\/a>
22. Kelley Jones<\/a>, CB, Mississippi State<\/a>
23. Ty Benefield<\/a>, DB, LSU<\/a>
24. Clev Lubin<\/a>, DL, Louisville<\/a>
25. Sammy Brown<\/a>, LB, Clemson<\/a>
26. Bryce Fitzgerald<\/a>, DB, Miami<\/a><\/p>\n

With spring practice in the rear-view mirror, summer workouts are just about underway across college football. The 2026 season is just a few months away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Entering the 2026 season, there\u2019s plenty of defensive talent in college football. CBS Sports broke down the most-feared…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":646861,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[179247,189576,264363,279095,125632,270981,125633,270983,279096,199474,221231,136901,109825,221233,399,175236,264366,221247,209325,126784,398,396,397,140564,42168,279097,99,279098,264368,175257,169813],"class_list":["post-646860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ncaa-football","tag-amauri-washington-23-chandler","tag-ahmad-moten-22-cardinal-gibbons","tag-anthony-smith-22-shippensburg-area","tag-ben-roberts-22-eaton","tag-brandon-finney-25-mcdonogh-school","tag-brice-pollock-23-shiloh","tag-bryce-fitzgerald-25-belen-jesuit-prep","tag-christian-gray-23-desmet","tag-clev-lubin-21-u-s-military-academy-prep","tag-colin-simmons-24-duncanville","tag-damon-wilson-ii-23-venice","tag-david-stone-24-img-academy","tag-dylan-stewart-24-friendship-collegiate-academy","tag-ellis-robinson-iv-24-img-academy","tag-football","tag-john-henry-daley-21-lone-peak","tag-kelley-jones-23-clarksdale","tag-kj-bolden-24-buford","tag-koi-perich-24-lincoln-secondary","tag-leonard-moore-24-round-rock","tag-ncaa","tag-ncaa-football","tag-ncaafootball","tag-princewill-umanmielen-23-manor","tag-rasheem-biles-23-pickerington-central","tag-sammy-brown-24-jefferson","tag-sports","tag-teitum-tuioti-23-sheldon","tag-ty-benefield-23-santa-margarita-catholic","tag-tyrique-tucker-21-lake-taylor","tag-zabien-brown-24-mater-dei"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=646860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/646860\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/646861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=646860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=646860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=646860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}