Disruptive defensive line play is a key ingredient to competing for championships in college football.
Look no further than last year's ACC Championship Game between Florida State and Louisville, which were the teams that featured the two most consistently disruptive defensive lines in the conference.
FSU won the ACC Championship in 2023 and the Seminoles featured highly disruptive players in defensive end Jared Verse and defensive tackle Braden Fiske, who were selected high in the 2024 NFL Draft. Verse and Fiske were a big reason why FSU finished No. 15 in the country while averaging 7.1 tackles for loss per game and sixth in the country in sacks at 3.29 per game.
Louisville's defensive line was led by Ashton Gillotte, who led the conference with 11 sacks. The Cardinals averaged 2.43 sacks per game and 6.1 tackles for loss.
Pro Football Focus graded Florida State as the top pass rushing team in the ACC while Louisville graded out third best.
After going through a 2023 season in which their defensive line was hit hard by injuries, the Miami Hurricanes have worked hard to boost the talent and depth at that position group by adding plenty of transfers like Tyler Baron, Elijah Alston, Simeon Barrow, CJ Clark, and Marley Cook. UM also signed the best high school defensive line class in the country, which features 5-star defensive tackle Justin Scott.
After he emerged as the best true freshman defensive lineman in the country in 2023, rising sophom*ore Rueben Bain will lead the UM defensive line in 2024.
On paper, Miami's defensive line looks quite strong. How does UM's defensive line compare to the favorites in the conference going into 2024?
Read on as we highlight the top five betting favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, to win the ACC in 2024 and take a look at the projected players expected to contribute on the defensive line for those teams.
FLORIDA STATE (+270 to win the ACC)
- DE Patrick Payton: 608 defensive snaps, 44 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and 44 pressures.
- DT Darrell Jackson: (2022 at Miami) 414 defensive snaps, 27 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and 16 pressures.
- DT Josh Farmer: 427 defensive snaps, 32 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five sacks, and 20 quarterback pressures.
- DE Marin Jones Jr.: (2023 at Georgia) 237 defensive snaps, 12 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and five quarterback pressures.
- DE Sione Lolohea: (2023 at Oregon State) 563 defensive snaps, 47 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 33 pressures.
- DT Grady Kelly: (2023 at Colorado State) 536 defensive snaps, 35 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 18 pressures.
- DT KJ Sampson: 51 defensive snaps, five tackles, one pressure.
- DL Tomiwa Durojaiye: (2023 at West Virginia): 270 defensive snaps, 23 tackles, six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 14 pressures.
Overview: In 2023, this group of defensive linemen combined to total 3,106 defensive snaps, 225 tackles, 44 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks, and 151 pressures.
The Seminoles have to replace some big time talent and production with Jared Verse and Braden Fiske moving on to the NFL level, but FSU will once again feature plenty of experience in 2024. What will the production look like this season is an interesting question to monitor, but the drop-off year-over-year won't be steep.
This Florida State defensive line still features a talented edge rusher with proven production in Payton, an edge rusher with plenty of potential in Jones, and two defensive tackles with NFL Draft potential in Jackson and Farmer. Transfer additions like Lolohea, Kelly, and Durojaiye are veterans who provide valuable depth.
Will the FSU defensive line take a step back in 2024? Most likely, but it is still one of the better defensive lines in the conference.
CLEMSON (+350 to win the ACC)
- DE T.J. Parker: 464 defensive snaps, 32 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and 35 pressures.
- DT Peter Woods: 301 defensive snaps, 26 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 20 pressures.
- DT DeMonte Capehart: 174 defensive snaps, 15 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, and 12 pressures.
- DE Cade Denhoff: 174 defensive snaps, 12 tackles, one tackle for loss, and seven pressures.
- DE Jahiem Lawson: 37 defensive snaps, two tackles, one tackle for loss, and three pressures.
- DT Payton Page: 237 defensive snaps, ten tackles, half a tackle for loss, and 15 pressures.
- DT Tre Williams: 23 defensive snaps, one tackle, half a tackle for loss, and one pressure.
- DE A.J. Hoffler: 74 defensive snaps, three tackles, and one pressure.
Overview: In 2023, this group of defensive linemen combined to total 1,484 defensive snaps, 101 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and 94 pressures.
Parker was one of the best true freshman defensive linemen in the country in 2023 and if he wasn't overshadowed by Rueben Bain's production as a true freshman in the same season, Parker would be a bigger name. Woods was another impact true freshman on the defensive line for the Tigers.
Capehart and Page will step up into bigger roles as interior defensive linemen this season. Clemson will look for inexperienced and/or young edge rushers to step up and earn bigger roles.
MIAMI (+430 to win the ACC)
- DE Akheem Mesidor: (in 2022) 396 defensive snaps, 38 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and 28 pressures.
- DT CJ Clark: (2023 at NC State) 451 defensive snaps, 22 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and 13 pressures.
- DT Simeon Barrow: (2023 at Michigan State) 469 defensive snaps, 36 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 22 pressures.
- DE Rueben Bain: 627 defensive snaps, 44 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and 45 pressures.
- DE Tyler Baron: (2023 at Tennessee) 444 defensive snaps, 28 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and 41 pressures.
- DE Elijah Alston: (2023 at Marshall) 475 defensive snaps, 45 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and 35 pressures.
- DT Marley Cook: (2023 at Middle Tennessee) 622 defensive snaps, 22 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, and 21 pressures.
- DT Ahmad Moten: 146 defensive snaps, two tackles, and four pressures.
