Best of the Big 12: Breaking down the defensive lines as we rank all 14 conference teams
Ranking the Big 12 schools on the strength of their defensive lines heading into summer camp:
1. Cincinnati
The Bearcats’ hopes of making a Big 12 splash start on the defensive front with several future NFL players. Dontay Corleone, a 6-foot-2, 305-pound sophomore fittingly dubbed “The Godfather” by his teammates and coaches, amassed 45 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles last season while earning All-American honors and Pro Football Focus’ highest ranking for any collegiate defensive player. Versatile Jowon Briggs, a 6-2, 295-pound senior, started 13 games inside a year ago and had 60 tackles, 4½ tackles for loss and three sacks. Cincinnati also welcomes edge rusher Daniel Grzesiak from the portal after the 6-1, 245-pound senior collected 52 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 8½ sacks for Utah State. There’s plenty of depth, too, since Justin Wodtly had 31 tackles in a reserve role and Eric Phillips led the team in tackles for loss with eight.
Bohls: Talent galore on Texas football roster has the Longhorns going places
2. Texas
An underrated defensive line played well last year while helping the Longhorns lead the Big 12 in rushing defense and generate 277 quarterback pressures, second-best in the country. The return of 6-4, 360-pound tackle T’Vondre Sweat should help ease the departures of interior linemen Keondre Coburn and Moro Ojomo to the NFL, while junior end Barryn Sorrell looks poised to make a push for double-digit sacks after leading Texas with 5½ a year ago. Byron Murphy II seemed to lock down a starting tackle spot in the spring, new arrival Trill Carter brings a proven track record after starting for Minnesota at tackle, and athletic reserve Alfred Collins can play multiple positions. Texas needs a player such as Ethan Burke or Justice Finkley to emerge as a reliable pass rusher opposite Murphy.
More: Texas Longhorns land commitment from 2024 three-star DT Melvin Hills
3. Houston
Lots will be expected from David Ugwoegbu, an All-Big 12 selection as a linebacker at Oklahoma last season who will drop down to an edge-rushing spot for the Cougars. He could form a potent pass-rushing duo with Nelson Ceaser, who had four sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 11 starts at defensive end in 2022. Zykeius Strong provides a more physical presence on the edge at 6-6, 270 pounds, while Sedrick Williams, Jamaree Caldwell and three-year starter Chidozie Nwankwo form a solid rotation inside. If Houston makes a surprising surge in the Big 12 standings, this unit could lead the way.
Bohls: The Big 12 will still have a Texas and Oklahoma problem even after they leave
4. Central Florida
The return of starters Ricky Barber, Josh Celiscar and Tre'Mon Morris-Brash make this unit the strength of the defense and should help ease the transition to new defensive coordinator Addison Williams. The 6-3, 290-pound Barber is an active player inside who had 48 tackles and three sacks a year ago, while the 6-4, 265-pound Celiscar tallied 53 tackles and three sacks from his end spot. The 6-2, 245-pound Morris-Brash leads the pass rush and had six sacks a year ago, and coaches also like former Auburn player Lee Hunter on the inside. The Knights will need young players such as freshman and former Oklahoma recruit Derrick LeBlanc to develop quickly to build the necessary depth for Big 12 play.
5. Texas Tech
Tyree Wilson was a generational talent for the Red Raiders, single-handedly wrecking schemes a year ago while playing his way into a top-10 pick in this year's NFL draft. Head coach Joey McGuire and his staff hope 6-5, 235-pound Syracuse transfer Steve Linton can replace some of that productivity after moving from outside linebacker to end, and Joseph Adedire flashed some star potential during his freshman season in 2022. The interior of the line doesn’t have any questions; tackles Tony Bradford and Jaylon Hutchings combined for 82 tackles and 14½ stops for loss last season and give Texas Tech one of the conference's top tackle tandems.
6. Oklahoma
Although they need to find some run-stuffing rocks in the middle, the Sooners have arguably the best bookend pass rushers in the conference with Ethan Downs and Rondell Bothroyd. An all-conference selection a year ago, the 6-4, 260-pound Downs was fourth in the Big 12 with 13½ tackles for loss and also racked up 4½ sacks and nine quarterback pressures. Bothroyd (6-3, 275) arrives after collecting six sacks, eight tackles for loss and 30 tackles at Wake Forest. Reggie Grimes and five-star freshman P.J. Adebawore provide depth on the outside. The Sooners might need to lean on transfers such as Texas State’s Davon Sears and Notre Dame’s Jacob Lacey at tackle, a position crucial for a team that gave up 461 yards a game last season.
More: Big 12 notebook: TCU's Sonny Dykes addresses, defends his hiring of Kendal Briles
7. TCU
Graduation gutted their defensive front, but the Horned Frogs used the portal to fill some gaping holes around stout nose guard Damonic Williams, a 325-pound sophomore who earned freshman All-American accolades a year ago. Tymon Mitchell also returns inside. Former Missouri State defensive lineman Tico Brown already has played five collegiate seasons and has good size at 6-2, 295 pounds, and Rick D’Abreu arrives after four years at East Carolina. Neither player dominated at his previous school, however, which raises some questions about adapting to Big 12 play. Defensive coordinator Joe Gillespie has a proven track record of melding together rugged defenses, and he’ll need to reach deep into his toolbox to rebuild the line, especially on the edge.
