2013 College Football Predictions: Top 5 Defensive Linemen – Jadeveon Clowney the Best Bar None!

2013 College Football Picks: Top 5 Defensive Linemen – Taylor Lewan Nation’s Best OL: In an age of college football where offenses are becoming more explosive and more complex than ever before, being able to own the line of scrimmage is crucial for any defense that hopes to disrupt an opponent’s offensive attack. It starts in the trenches with the defensive line, and having a player along the defensive front that can either penetrate into the backfield or open holes for teammates to make play can be the great equalizer for any defensive unit. With that in mind, here is a closer look at the top defensive linemen in the country heading into the 2013 college football season.

1.      Jadeveon Clowney, Defensive End, South Carolina Gamecocks

He has more than lived up to being the No. 1 player coming out of high school. In two years at South Carolina, he has piled up 21.0 sacks, 35.5 tackles for loss, eight forced fumbles and one decapitated Michigan running back. Now, he heads into his junior season as a Heisman Trophy candidate and the likely top pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Clowney’s combination of size, speed and strength is freakish, and it should be fun watching him terrorize opposing offensive linemen, quarterbacks and running backs for one more year before he goes pro.

2.      Will Sutton, Defensive Tackle, Arizona State Sun Devils

Sutton finally stayed healthy for an entire year as a junior in 2012, and the results were impressive. He finished with 63 tackles, 13.0 sacks, 23.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. Those numbers would stack up with any edge rusher in the country, and Sutton piled up the gaudy statistics playing on the interior of the line. Plain and simple, he is a beast at the point of the attack and is one of the rare DTs that consistently makes big plays in the backfield. Arizona State’s defense is a different unit when Sutton is on the field.

3.      Devonte Fields, Defensive End, TCU Horned Frogs

Fields wasted little time flexing his muscle at the collegiate level, and his freshman campaign no doubt had upperclassmen drooling. He finished the season with 10.0 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss while also adding three forced fumbles and an interception. Did I mention that Fields was a freshman last year? With a year to adjust to the speed of the collegiate game, he should be an even bigger force off the edge as a sophomore.

4.      Stephon Tuitt, Defensive End, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

At more than 300 pounds, Tuitt could just as easily play defensive tackle. However, he comes off the edge in Notre Dame’s 3-4 scheme, and utilizes his surprising quickness for his size to cause all sorts of havoc. As a sophomore last season, Tuitt logged 12.0 sacks and added 13.0 tackles for loss. The sack total is particularly impressive considering Notre Dame’s defensive base, but Tuitt has the strength and speed to makes big plays despite taking on multiple blockers on a regular basis.

5.      Aaron Donald, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Panthers

As the anchor at the point of attack for the Panthers’ defense, Donald has been able to command double teams while continuing to make plenty of individual plays. Over the past two seasons, he has amassed 16.5 sacks to go along with 34.5 tackles for loss. Last year, he also added a career-high 64 tackles, including 42 solo stops. Donald is strong enough to overpower most blockers and get into the backfield, and more importantly, he makes big plays once he is there.

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