Transfer portal breakdown: The top defensive players available (right now)

Here’s a look at the top defensive players available in the transfer portal, position by position, going by the On3 Transfer Portal Position Rankings. We looked at offensive players Monday.

One important note: These are the current rankings. More players will continue to enter the portal as bowls are played and the FCS playoffs wind down.

Edge rushers

This is not an overly distinguished group of edge rushers, though there are a few players who have been productive in Group of 5 conferences and the FCS ranks.

1. Andre Carter (6 feet 5, 263 pounds) had seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss at Western Michigan this season. He was a second-team All-MAC selection. Carter started for two seasons for the Broncos after serving as a key reserve in 2019 and ’20. He has one season of eligibility left.

2. Josaiah Stewart (6-2, 230) had 16 sacks and 25.5 tackles for loss in two seasons at Coastal Carolina. He was a first-team All-Sun Belt pick in 2021 and a second-teamer this season. Stewart has two seasons of eligibility remaining. His lack of size could be an issue for some schools.

3. Tunmise Adeleye (6-4, 290) started the first two games this season for Texas A&M, then missed the rest of the season with an injury. He has a nice upside but lacks experience. Adeleye missed his senior season of high school because he transferred to IMG Academy from his home near Houston, then transferred back home. He played in just two games as a true freshman in 2021 before redshirting, then saw action in the two games this season. That’s four games in three years.

Other edge rushers of interest: Trace Ford (6-3, 240) started in 2019 and ’20 at Oklahoma State before missing 2021 with an injury and serving as a reserve this season. Ford had 8.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in his Cowboys career; he has two seasons of eligibility left. … Truman Jones (6-4, 242) is a bit of a ’tweener with his size. But he showed an ability to be disruptive off the edge at Harvard, with 14.5 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss in three seasons. In addition, he had four blocked kicks. As for being able to pick up a new defensive scheme: Jones earned a biomedical engineering degree at Harvard. He has one season of eligibility remaining. … Darian Varner (6-2, 260) was fifth in the AAC this season with 12.5 tackles for loss. He was a key part of an aggressive and physical Temple front seven that helped the Owls rack up 38 sacks (tied for eighth nationally) and 88 TFL (11th). As a true freshman last season, when he played at 285 pounds, Varner was a part-time starter and had seven tackles for loss. Varner has two seasons of eligibility left.

Defensive linemen

Standout defensive linemen are few and far between in the portal, which makes them extremely valuable. There look to be a few intriguing prospects, but most seem suited to be rotation pieces.

1. Braden Fiske (6-5, 300) signed with Western Michigan as a 6-3, 242-pound offensive lineman in the 2018 recruiting class; he grew into a 300-pound defensive tackle and is one of the hottest commodities in the portal. Fiske was a three-year starter for Western Michigan and was a second-team All-MAC pick this season, when he had 59 tackles, six sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He has one year of eligibility left.

2. A lack of size may bother some schools, but Thomas Gore (6-0, 270) was a productive lineman at Georgia State. He played both end and nose tackle for the Panthers, and was a two-year starter. Gore had 83 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss in the past two seasons. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

3. Keeshawn Silver (6-4, 315) was an On3 Consensus national top-25 prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, but he didn’t make an impact at North Carolina. Silver played in seven games in the past two seasons with the Tar Heels, making four tackles. He has an intriguing upside, but a lack of experience – he had no senior season of high school because of COVID – means it could be a while before he reaches it. Silver has three seasons of eligibility left.

Other defensive linemen of interest: Kyon Barrs (6-3, 310) was a two-year starter at nose tackle for Arizona; he was a second-team All-Pac-12 performer in 2021. He had 33 tackles and eight tackles for loss in 2021, then 39 tackles and 4.5 TFL this season. Barrs has one season of eligibility remaining. … Omarr Norman-Lott (6-3, 290) was a part-time starter for Arizona State this season, and had 44 tackles and seven tackles for loss in the past two seasons. Norman-Lott has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Linebackers

This is a good position in the portal, with a number of productive transfers available. A handful were all-conference performers.

1. Nick Jackson (6-1, 234) was a three-year starter for Virginia; he earned second-team All-ACC honors after finishing this season with 104 tackles. Jackson was one of the most productive linebackers in the nation in each of the past three seasons; he had 105 tackles in 2020 and 117 last season. Jackson also had eight pass breakups and 13 quarterback hurries over the past three seasons. He has one year of eligibility left.