Overview: In 2023, this group of defensive linemen totaled 3,230 defensive snaps, 237 tackles, 60.5 tackles for loss, 32 sacks, and 209 pressures.
On paper, Miami's 2024 defensive line is the most experienced of these teams and the most productive—particularly at the edge rushing spot. Bain is expected to be one of the most impactful defensive linemen in the country while Baron and Mesidor represent productive NFL Draft talents. Alston is a productive edge rusher making the leap to the Group of Five to Power Four.
At defensive tackle, UM will feature veteran transfers in Clark, Barrow, and Cook to bring disruption to the middle of the line of scrimmage. The Hurricanes will look for a young defensive tackle to step up in 2024.
Miami's defensive line has plenty of potential as it regards to making plays behind the line of scrimmage.
LOUISVILLE (+600 to win the ACC)
- DE Ashton Gillotte: 610 defensive snaps, 45 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and 58 pressures.
- DT Thor Griffith: (2023 at Harvard) 523 defensive snaps, 55 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 29 pressures.
- DT Jordan Guerad: (2023 at FIU) 612 defensive snaps, 38 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and 27 pressures.
- DE Mason Reiger: 281 defensive snaps, 22 tackles, six tackles for loss, five sacks, and 22 pressures.
- DE Tramel Logan: (2023 at South Florida) 523 defensive snaps, 33 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and 30 pressures
- DE Richard Kinley: (2023 at Middle Tennessee) 400 defensive snaps, 20 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and 15 pressures.
- DT Dezmond Tell: 405 defensive snaps, 20 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks, and nine pressures.
- DE Ramon Puryear: 366 defensive snaps, 21 tackles, six tackles for loss, four sacks, and 17 pressures.
Overview: In 2023, this group of defensive linemen totaled 3,720 defensive snaps, 254 tackles, 53 tackles for loss, 31.5 sacks, and 207 pressures.
Louisville features a sneaky group of productive and experienced defensive linemen in 2024.
Gillotte was statistically the most disruptive defensive lineman in the ACC in 2023, totaling 14.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and an impressive 58 quarterback pressures. Opposite of Gillotte, the Cardinals feature plenty of depth, whether it is via transfers like Logan and Kinley or returners like Reiner and Puryear.
On the interior, Louisville has turned to a couple of transfers in Griffith and Guerad to provide depth and production in the middle of the line of scrimmage.
Overall, Louisville's defensive line is an interesting group. They aren't the most physically imposing defensive line, but the play with a lot of relentless effort and guts. They will come at opponents in waves and these type of defensive lines force an offensive line to be sharp for four quarters.
NC STATE (+1400 to win the ACC)
- DE Davin Vann: 613 defensive snaps, 42 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and 35 pressures.
- DT Brandon Cleveland: 262 defensive snaps, 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and ten pressures.
- DE Travali Price: 319 defensive snaps, 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and 12 pressures.
- DE Red Hibbler: 252 defensive snaps, 13 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and 18 pressures.
- DT Chazz Wallace: (2023 at Colorado) 253 defensive snaps, ten tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and nine pressures.
- DE Noah Potter: 121 defensive snaps, two tackles, and six pressures.
Overview: In 2023, this group of defensive linemen totaled 1,820 defensive snaps, 108 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, and 90 pressures.
The Wolfpack run a 3-3-5 front, which is a system that doesn't ask all of its linemen to get upfield and cause disruption. Gap control is an important part of this system. With that being said, Vann is one of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the ACC going into 2024. Vann is a veteran who plays with a high motor.
Cleveland is a big, talented nose tackle who will look to replace Miami departure CJ Clark. Chazz Wallace is a nose tackle addition from Colorado, who will provide depth.
From a disruption standpoint, NC State relies heavily on linebackers blitzing and causing chaos, but defensive ends like Price, Hibbler, and Potter have flashed that type of potential from the defensive end spot in the past.
FINAL THOUGHTS
This look at the defensive line talent as it relates to the top betting favorites to win the ACC is interesting. A team like Virginia Tech, who has the sixth best odds, also features some defensive line talent and will play a factor in the ACC race.
Amongst the five teams listed above, however, there are some commonalities and some areas of separation.
Each team features at least one big time edge rusher in FSU's Pat Payton, Clemson's T.J. Parker, Miami's Rueben Bain, Louisville's Ashton Gillotte, and NC State's Davin Vann. Having a potential game wrecker on the line of scrimmage is a strong starting point for every defensive line.
There are also plenty of ways in which the defensive lines highlighted above are defense.
Miami has the best pass rushing depth in the conference with four veteran edge rushers that have produced at the college level in Bain, Akheem Mesidor, Tyler Baron, and Elijah Alston. That type of depth is amongst the best in the country. Edge players like Bain, Mesidor, and Baron also provide big time versatility because of their ability to kick inside.
Louisville bolstered its depth via the transfer portal by adding plenty of players who produced at lower levels of college football. The Cardinals figure to have a strong rotation.
Florida State might have the most variance of the defensive lines listed above. If it all comes together and players take a step forward, the Seminoles could contend for the best defensive line in the conference.
Clemson could potentially feature the most disruptive defensive end and defensive tackle combination in the conference if T.J. Parker and Peter Woods continue to improve off of their true freshman seasons in 2023.
NC State will once again feature one of the best defensive linemen in the ACC in Vann, who plays with a big chip on his shoulder.
What are your thoughts on the defensive lines highlighted above? Are there any in the ACC that deserve to be highlighted as well? Comment below.
