Introducing the CFB Saturdays College Football DE Rankings

Over the next few weeks we will be unveiling our College Football player rankings by position. Today we will take a look at our College Football DE rankings. A few notes before we discuss the rankings themselves.

• The rankings will be updated throughout the season.
• Players who have not played college football are not eligible for the rankings.
• Players are graded on their college ability, not their pro potential.
• We are judging players on their film, production and physical tools.

You can view the college football DE rankings here.

Top of the Class

Greg Rousseau from Miami checks in at the top spot in our rankings. Rousseau has great length and was a menace at the end position in 2019. He was a sack machine finishing second in the nation to Chase Young with 15.5 sacks. Rousseau is a great athlete who has good speed and closing ability. He uses his long arms effectively as a pass rusher and against the run. Though he has a complete game there is more room to grow. Rousseau is still raw and relies on his length and athleticism to make plays and can improve by adding technique and polish to his game. Rousseau is a high ceiling player who should be even better in 2020.

Oregon‘s Kayvon Thibodeaux is in the #2 spot and is a star for the Ducks. He recorded 9 sacks as a true freshman and got better as the year went on. Thibodeaux is an athletic nightmare for offensive lineman, he has great speed, length and get off and is almost impossible for a tackle to block one on one. He still needs to learn to use his hands and technique instead of just trying to overwhelm the opposition with his athleticism. Thibodeaux has a good frame and should be able to add good weight and continue to get stronger. He is already an impact player but with a year of development Thibodeaux could be amazing.

Not to be outdone our #3 player, George Karlaftis of Purdue, also had a big true freshman season. Karlaftis was able to record 7.5 sacks and 17 TFL last season and was a force on the defensive front for the Boilermakers. Karlaftis is a complete defensive end with good size, strength and quickness. He has a rare combination of size and athleticism that allows him to be a force against both the run and the pass. He uses his length well but still needs to learn to use his hands better. As he improves his technique he will become an even better player, we expect that to come to fruition this year.

The Next Group

Quincy Roche is at Miami now and at the 4th spot on our list. Roche was one of the most sought after grad transfers in the country after recording 13 sacks last year for Temple. Roche may not have the same measurables as the first three on this list but he is an impact player as well. Roche is a quick end who plays with good burst and leverage. He is a polished pass rusher who wreaked havoc in the American Athletic Conference last year. Roche is not a thick player and needs to use his quickness to create leverage against the run, but has proven effective in this manner. He will have to prove he can handle the step up in competition at the ACC level, but we are confident he will be successful.

Wake Forest’s Carlos Basham Jr holds the 5th spot in our rankings. He collected 11 sacks and 18 TFL last year leading the Wake Forest defense. Basham is a well built defensive end at 6’5″ 275 lbs and plays with a relentless motor. He has a good first step and advanced technique for a college player. He uses his hands and strength well as a pass rusher and run defender. He is the best player on the Demon Deacons defense and gets the most attention from the opposing offense, but it still hasn’t slowed him down. Basham is a complete player who should continue to dominate in the ACC this coming season.

Our #6 player is Ronnie Perkins of Oklahoma. Perkins picked up 13.5 TFL and 6 sacks for the Sooners last season as he built on his solid freshman campaign in 2018. Perkins is a good athlete who gets off the snap quickly and beat blockers with his quickness. He does not have the length or mass of some of the top defensive ends, but he plays with quickness and a good motor, allowing him to shoot gaps and make plays in the backfield. Perkins may not get much bigger, but he will continue to improve as he cleans up his technique to compliment his explosiveness. He is the best defensive end returning to the Big 12 this season.

Hamilcar Rashed Jr represents Oregon State as our #6 player. He is a 3 – 4 OLB but is primarily used as a pass rusher for the Beavers, where he was ultra productive in 2019 tallying 14 sacks and 22.5 TFL. Rashed has good speed and pursues the ball well. He has a quick first step and a high motor, making it difficult for blockers to stay in front of him. He needs to add some weight and get stronger at the point of attack, but is able to overcome this with his quickness and effort. Look for Rashed to have another big season for the Beavers in 2020.

Pittsburgh‘s Patick Jones II is our 8th ranked player in the defensive end rankings. Jones was an effective player at the end position last season accounting for 8.5 sacks. He has good length and a frame to add more good weight. Jones is excellent at dipping his shoulder and turning the corner in pass rush situations and plays with great effort continuing to pursue the play until the whistle. He has the quickness to beat blockers inside and get in gaps to disrupt the offense. Jones uses his hands well at times but needs to be more consistent in his technique. He is a well rounded defender but could improve against the run some with added strength and recognition. We expect Jones to continue to progress in 2020.

Watch Out For These Ends

Ranking 10th in our college football DE rankings is USC star Drake Jackson. Jackson shined as a true freshman accumulating 11.5 TFL and 5.5 sacks on the season despite missing two games. Jackson is a well built defensive end, who could slide to tackle if he keeps putting on weight. He is much quicker than you would expect a guy his size to be and is disruptive in pursuit because of his change of direction ability. He has good strength and is more advanced technically than most freshmen, making him difficult to contain. Jackson uses his size to knock balls down in the passing game. If he stays at end he will have to maintain his athleticism as he gets stronger and bigger, but Jackson is an excellent player growing into his potential.

Aidan Hutchinson from Michigan comes in at #14 on the list. Hutchinson did well for the Wolverines recording 10.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks in 2019. He has great size and solid athleticism. Hutchinson is a powerful defensive end and plays to his strengths. He drives blockers back with his power and uses his hands to knock them off balance and make plays in the backfield. Hutchinson is also a very intelligent player, he plays gap sound, and is rarely fooled on misdirection plays. There is nothing that Hutchinson cannot do, he will play smart, rush the passer, plug a gap or set the edge, he can do anything the defense needs him to. Hutchinson is a do it all defensive lineman who can help his team in a variety of ways.

Clemson‘s Xavier Thomas is currently #17 on our list. Thomas only had 8 TFL and 2 sacks last season, but he was too talented to leave off the list at this juncture. Thomas is a powerful end with a quick first step who has the ability to overpower blockers or go around them. His production was better as a freshman than as a sophomore but the ability is there. Thomas needs to continue to polish his game, and add pass rushing moves to his arsenal. If he can harness his talent he has a good chance to shoot up this list, but if he doesn’t improve his consistency and performance he could slide off it all together.

Click here for the Top 25 DE Rankings.

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