With the top eight teams in the FCS playoffs playing this week, the talent in the subdivision is going to be on display. From all-conference to all-American players to NFL Draft prospects, there’s some big-time football to be played.
We chose who we thought were the best defensive players on each quarterfinal team. Now it’s time for you to vote for who you think the best defensive player in the FCS is that’s still playing.
[divider]COMPARE: FCS Players | FCS Teams[divider]
Voting closes Friday at 2 p.m. Pacific.
[divider]
Andrew Ankrah – James Madison
A top-three finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, Ankrah is one of many standouts on the country’s best defense. The 6-foot-4 defensive end was also named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year as his senior campaign included 49 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.
[divider]
Taron Johnson – Weber State
The Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year is a big reason why Weber State is an unseeded team in the quarterfinals. A senior cornerback, he’s totaled 43 tackles this season with three interceptions and eight pass breakups. NFLDraftScout has Johnson ranked the sixth best cornerback in the 2018 NFL Draft.
[divider]
Christian Rozeboom – South Dakota State
Just a sophomore, Rozeboom’s value to SDSU’s defense can’t be talked about enough. He finished second last season in the national freshman of the year voting and had 132 total tackles. The middle linebacker leads the team again in that category with 113, 66 of which are solo.
[divider]
Rick Holt – New Hampshire
At 6-foot-4, 294 pounds, everything on this great Wildcats defense starts with this senior defensive tackle. A second team All-CAA selection, Holt is a disruptive force. So far this year, he has 71 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and nine sacks.
[divider]
PJ Hall – Sam Houston State
Hall has been at it since his freshman season and is finally a senior. The 6-foot-1, 310-pound defensive lineman has been an All-Southland Conference first team member every season since 2014 and was the defensive player of the year last season. This year, his numbers include 44 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and six sacks.
[divider]
Bryson Armstrong – Kennesaw State
Armstrong is just a freshman linebacker, but he has been a huge part in this 3-year-old program already making it to the quarterfinals. The Big South Co-Freshman of the Year leads his team with 109 total tackles and has added 11.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
[divider]
Nick DeLuca – North Dakota State
DeLuca has been a top linebacker in the FCS for a few years now, but has battled injuries. He missed most of last season and two games this year. But he appears back to full speed and strength at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds. The All-MVFC first team player has 54 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. NFLDraftScout ranks DeLuca the 14th best inside linebacker prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft.
[divider]
Miles Brown – Wofford
The 6-foot-2, 320 pound junior is almost immovable in Wofford’s stout defense. He’s been a first team player the last two seasons in the Southern Conference. This season, he’s totaled 40 tackles, nine for losses and three sacks.
[divider]
Who’s the Best Defensive Player in the FCS Quarterfinals?
