Playing solid defense in the FCS can take a team a long way. Some of the best defenses from 2019 return a whole lot of talent. So who ranks as the top defensive units entering 2020?
We answer that below:
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Honorable Mentions: 15. Austin Peay; 14. SC State; 13. CCSU; 12. NC A&T; 11. James Madison
10. Georgetown
Georgetown may have had just a 5-6 record last year, but the Hoyas owned one of the best defenses in the FCS. They ranked fifth with 16.6 points allowed per game and eighth with 295.1 total yards allowed per game. Georgetown allowed just 154.5 passing yards a game, which was second in the FCS.
The Hoyas are loaded with experience in 2020, returning 10 of its top 11 tacklers. Don't sleep on this defense out of the Patriot League.
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9. New Hampshire
UNH gave up some yards in 2019 but had a bend-but-don't-break mentality and kept opponents out of the end zone. The Wildcats allowed 20.1 points per game, which was the 11th best in the FCS.
Seven of the top 11 tacklers are back, including the top two who have great football names: Evan Horn and Pop Bush.
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8. Kennesaw State
With a new-look offense, KSU's defense played lights out in 2019. The Owls were 10th in scoring defense (18.7 PPG), third in total defense (278.7 YPG) and fifth in rush defense (88.9 YPG). KSU allowed 189.8 passing yards per game, which ranked 22nd.
The Owls have 74.2% of their tackling production coming back. Leading the way is Bryson Armstrong, who's been a top linebacker in the FCS since winning the Jerry Rice Award for best freshman in 2017.
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7. Princeton
Princeton ranked ninth in the FCS last year in scoring defense, allowing 18.1 PPG. Defending the run was a strength, giving up just 113.1 yards a game to rank 12th.
Eight of the top 11 tacklers return, including the top three: James Johnson, Jeremiah Tyler and Delan Stallworth.
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6. Sam Houston State
SHSU flipped the script in 2019 and improved its defense to be among the best in the FCS. The Bearkats were No. 8 in points allowed per game (17.8) and No. 1 in rushing defense (69.9 YPG) while snagging 16 interceptions and recovering 14 fumbles.
Keep in mind the Southland Conference is home to some of the top offenses in the subdivision. Eight of SHSU's top 11 tacklers are back. While the run defense was stifling, the secondary has to improve after allowing 260.1 passing yards per game, which was 106th in the FCS.
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5. Illinois State
The Illinois State defense gave NDSU a serious scare in the quarterfinals before the Bison eventually won 9-3. And a whole lot of that defense is returning after finishing fourth in the FCS with 16.0 points allowed per game. The Redbirds also ranked 14th with 116.7 rushing yards allowed per game and 19th with 186.8 passing yards per game.
Nine starters and 63.7 percent of the tackles are back. Five of ISU's top seven tacklers return, led by LB Dylan Draka. Watch for names like DE Romeo McKnight and DB Devin Taylor to go from All-Conference seasons to All-American seasons in 2020.
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4. South Dakota State
The SDSU defense took a big step forward in 2019 and was relied on to keep the Jackrabbits in games while the offense battled injuries. The Jacks allowed 16.7 PPG (No. 6 in the FCS), 165.8 passing yards per game (No. 4) and 128.9 rushing yards per game (No. 24).
SDSU should be better on that side of the ball even with the loss of middle linebacker Christian Rozeboom. Nine starters are back along with 77 percent of the tackling production.
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3. Northern Iowa
UNI will be tough at all three levels of its defense, returning 79.5% of its tackling production. The Panthers ranked seventh in the FCS last year in scoring defense, allowing 17.7 PPG. Their rush defense was 11th (110.3 YPG) and the pass defense was 20th (187.4 YPG).
The Panthers have returning All-Americans to lead each level of the defense: DE Elerson Smith, LB Bryce Flater and CB Omar Brown.
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2. Weber State
Weber loses two All-American talents at defensive end, but most of its defense remains intact, including its top three tacklers: Conner Mortensen, Noah Vaea and Preston Smith. After ranking 19th in the FCS with 20.8 points allowed per game, the Wildcats return eight starters and 78.4% of its tackling production.
The Wildcats held its two FBS opponents (San Diego State and Nevada) to a combined 25 points, but the PPG average went up while facing explosive offenses in the Big Sky Conference. Weber's young secondary looks to improve after finishing 72nd in the FCS with 225.2 pass passing yards allowed per game. The run defense, which was 16th with 120.1 yards per game, will remain solid.
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1. North Dakota State
Even with the loss of linebacker Jabril Cox to LSU, the Bison defense is going to be just fine. They still return 67.7% of their tackling production from last year's team that ranked No. 1 in the FCS with 12.3 PPG. NDSU's run defense was a little more gettable in 2019, ranking 30th with 136.1 rushing yards allowed per game. The pass defense was No. 1, allowing 138.6 yards per game.
The 274.7 total yards allowed per game ranked No. 2. NDSU's top two tacklers (LB Jackson Hankey and SS Michael Tutsie) were just sophomores in 2019 and five of the top seven tacklers are back.
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NEXT: Predicting Every 2020 FCS Conference Champion
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