Newcomers In The CFB Saturdays College Football DT Rankings: 2021 Preseason

With the 2020 season in the books we have removed the defensive tackles who have moved on and updated the College Football DT 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 DT Rankings here.

Here is a look at a few of the defensive tackles that have debuted in the rankings after a promising 2020:

Phidarian Mathis – Alabama

Mathis was a four star recruit in Alabama’s 2017 recruiting class and has waited his turn in a crowded and talented defensive line room. The talented defensive tackle has gotten bigger and stronger over his career and in 2020 was finally able to showcase his abilities with regular playing time. The results speak for themselves, Mathis was strong on the interior of the defensive line and was able to create penetration as well. He was a key player on Alabama’s championship defense, finishing the season with 31 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups and 3 QB hurries over 13 games.

Mathis is an imposing presence on the defensive line at 6’4″ 312 lbs. He has good strength at the point of attack and is stout against the run. Mathis also shows the quickness to get penetration and be disruptive in the backfield, against the run or as a pass rusher. Mathis’ combination of power and burst allow him to drive blockers into the backfield and squeeze the pocket, though he may not get the sack he is in the passing lane and gives quarterbacks little room to step into their throws. Mathis was impressive in 2020, but will need to be a leader in 2021 with Christian Barmore off to the NFL. If he builds on the progress he made in 2020 Mathis will be up to the task in 2021.

Jalen Carter – Georgia

Jalen Carter was a five star member of Georgia’s 2020 recruiting class and wasted little time getting on the field and making an impact. Georgia’s defense had plenty of veteran talent returning, but Carter was able to carve out a role for himself. Carter proved he was physically ready to make an impact and showed good quickness and instincts on the defensive interior. Despite fighting for playing time early in the year on a talented defense and playing in a scheme that asks the interior defensive linemen to eat up blockers, Carter recorded 14 tackles with 3 tackles for loss and 5 QB hurries in ten games for the Bulldogs.

Carter is a physically impressive player on the defensive line who still has room to add more strength. He is listed at 6’3″ 305 lbs and is already strong enough to anchor at the point of attack against the run game. Carter is surprisingly athletic for his size and has the acceleration and agility to fill gaps and create penetration on the interior. Carter also proved to be an advanced player who knows how to blend technique with his physical tools. He shows a good feel for the game and will continue to get better as he gains experience. He is already an advanced prospect but should take another big step forward as a sophomore.

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Perrion Winfrey – Oklahoma

Winfrey was the top ranked Juco recruit in the country in the 2020 class and was expected to make an immediate impact. In a year full of uncertainty, Winfrey lived up to those expectations and starred for the Sooners. Playing the nose for Oklahoma, he not only eats up blockers but has been a disruptive force in the backfield. Nose guard is usually not the place for defensive linemen to rack up big statistics, but Winfrey was productive in 2020 accounting for 19 tackles with 6 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, 3 pass breakups and a key field goal block against Texas.

The 6’3″ 297 lb Winfrey has good strength and athleticism. First and foremost, he has the size and strength to take on double teams and still clog up running lanes and shrink the pocket on passing plays. He has a good bull rush getting excellent leverage against offensive linemen and driving them back into the pocket. Winfrey puts it all together with good instincts and football savvy that allows him to be in position and find ways to make plays. Entering his second season for the Sooners, Winfrey is climbing fast and will be one of the best defensive tackles in the country in 2021.

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Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa – Notre Dame

Tagovailoa-Amosa committed to Notre Dame as a three star recruit from Hawaii and saw time as a reserve his first two seasons in South Bend. He earned a staring spot in 2019 and has proven to be a steady contributor who continued to improve in 2020. Notre Dame’s defense was stout and the solid play of the defensive line was a key factor in that success. Despite missing the Florida State game due to Covid precautions, Tagovailoa-Amosa still tallied 17 tackles with 6 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and 2 QB Hurries in 11 games.

At 6’2″ 282 lbs, Tagovailoa-Amosa has the size needed to be a three technique but can also be a strong side defensive end in certain packages. He has good athleticism and quickness and is able to get blockers off balance on the interior. Tagovailoa-Amosa has a good feel for the game and finds the football quickly, shooting gaps with his quickness to make plays in the offensive backfield. With new defensive coordinator, Marcus Freeman, taking over the defense in 2021 expect Tagovailoa-Amosa to be able to showcase his versatility even more next season. While he is already a reliable player on the defensive front, expect Tagovailoa-Amosa to continue to get better in 2021.

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Ben Stille – Nebraska

Nebraska fought just to have a 2020 season, but ended up playing just eight games for the season. Stille is a powerful player on Nebraska’s three man defensive line and is counted on to occupy blockers and stuff the run. He was stout in 2020 and proved to be a consistent performer for the Huskers. Stille may not make flashy plays, but his presence cannot be ignored at the line of scrimmage as he clogs up running lanes and frees up others to make plays. In 2020, he totaled 27 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and 3 QB Hurries in those eight games.

Stille has an excellent build at 6’5″ 295 lbs and plays with the power one would expect from a player that size. He does a good job of getting leverage against offensive linemen and pushing them back into the play. His strength makes him difficult to move at the point of attack and Stille has strong hands that help him disengage blockers and make tackles against the run. Stille has work to do as a pass rusher, though his power and motor help him to collapse the pocket at times. Stille is an excellent run defender and as he continues to improve his pass rush moves he will become an even better defensive tackle going forward.

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For the complete Top 25 DT Rankings click here.

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