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2021 NCAA Scouting Series: Big 12 Defensive Prospects

Our early preview at some of the top prospects in college football continues with a look at the defensive side of the ball in the Big 12.

Zach Dietz

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Scouting Superlatives is a series that will go conference to conference (starting with the Power 5) and diving into some of the best players for the upcoming 2022 draft. We have awards to give out, players to learn, and top 10 rankings for each division.

Since the projected 2022 class is currently projected to be very deep with talent, I find it best to rotate offense and defense.

In this edition, let’s get a look at the defensive talent in the Big 12!

Dec 5, 2020; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey (8) reacts during the second half against the Baylor Bears at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Best Defensive Lineman/Edge

Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma (6032, 290, 4.96e)

When it comes to defensive linemen in today’s game, the trend that many defensive coordinators dream of is having a freaky athletic solid pass rusher to go through the middle.

Players such as Aaron Donald, Chris Jones, and Leonard Williams fit that specific mold the best. While comparing prospects to those players is seen as lofty, some guys flash that potential, and most haven’t hit their ceiling yet.

Perrion Winfrey is a former junior college player who transferred to Oklahoma before the 2020 season and immediately impacted the Sooners' defense, notching 6.5 tackles for loss and a half-sack.

While the stat sheet was eye-opening, the impact was humongous, and the Big 12 coaches named him to the conference’s All-Second team for his play.

Stylistically, Winfrey looks and plays similarly to recent Oklahoma defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, a second-round pick by Dallas in 2020. Winfrey has a ton of juice in terms of endurance and speed, and overall his athleticism is fantastic.

He relies much more on finesse when it comes to attacking, but he also possesses some underrated power. Used as a 1-tech at times last season, he’ll move to either a three or 5-tech alignment in the NFL, but his reps at the nose are still impressive.

A guy with only one year of D1 college ball under his belt, Winfrey will need to continue his great play in 2021. Oklahoma has massive aspirations for this season, and Winfrey is a big part of their plan. He has a chance to drive his stock.

Nov 7, 2020; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, right, celebrates with Texas linebacker Joseph Ossai after Overshown sacked West Virginia quarterback Jarret Doege in the third quarter at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday November 7, 2020 / Jay Janner-USA TODAY NETWORK

Best Off-Ball Linebacker

DeMarvion Overshown, Texas (6040, 217, 4.56e)

Some of my favorite prospects to watch are players who show that not only are they versatile and can handle multiple roles for a football team, but they do them very well. 

Sometimes, a position switch may mess with a player’s momentum, and other time’s they make the absolute most of it, and that’s just what Texas’ DeMarvion Overshown has done.

Recruited as a safety out of Arp, Texas, Overshown played the position for the Longhorns his first two years of college before being asked to put on some weight and move to linebacker in 2020.

Upping his size to 217 pounds, he had an insanely productive season - leading Texas with seven pass breakups and two interceptions to go with eight TFLs, two forced fumbles, and a sack. He was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention for his performance.

Overshown displayed his abilities as a coverage weapon aligned in many different formations. He’s a long athlete with crazy striding speed and good recovery quickness. His instincts were solid for the most part, and in the very few slot reps, he got Overshown more than held his own.

Now, Overshown needs to put on more muscle mass, as he’s still pretty inconsistent in the run game (20 missed tackles in 2020, according to PFF). 

The Texas athletics website lists him at 223 pounds now, which is a step in the right direction, yet he has the frame to fill out even more without sacrificing all of his physical traits. Overshown will need to clean up that part of his game before he’s considered a truly top-notch prospect, but he’s heading in the right direction.

Jan 2, 2021; Glendale, AZ, USA; Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Isheem Young (1) against the Oregon Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Best Defensive Secondary Player

Isheem Young, Iowa State (5100, 210, 4.54e)

In terms of success at the college level, Iowa State is considered the second-best team in the Big 12. While many players on offense get most of the credit, such as Brock Purdy and Charlie Kolar, they have some guys on the defense as well. One of them is a budding star for the program, redshirt sophomore Isheem Young.

In his first true season playing for the Cyclones, Young was a man on a mission, and that mission was to lay you out. He netted 50 total tackles and three forced fumbles, earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year honors for his play. In terms of frame and muscle mass, Young is the safety equivalent of a Mack truck.

His rocked-up physique is very menacing for a player of his size, and his closing speed and tackling precision for such a young player is frightening. He has some issues with processing and backpedaling into coverage, but his run defense and nose for the football were wowing on snaps where he was the strong safety. He’s also a guy with no off-switch; the motor is always on and is piping hot.

Heading into only his second season for Iowa State, it’s not a given that Young enters the 2022 NFL Draft despite being eligible following 2021. He does benefit from playing in a conference that is not exactly acclaimed for nursing elite defensive talent, so his play, if impressive, will gain more notoriety.

Young has some things he needs to work on, but he looks like a great option for teams who want a high-energy, high-character player.

Oct 3, 2020; Austin, TX, USA; TCU Horned Frogs defensive end Ochaun Mathis (32) pressures Texas Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger (11) in the 3rd quarter in a NCAA college football game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium / Ricardo B. Brazziell-USA TODAY Sports

Feels Like A Future Giant

Ochaun Mathis, TCU (6050, 247, 4.72e)

I promise you guys this selection isn’t because Ochaun sounds similar to Oshane, the first name of Mr. Ximines, who has been with the Giants for the last three years.

The team still needs talent and depth on the edge with their outside linebackers, so let’s head to TCU and look at one of my favorite underrated prospects in this class in Ochaun Mathis.

Heading into his junior year with the Horned Frogs, Mathis was absolute dynamite in 2020, playing to the tune of 14 TFLs and nine sacks en route to All-Big 12 Second Team honors.

A shorter and undersized 7-tech, Mathis will likely have to switch over to a 3-4 scheme in the NFL but has the experience with his hand in the dirt. Very adept with his hands, Mathis gets under the lineman’s pads with ease and encapsulates some stern driving power and pass-rush moves.

He favors attacking the lineman through his center and bull-rushing to get into the backfield. The power element of his game is still coming along, so it’s incredibly encouraging to see just how lethal he was for the TCU defense in 2020.

Mathis isn’t some freaky athlete, so it somewhat puts a potential cap on his ceiling as a prospect. Nonetheless, any player at a big-time university who plays that well with minimal experience will get people talking.

The secondary at TCU gets a ton of love for churning out NFL-caliber talent but let’s put some respect on their d-line, especially Mathis here.

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Zack’s Top 10 Big 12 Defensive Prospects

  1. Perrion Winfrey - IDL, Oklahoma
  2. DeMarvion Overshown - LB, Texas
  3. Isheem Young - S, Iowa State
  4. Tre’Vius Hodges-Hamilton - CB, TCU
  5. Dante Stills - IDL, West Virginia
  6. Isaiah Thomas - ED/IDL, Oklahoma
  7. Kolby Harvell-Peel - S, Iowa State
  8. Ochaun Mathis - ED, TCU
  9. T’Vondre Sweat - IDL, Texas
  10. Nik Bonitto - ED, Oklahoma

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Zach Dietz
ZACH DIETZ

Zach Dietz is an NFL Draft and college football writer for Giants Country. His previous work can be found at NFL Draft Bible, Blue Chip Scouting, and SUNY Cortland's The Red Beat. 

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