2024 Top 10 Safety Unit Rankings: Iowa touts best tandem, but Ohio State, Georgia have star headliners

With spring practice in the books and the second transfer portal window closed, it’s time to kickstart our summer series evaluating 2024 positional unit rankings. 

I debuted the series with a look at the 10 best quarterback rooms, and then ranked Top 10 running back units in 2024, the best tight end rooms and the top receiver units this fall. We concluded the offensive side of the ball with the big uglies, ranking the Top 10 offensive line units this season. 

This week, we take a swing at the best defensive rooms. On Monday, I released my (semi-controversial???) Top 10 defensive line/edge units, which were extremely difficult to rank. Then I released the Top 10 linebacker rooms, and the best cornerback units (nickel/star position included). 

We conclude the 2024 positional unit rankings with safeties. This is probably the one spot where I leaned a bit more on singular individual talent — especially since most teams employ just two safeties on the field at the same time. 

Still, the quality of the entire room remains the focal point of the exercise, so a guy like Dillion Thieneman might be a dynamic player, but Purdue’s pass defense ranked last in the Big Ten so they don’t make the cut. 

The Top 10 safety units in 2024:

1. Iowa

Junior Xavier Nwankpa and senior Quinn Schulte might be the most valuable safety duo in 2024, as Iowa’s returning starters compliment each other perfectly, and are excellent individually, too.  

Nwankpa is an elite cover safety (fourth-best coverage grade, per PFF), while Shulte is a thumper who also graded highly as both a run-defender and cover-guy. The Hawkeyes have the best insurance safety in the country as well, as outstanding nickel Sebastian Castro could slide back to safety in a pinch.

2. Ohio State 

The Buckeyes have the top cornerback trio in the country, and their safety room is among best in the nation, too with the offseason addition of former Alabama transfer Caleb Downs. The former 5-star emerged as one of the best defensive backs in the sport as a freshman in 2023, leading Alabama with 70 tackles while adding two interceptions and a punt return touchdown. 

Downs will be paired with senior Lathan Ransom, a multi-year starter who has struggled to stay healthy at times. If there’s a concern for Ohio State, it’s a lack of depth. Ja’Had Carter transferred to NC State and Sonny Styles moved to linebacker full-time. If Ransom is sidelined again for any time, OSU would have to turn to a couple of redshirt freshmen or move Jordan Hancock over from his nickel spot.

3. Georgia 

Malaki Starks has looked the part since his first game in a UGA uniform when he intercepted Oregon’s Bo Nix in the 2022 season-opener. Since then, the former 5-star prospect has developed into an All-American and one of the best safeties in college football. 

Although Georgia will certainly miss Javon Bullard, who went from a 3-star prospect to Day 2 NFL Draft pick, UGA has solid internal options with veteran returnees Dan Jackson, a former walk-on, and JaCorey Thomas. Both saw time with the 1s this spring, and they’ll have to hold off 5-star freshman KJ Bolden, who is going to play a lot in 2024. UGA also brought in Alabama transfer Jake Pope for some insurance.

4. Notre Dame

Xavier Watts led the nation with seven picks in 2023, winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (given to the best defensive player in college football) en route to earning All-American honors. He opted to return for a fifth season with the Irish, further shoring up the team’s strong secondary. 

Watts will work in tandem with either Northwestern transfer Rod Heard II, who had 85 tackles and 4.0 TFLs in 13 games last season, or promising but green sophomore Adon Shuler. Former walk-on Luke Talich, who turned down scholarship opportunities from multiple Pac-12 schools, is someone who has generated buzz within the program and could push for a role this fall. 

5. Penn State

The Nittany Lions return their top three safeties off last season’s elite pass defense, led by sure-tackler Kevin Winston Jr. Winston was the only safety in the country to post a 85-plus grade in coverage and against the run, per PFF, drawing comps to former PSU great Jaquan Brisker. 

Jaylen Reed is also back, and in new DC Tom Allen’s three-safety scheme, the senior is likely to start in the ‘Lion’ role. Fourth-year junior Zakee Wheatley will likely round out the starting trio, while the Nittany Lions are excited about 2023 signee Dakaari Nelson. 

6. USC 

The Trojans lost Calen Bullock to the NFL, and yet their safety room projects to be much-improved in 2024 despite the departure of the 3rd-round pick. Thanks the the addition of new DC D’Anton Lynn, USC now has UCLA’s dynamic duo at safety in Kamari Ramsey and Akili Arnold. 

Both know the new system and were critical starters on a Bruins defense that ranked No. 2 in passing in the Pac-12. Zion Branch is a third-year player and former Top 100 recruit with all the ability but is someone who has struggled to stay healthy. USC also has a couple of intriguing freshmen joining the unit this offseason. 

7. Iowa State 

The Cyclones had the Big 12’s top-ranked pass defense in terms of yards per attempt, and much of that success was due to the team’s underrated safety trio. 

Jeremiah Cooper, Beau Freyler and Malik Verdon are all back in 2024, and Iowa State doesn’t lack available options behind their starting unit, either. Cooper recorded double-digit pass deflections, and as a group, they combined for 10 interceptions. The Cyclones are also high on backups Jamison Patton and Ta’Shawn James, who reportedly had a big spring.  

8. Oregon

The Ducks lack the star power at the safety spot compared to some of the other units listed, but Dan Lanning has assembled a solid room that should maintain the secondary’s strong play in 2024. Tysheem Johnson is back as the team’s top-returning tackler, and the former Ole Miss transfer is set to be paired with Kansas State transfer Kobe Savage, who had three picks and 57 tackles a year ago. 

Oregon has a pair of super-high upside pieces waiting in the wings, too, as former 5-star Peyton Woodyard transferred from Alabama after redshirting in 2023, and 4-star Aaron Flowers was the Ducks’ second-highest-ranked signee last cycle.

9. Alabama 

Caleb Downs will no longer rove center field for the Tide, but Alabama still has a quality tandem in Malachi Moore, who had a bounce-back 2023 season, and Michigan transfer Keon Sabb, a former Top 100 recruit with tremendous upside. DeVonta Smith will play the Husky role in Kane Wommack’s defense, but he can fit in at safety in a pinch. 

The issue for Alabama is all the departures — Downs, Pope, Woodyard, Tony Mitchell — have totally sapped their depth and inexperience. Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. may be counted on as a freshman, while redshirt freshman Bray Hubbard, named one of the team’s most improved players this spring, will likely fit into the rotation, too. 

10. Texas 

The Longhorns’ pass defense was just so-so in 2023, and the safety unit was not a strength. A year later, they feel much better about their back end with the development of Derek Williams Jr., the return of super-senior Jahdae Barron, who can play safety or star, and the addition of Clemson transfer Andrew Mukuba. 

Mukuba is a big, physical safety with three years of experience. He had six PBUs in 2023, and allowed just a single completion over 20 yards all season. Meanwhile, Williams is seen as a rising star and should improve Texas’ pass coverage from the position. Behind the starting group, Texas will mix in junior Michael Taaffe, and 5-star freshman Xavier Filsaime.

Best of the Rest: Ole Miss, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Purdue, Texas A&M