Ohio State, Notre Dame among blue-blood programs vying for best college football DB room entering 2024 season

Between rule changes that benefited the other side of the ball and the emergence of spread offenses that force players to cover and attack in space, playing in a college football secondary has become much more difficult over the last 10-15 years. For a time, this resulted in higher scores across the country as offenses used their advantage to light up scoreboards and set records.

However, in recent years we have seen something of a defensive resurgence. Much of this has to do with the type of versatile athletes who now populate many of college football’s best secondaries. Last year, players like Cooper DeJean (Iowa) and Malachi Starks (Georgia) and Trey Taylor (Air Force) exemplified the new blueprint for a defensive back in college football, displaying coverage and attacking prowess en route to being named finalists for the Thorpe.

Every team wants to build around a playmaker like that, but a secondary is only as good as its weakest link. To be truly effective on the back end, a team needs the right mix of talent, depth, chemistry and experience.

We’ve put together a list of teams that we think have all of these ingredients in droves. Below are the best secondaries in the country entering the 2024 season.

1. Ohio State

The Buckeyes scored a major offseason victory by signing the top rated transfer in Alabama’s Caleb Downs, but he’s just one part of a stacked secondary. The Buckeyes allowed a 99.1 passer rating in 2023, which ranked first in the country and ahead of teams like Notre Dame, Michigan and Iowa. Of that defensive backfield, only safety Josh Proctor is gone. His spot will be filled by Downs, arguably the best returning safety in the country. Cornerback and potential top-10 draft pick Denzel Burke is back, while Jordan Hancock, Lathan Ransom and Davison Igbinosun return alongside him.

Ohio State also added quality depth in former South Carolina safety Keenan Nelson Jr. Four-star cornerbacks Aaron Scott Jr. Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles will enter his third season, and this should be their deepest and most talented unit to date.

2. Notre Dame

Notre Dame heads into the 2024 season with high expectations in the third year of the Marcus Freeman era. Leading the hype are players like Benjamin Morrison and Xavier Watts, the latter of whom earned First Team All-America honors from CBS Sports and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy — awarded to the nation’s best defensive player — after recording 52 tackles and seven interceptions last season.

Former four-star cornerback Jaden Mickey could have a breakout season after recording 11 tackles and an interception in two games. Former Northwestern cornerback Ron Heard II and former Arizona State safety Jordan Clark arrive from the transfer portal. Both should contribute to a defense that ranked third in passing yards allowed (154.2 per game) last fall.

3. Iowa

Iowa’s defense starts with reigning Broyles Award winner Phil Parker, considered one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. Parker will coach a group led by the best cornerback in the country, Sebastian Castro. With DeJean headed to the NFL, Castro leads a unit that ranks 15th in passing yards allowed (172.2) and 4th in scoring defense (13.2) in 2023.

Xavier Nwankpa is an important name to watch, and Quinn Schulte sits alongside him in the backline. Jermari Harris recorded 42 tackles and one interception in 12 games, while Deshaun Lee made six starts at corner last season. With some moderate improvements to last year’s lackluster offense, the defense could lead Iowa to a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.

4. Georgia

Georgia’s secondary will look significantly different this season after Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith were selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. Defensive coach Fran Brown also left for the vacant position at Syracuse. The good news for Georgia is that Starks returns alongside cornerback Daylen Everette.

Starks is getting buzz in the first round entering the 2024 campaign after recording 52 tackles and three interceptions last season. The Bulldogs added five-star prospects KJ Bolden and Ellis Robinson IV from the 2024 recruiting cycle, and both could compete for playing time as freshmen. Head coach Kirby Smart deserves the benefit of the doubt after producing elite secondaries throughout his tenure.

5. Michigan

Michigan cornerback Will Johnson is good enough to be the first defender off the board in the 2025 NFL Draft. At 6-foot-3, Johnson has ideal size for the position, and his play recognition makes him a strong All-American candidate after recording four interceptions during Michigan’s run to the national championship.

Johnson helps keep Michigan on this list despite some devastating losses, headlined by Keon Sabb transferring to Alabama and Rod Moore tearing his ACL earlier this spring. While there is no official timetable for Moore’s return, first-year head coach Sherrone Moore is I hope he returns this season. Returners Makari Paige, Quinten Johnson and Ja’Den McBurrows should receive increased production after cornerback Mike Sainristil left for the NFL.

Honorable mention

• Alabama (Domani Jackson, Malachi Moore, Keon Sabb)
• Texas (Malik Muhammad, Gavin Holmes, Jahdae Barron)
• Oregon (Jabbar Muhammad, Tysheem Johnson, Kobe Savage)
• Penn State (AJ Harris, Kevin Winston Jr., Jaylen Reed)
• Purdue (Dillon Thieneman, Nyland Green, Markevious Brown)