2. Mason Cobb (6-0, 230) led Oklahoma State with 96 tackles this season, his first as a starter, and was a second-team All-Big 12 pick. Cobb was third in the league with 12 tackles for loss, and he also had 11 quarterback hurries. He had made just 11 tackles in his first two seasons on campus. Cobb has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

3. Clayton Smith (6-4, 245) is on this list because of his potential, not because of his production. In two seasons at Oklahoma, Smith – who was an On3 Consensus five-star recruit in the 2021 signing class – made eight tackles in eight games. He’s a ’tweener of sorts because of his size, but his athleticism means he’s still an intriguing prospect. Smith has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

Other linebackers of interest: Ralen Goforth (6-2, 225) started 13 games combined at USC in 2020 and ’21, but didn’t see near as much playing time with the new coaching staff. He started three games this season because of injuries to others and finished with 43 tackles. Goforth has one season of eligibility remaining. … Braelen Oliver (6-0, 230) was a two-year starter (2021 and this season) for Minnesota. He had a combined 57 tackles in the two seasons after missing all of 2020 with a severe knee injury that included torn ligaments (plural), nerve damage and a dislocated kneecap. Oliver has one season of eligibility left. … Keenan Pili (6-3, 237) started at MIKE linebacker for BYU and was second on the team with 62 tackles. He also started in 2020 and opened the 2021 season as a starter before being hurt in Game 3 and missing the rest of the season. Pili, who was a two-year captain for the Cougars, has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Defensive backs

Talent abounds at corner and safety in the transfer portal. Indeed, it might be the deepest position of all.

1. CB Fentrell Cypress (6-0, 184) was a second-team All-ACC selection this season for Virginia. He was a part-time starter last season but emerged as a key defensive cog for new coordinator John Rudzinski this season. Cypress had 39 tackles and a league-high 13 pass breakups this fall. He has two years of eligibility left.

2. CB Denver Harris (5-11, 175) was an On3 Consensus five-star recruit and a national top-25 prospect in the 2022 class. Harris played in five games for Texas A&M and had 14 tackles and three pass breakups. He also had off-field issues that sidelined him for part of the season, and that may cause a few programs to shy away. Harris has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

3. CB Gavin Holmes (5-11, 175) was a part-time starter in each of the past two seasons for Wake Forest. He had 42 tackles, an interception and 13 pass breakups in 2021 and ’22. Holmes has two seasons of eligibility left.

Other defensive backs of interest: Storm Duck (6-1, 200) and Tony Grimes (6-0, 195) were North Carolina’s starting cornerbacks this season. Duck had 46 tackles, three picks and nine pass breakups this season to earn second-team All-ACC honors. He started as a true freshman in 2019, then missed 14 games the past two seasons because of injuries, then regained his starting job this season. Duck has one season of eligibility remaining. Grimes was a five-star prospect in the 2020 class – he reclassified from 2021 – was a three-year starter for the Tar Heels. Grimes had one interception and 19 pass breakups in his UNC career and has two seasons’ eligibility remaining. … S A.J. Haulcy (5-11, 220) started for New Mexico this season and received some freshman All-America acclaim after he had 87 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He also was a second-team All-Mountain West selection. Haulcy has three seasons of eligibility left. … S Kendarin Ray was a two-year starter for Tulsa and finished third on the team this season with 86 tackles. That total was 10^th in the AAC. He also had an interception, five pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Ray has one season of eligibility remaining. … CB Cale Sanders was a starter for Mountain West-champion Fresno State this season after being a part-time starter as a true freshman last season. Sanders had 32 tackles and six pass breakups this season; he had 52 tackles, an interception and nine pass breakups in two seasons with the Bulldogs. Sanders has two seasons of eligibility left. … CB Cam Stone (5-10, 188) had 35 tackles, two interceptions and 10 pass breakups for Wyoming this season, his first as a starter. Stone has two years of eligibility left. … S Jaxen Turner (6-2, 210) led Arizona with 79 tackles this season. He was a part-time starter in his first two seasons on campus, then earned a starting job in 2021 and kept it this season. Turner also had two picks, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup this fall. He has one season of eligibility remaining.