8. Baylor
Some major defensive lapses led to the departure of coordinator Ron Roberts, but the loss of massive run-stuffer Siaka Ika could have an even bigger impact. No one on the roster comes close to matching Ika’s physical presence up front, although Oregon transfer Treven Ma’ae has grown to almost 300 pounds, and 320-pound Jerrell Boykins Jr. arrives from the junior college ranks after leading Hutchinson College to the NJCAA national championship game. The defensive end position looks in much better shape with the return of TJ Franklin, Gabe Hall and Garmon Randolph, who combined for 10½ sacks and 15½ tackles for loss. If the tackles make some noise inside, that should free up the edge rushers.
9. BYU
New defensive coordinator Jay Hall arrives with several fresh faces, a revamped coaching staff and raised expectations after the Cougars struggled up front a year ago. BYU collected just 15 sacks in 2022, which ranked second-to-last among the 131 FBS programs. A pair of Boise State transfers, 305-pound run stuffer Jackson Cravens and 6-4, 235-pound edge rusher Isaiah Bagnah, will help, but the Cougars need 6-5, 275-pound end Tyler Batty to step into a starring role after playing in 28 games over the past three seasons. If Batty and fellow returning end John Nelson can adapt quickly to the new scheme, this unit could turn into a team strength.
More: Big 12 notebook: Kansas State will miss Deuce Vaughn but ready to defend football title
10. Kansas State
Just how do the Wildcats replace an All-American defensive end like Felix Anudike-Uzoma, who’s now in the NFL? They move linebacker Khalid Duke back to defensive end in their 3-3-5 scheme, which seems a good fit considering how effectively Duke played early in his career at the position. Moves like that by head coach Chris Klieman — whose coaching roots are on the defensive side of the ball — have made K-State one of the most consistent defenses in the nation over the past few years, including in 2022, when the Wildcats gave up just 21.5 points a game. K-State also must find a new nose guard; 345-pound senior Uso Seumalo seems like a good fit, although he must adapt to more snaps as a starter. Keep an eye on Mississippi State transfer Jevon Banks, a talented 300-pound junior who could play multiple positions up front.
11. Iowa State
Will McDonald IV and M.J. Anderson spearheaded the Big 12’s best defense a year ago from their end spots, but both are now readying for their NFL debuts. Expect Iowa State to lean on a group effort from a young crop of linemen led by Joey Peterson and possibly Tobechi Okoli, who didn’t do much in his stint at Auburn but boasts intriguing talent and a 6-6, 290-pound frame. Head coach Matt Campbell’s staff always seems to craft a salty defense, but this position will test that coaching mettle.
12. Oklahoma State
The Cowboys took a step back defensively last season, and that led to some offseason changes both in schemes and staffing. Oklahoma State seems to have switched to a 3-3-5 defense, so lots of new faces will line up in new places. Massive 330-pound sophomore Justin Kirkland arrives at nose guard after an impressive debut season at Utah State that included 40 tackles. Transfer Iman Oates and veterans Collin Clay, Xavier Ross and Aden Kelley also have experience inside, albeit not much production. Kody Walterscheid, Nathan Latu and Israel Isuman-Hundley return on the edge, but the Cowboys hope Tulsa transfer Anthony Goodlow can turn into a difference maker on the outside after the 6-4, 280-pounder had 44 tackles and eight stops for loss a year ago.
13. West Virginia
The Mountaineers gave up more than 410 yards and 32 points a year ago, and it seems unlikely that an inexperienced and unproven defensive front can help lower those numbers. End Sean Martin (6-3, 295) is one of just two players on the roster to have started a game up front for West Virginia, but he did show some rowdiness with 34 tackles, eight tackles for loss and four sacks last season. Veteran Davoan Hawkins arrives after recording 92 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss and eight sacks in three seasons at FCS program Tennessee Tech.
14. Kansas
The only Big 12 team to allow more than 200 yards rushing a game last season, the Jayhawks need an immediate influx of muscle up front. Unfortunately for Kansas, they might not even have as much talent on the line as last season, especially since pass-rushing artist Lonnie Phelps Jr. left school early to declare for the draft. Jereme Robinson returns at one end after racking up 34 tackles and three sacks, but portal arrivals Hayden Hatcher and Patrick Joyner Jr. had limited production at lower levels of football. The interior isn’t in better shape, although the arrival of 325-pound Colorado State transfer Devin Phillips should help tighten up against the run.
About this series
This summer, we're ranking each Big 12 team position by position. We will assign points for each team at each position, with 14 for the leader and one for 14th place. We’ll update the totals with each installment, giving an idea, in theory, of which teams will contend for the conference title and a possible College Football Playoff spot.
The lineup: (Week 1) quarterbacks, (2) running backs, (3) receivers, (4) offensive line, (5) defensive line, (6) linebackers, (7) defensive backs, (8) coaching and intangibles.
Current standings
1. Texas 59
2. Kansas 51
3. Central Florida 48
T4. Oklahoma 45
T4. BYU 45
6. Texas Tech 42
7. Kansas State 37
8. Baylor 35
9. Cincinnati 29
T10. West Virginia 27
T10. TCU 27
12. Houston 25
13. Oklahoma State 23
14. Iowa State 19
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Defensive line ranks in the Big 12 feature pass rushers, run stuffers
