Top Returning Defensive Tackles For 2017


These top returning defensive tackles in college football will clog running lanes, command double-teams and generally wreak the most interior havoc in 2017.


The role of the defensive tackle in college football has changed dramatically over the years. Gone are the days when interior linemen were primarily asked to be space-eaters who occupied blockers. Sure, that’s still a part of the job description, but the truly elite tackles will also create their own mayhem, a la someone like Ndamukong Suh or Aaron Donald. The following top returning defensive tackles may line up on the inside, but they’re capable of producing like edge players in 2017.

Top Returning Defensive Tackles

10. James Looney, Cal

Looney is neither a household name, nor does he play on a top defense, but that matters little. He’s a playmaker from the interior who’s going to get his shot to play in the NFL following this season. Looney is 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds of perpetual energy, erupting off the snap and regularly busting through seams, even when dealing with multiple blockers. He goes from sideline-to-sideline in a hurry for an interior lineman, resulting in 54 tackles, eight stops for loss and 3.5 sacks a season ago.

9. Poona Ford, Texas

While Ford isn’t the kind of tackle who’ll pressure quarterbacks, he’s outstanding at clogging lanes and stuffing the run. In fact, he was fourth on the 2016 team with 54 tackles, 5.5 of which were for minus yards. Ford is only 5-foot-11 and 303 pounds, but he uses his stature to get beneath the other guy’s pads and drive him in reverse. He and Chris Nelson will once again give the Longhorns a stout and experienced duo in the middle of the D-line.

8. Trenton Thompson, Georgia

Thompson performed in the Liberty Bowl as if he plans to use 2017 as a springboard to the NFL Draft. The former blue-chip recruit of Mark Richt earned MVP honors with three sacks against TCU, showing off a ceiling he’ll now need to approach more consistently. While Thompson’s calling cards are moving the pile and stopping the run, last year’s 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks indicate a propensity for starting fast and making plays upfield.

7. Greg Gaines, Washington

The lesser known of the Husky interior linemen, Gaines didn’t need headlines to play a central role in last year’s run defense. He’s not the kind of defender who’ll post impressive numbers, though he did make 35 tackles, eight stops for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2016. But the 6-foot-2, 318-pounder is so strong at the point of attack that his ability to eat blocks and occupy multiple opponents helps make life markedly easier for his teammates in the front seven.

6. Steven Richardson, Minnesota

Richardson is entering his fourth season as a starter, with a chance to spread his brand of disruption beyond the confines of the Big Ten. Overlooked coming out of high school because of a lack of height, he’s a defensive tackle who’s played with a chip on his shoulder ever since. Richardson is extremely strong, and he plays with a pad level that makes it difficult to neutralize his bull rush. He’ll begin his senior year with 25 career tackles for loss, including 11 in 2016.

5. Derrick Nnadi, Florida State

After earning Third Team All-ACC in consecutive years, Nnadi is eager to move up the conference pecking order as a senior. He’s easily the strongest Seminole in Tallahassee, with the low center of gravity to make it doubly difficult to move him away from the flow of the play. And yet, Nnadi is unexpectedly light on his feet as well. Testament to his versatility at tackle, he collected 49 tackles, 10.5 stops for loss and six sacks last season.

4. Maurice Hurst, Michigan

Last season, Hurst was a cog in a rotation, sharing snaps at defensive tackle with Ryan Glasgow. This fall, he could wind up being Michigan’s most decorated player on either side of the ball. Hurst is itching to bust loose as a senior, finally in a position to grab a starring role. He’s been productive whenever given a shot, tallying 18 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks over the last two seasons. His quickness and strength, combined with a sense of urgency, portend a monster finale in Ann Arbor.

3. Vita Vea, Washington

Vea is the second coming of Danny Shelton in Seattle, a massive 6-foot-4, 346-pounder who’s seemingly too big to move so fluidly. But move he does, picking up a head of steam before crushing an opposing back or quarterback. Vea emerged into a force for the Huskies in 2016, earning Second Team All-Pac-12 with 39 tackles, 6.5 stops for loss and five sacks. His presence in the middle of the defensive line makes it markedly tougher to navigate the area between the tackles.

2. Dexter Lawrence, Clemson

At 6-5 and 340 pounds, the way Lawrence moves is simply jaw-dropping. There’s nothing sloppy about him, from his balance to his technique. And he’s only just begun to approach his enormous potential with the Tigers. As a ballyhooed true freshman in 2016, Lawrence didn’t disappoint. In fact, he bolted past sky-high expectations with 78 tackles, 9.5 stops for loss, seven sacks and 23 pressures. Almost two dozen quarterback hurries from the largest player on the roster is testament to Lawrence’s unique abilities.

1. Ed Oliver, Houston

In his much anticipated debut, Oliver delivered one of the best seasons ever by a true freshman interior lineman. Whatever learning curve that existed was immediately flattened, like a back trying to work between the tackles. Oliver abused blockers with his strength, burst and non-stop motor, amassing 66 tackles, 23 stops for loss, five sacks and nine pass breakups to earn a smattering of All-American recognition. At 290 pounds, he moves at a different speed than those around him, and he has the hunger to achieve greatness.

MORE: Top Returning Quarterbacks For 2017