Ranking the top-10 pass rushers ahead of Week 10 of college football

As the college football season enters its final month of regular season play, stars have emerged on every defense. PFF’s Anthony Treash recently ranked the best pass rushers in the sport, many of whom were just named to the Bednarik Award Semifinalist List, the award given to the nation’s best defensive player. 

Treash divided the defensive threats into two categories and ranked who you should be looking out for in November and beyond. There are four players in the former category, and six players just behind them in the second tier.

The Game Wreckers

1. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan: Hutchinson’s pass rush grade of 93.3 is the second-highest in the PFF College era, behind only Ohio State’s Chase Young. A sure top-10 NFL Draft pick, Hutchinson is pressuring the quarterback more than any defender in college football just one year removed from a leg fracture that shortened his already shortened 2020 season. His teammates and coaches are floored with his production this year, and it is safe to say all opposing offenses are terrified. Hutchinson has 6.5 sacks this year. 
2. Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon: A potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Thibodeaux is putting together another special season in Eugene despite having dealt with an injury early in the year. The leader on the nation’s No. 4 team forces opponents to adjust their entire game plan when Thibodeaux is on the field. He has 27 quarterback pressures, 18 hurries and five hits this season, and he is one of just two players in college football with at least four tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble in a single game.
3. George Karlaftis, Purdue: The “Greek Freak” is one of the most explosive athletes on the field this year. As Treash pointed out, in Purdue’s upset win over then-No. 2 Iowa, Karlaftis became the first player since PFF started tracking college stats to amass more than 10 pressures against an Iowa offensive line.
4. Kingsley Enagbare, South Carolina: Perhaps flying under the radar due to South Carolina’s rough season, Enagbare is performing incredibly well in Columbia. The highest-ranked SEC player on Treash’s list, Enagbare has firmly cemented his name in the first-round-draft-pick conversation. The 6-foot-4 junior has nine of South Carolina’s 25 quarterback hurries on the year.

Top of Tier 2

1. Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma: While the Sooners defense has been disappointing as a whole this season, Bonitto has excelled. The linebacker has 28 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks, seven hurries and has recovered two fumbles this year. After receiving a No. 8 ranking from the College Football Playoff committee on Tuesday, the Sooners have some work to do to get into the top four. Defeating a couple of top-15 opponents remaining on their schedule will require exquisite leadership and play from Bonitto.
2. Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State: Ebiketie is part of a Nittany Lions defense that has shown they are capable of playing with everyone in the Big Ten. The redshirt senior transfer from Temple made an immediate impact the moment he joined the Penn State roster. He has earned a PFF grade of at least 70.0 in every game this season and has totaled 27 tackles and 5.5 sacks. ESPN’s Mel Kiper recently listed Ebiketie as the No. 7 defensive end in this year’s NFL Draft, an incredibly impressive feat for a player that ranked beyond No. 100 at his position coming out of high school. 
3. Jacub Panasiuk, Michigan State: Michigan State is having a dream season, and Panasiuk is having a dream year. The fifth-year defensive end and three-year starter earned PFF Defensive Player of the Week honors in September, a huge step up from a disappointing 2020. He has 40 pressures in the last five games, which is far and away the most among Power Five defenders in that time period. Panasiuk is currently 12th all-time at Michigan State in yards from tackles for loss with 152, and he hopes to add to that total as the Spartans pursue a CFP berth. 
4. David Ojabo, Michigan: Hutchinson isn’t the only Michigan defender wrecking games in the backfield. Born in Nigeria and raised for a sizable portion of his life in Scotland, Ojabo leads Michigan with seven sacks this year. If he continues to locate the quarterback in the backfield at his current rate, he could break Michigan’s single-season sack record of 12. He has forced three fumbles this year, the most of anyone on this list. 
5. Drake Jackson, USC: The third-year starter is posting another superb season despite overall defensive woes for the Trojans. Jackson had a breakout freshman year, but struggled last season under COVID-19 circumstances and a shortened season. Additionally, he recently lost 15 pounds after having tonsil surgery and setbacks related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Despite the undesirable personal circumstances, he is once again coming close to his impressive ceiling as a linebacker. Jackson could make his way into the early moments of the NFL Draft if he continues this performance. 
6. Will Anderson, Alabama: As Treash points out, Anderson has to spend another year at Alabama after 2021 since he is not draft eligible. Due to injuries in the linebacker room in Tuscaloosa, Anderson has had to step up, overcoming a minor injury earlier this season himself. The true sophomore has nine sacks this season, which is tied for second in the nation. As a freshman last season, Anderson led the Power Five with 60 pressures. He currently has 43 with at least five games left to play.