It wasn’t long ago that Joe Burrow (LSU, 2019) and Mac Jones (Alabama, 2020) were torching everyone in their paths with high-flying offensive attacks that were seemingly ushering in a new era in college football. Over the past three seasons, however, defense has made a comeback.
Georgia won national championships in 2021 and 2022 with a stifling defense, and Michigan followed suit during its unbeaten 2023 campaign. As the 2024 season approaches, it appears Ohio State is trying to remake itself in the mold of those Bulldogs and Wolverines.
With the retention of several draft-eligible defensive stars, the Buckeyes are gearing up to have their best unit yet under third-year coordinator Jim Knowles, who has already done some fine work since arriving from Oklahoma State in 2022. Getting more physical was a point of emphasis for Ohio State last season, and that quest continues with coach Ryan Day entering a critical seventh season.
Is Ohio State’s defensive front seven the best in the country? It may be by season’s end. For now, though, the benefit of the doubt goes to the two programs that have proven their dominance in that realm more recently.
Here’s our look at the nation’s best front sevens entering the 2024 campaign.
1. Georgia
It’s business as usual for the Georgia defense under coach Kirby Smart, which means the Bulldogs are going to be an issue for everyone up front. Mykel Williams is a potential first-round draft pick after two productive years on the edge. Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson have taken the journeymen approach at defensive tackle but are also destined for an NFL payday once they conclude their fifth seasons as hulking run-stuffers.
The Bulldogs are arguably even more loaded at linebacker with the likes of Chaz…
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