FCS Football: Highest-Graded Defensive Players (Post-Week 9)

Zachary McKinnell | Oct 29, 2024

South Dakota safety Dennis Shorter / USD Athletics

We utilized the Pro Football Focus (PFF) database and grading system to examine the top FCS defensive players during the 2024 season.

Each player's PFF grade represents their overall defensive grade for the 2024 season over the season's first nine weeks. Only players who played 20% of the minimum number of snaps at each position were included in the rankings below.

*Note: These rankings are based on the PFF grading system and do not represent FCS Football Central's positional rankings.

Defensive Tackle:

1. Rushawn Lawrence (Stony Brook; 90.2)
2. Nick Karika (Delaware; 87.7)
3. Josh Baker (South Carolina State; 87.2)
4. Bradley Clark (Central Arkansas; 86.3)
5. Taylor Bolesta (Stony Brook; 85.0)
6. Jeremiah Williams (Jackson State; 84.8)
7. Jalen Bell (Tennessee State; 84.7)
8. Arias Nash (Mercer; 84.6)
9. Christian Dowell (UT Martin; 84.3)
10. Elijah St. John (Long Island; 83.8)

Defensive End/EDGE:

1. David Walker (Central Arkansas; 94.0)
2. Keyshawn James-Newby (Idaho; 90.8)
3. Elijah Williams (Morgan State; 90.1)
4. Matt Jaworksi (Fordham; 89.4)
5. Brody Grebe (Montana State; 89.0)
6. Mi'Quise Grace (South Dakota; 87.1)
7. Tim O'Hearn (Lafayette; 85.6)
8. Riley Wilson (Montana; 85.5)
9. Darrius Bell (Charleston Southern; 84.2)
10. Jacob Psyk (Harvard; 84.1)

Linebacker:

1. Noah Martin (Samford; 92.5)
2. Gideon Lampron (Dayton; 91.1)
3. Eli Ennis (Nicholls; 90.7)
4. Jesse Powell II (Elon; 90.2)
5. Eric Rankin (VMI; 89.2)
6. Jaden Mosley (Samford; 87.0)
7. Gary Bryant (South Dakota; 86.5)
8. Will Leota (Sacramento State; 86.4)
9. David Meyer (UC Davis; 86.3)
10. Danny Uluilakepa (Montana State; 85.2)

Cornerback:

1. Gavin Shipman (Harvard; 87.1)
2. Jeremy Jonozzo (Dayton; 85.6)
3. Boogie Trotter (Tennessee State; 84.1)
4. Mike Reid (South Dakota; 83.2)
5. Caleb Francis (Presbyterian; 82.8)
6. Robert Carter (Robert Morris; 82.6)
7. Quincy Briggs (Georgetown; 82.4)
8. Tyris Harvey (Robert Morris; 82.3)
9. Semaj Verner (UC Davis; 82.1)
10. Sammy Anderson Jr. (Austin Peay; 81.6)

Safety:

1. Nick Peltekian (Lehigh; 90.4)
2. Trayson Fowler (Charleston Southern; 90.0)
T3. Colby Huerter (South Dakota State; 89.8)
T3. Joshua Tarver (Yale; 89.8)
5. KT Seay (Delaware; 89.7)
6. Barry Wagner Jr. (Delaware State; 88.7)
7. Ryan Moore (Sacred Heart; 88.6)
8. Dennis Shorter (South Dakota; 87.6)
9. Ty Bartrum (Harvard; 87.1)
10. Oshae Baker (UT Martin; 86.4)

More FCS Football News

FCS Football Recap: Week 9 Takeaways
Week 9 FCS Football Top 25 Scoreboard
FCS Football Playoff Picture: Oct. 23 (Week 9)
FCS Football Recap: Week 8 Takeaways

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