By Southern Pigskin Staff
SouthernPigskin.com

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The top defensive players in the ACC at each position, since 2010.

OFFENSE | DEFENSE | SPECIAL TEAMS

EDGE Bradley Chubb, NC State — Chubb was unstoppable in 2017, ranking second nationally and leading all of Power Five football with 25 tackles for loss. He, the ACC’s all-time tackles for loss leader, compiled 25.5 sacks his final three years. As a senior, Chubb was a unanimous All-American, won the Nagurski Trophy given to the nation’s top defender, Hendricks Award given to the nation’s top end and was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year..

DL Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh — Without question, Donald is one of the premier defensive tackles in the history of the game. His totals from his last three years with the Panthers: 170 tackles, 63 tackles for loss, 27.5 sacks, 38 quarterback hurries. Donald, leading the nation in TFLs with an ACC record 28.5 TFLs as a senior, swept every defensive honor and award in 2013 and furthered his legacy as one of the best ever.

DL Christian Wilkins, Clemson — A winner of two national championships and the Campbell Trophy, Wilkins was a leading figure in the Tigers’ dynasty run. He recorded 41 career tackles for loss, including 15 as a senior. Wilkins, often used on offense, also scored three career touchdowns. A unanimous All-American in 2018, his efforts helped Clemson’s defensive line stand out as one college football’s greatest of all-time.

EDGE Vic Beasley, Clemson — Beasley is second on the ACC’s career sack list with 30 and third on the league’s career tackles for loss list with 48. A two-time consensus All-American for the Tigers, he was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2014. One of the most athletic players in the country, Beasley played tight end as a freshman at Clemson and was even used as a scout team quarterback.

LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College — One of the leading names in the conversion for best college football linebacker ever, Kuechly paced the nation in tackles with both 183 in 2010 and 191 in 2011. As a junior, he recorded 102 solo stops alone. Kuechly is the ACC’s all-time leading tackler and he played just three seasons with the Eagles. Also a big-time playmaker, he recorded 35.5 total tackles for loss, ten pass break-ups and seven interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.

LB Isaiah Simmons, Clemson — A truly versatile and impactful defender, playing multiple positions for the Tigers, Simmons has been the recent defensive catalyst for a Clemson team currently on a 29-game winning streak entering another national championship bout. This fall, he has 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three interceptions for a unit that leads the nation in scoring defense and ranks second in total defense.

LB Micah Kiser, Virginia — One of the most prolific tacklers the ACC has ever seen, Kiser led the league in tackles as a senior with 145, as a junior with 134 and slotted third in the league as a sophomore with 117. He also amassed 32.5 tackles for loss and 19 sacks in that heralded span. Notably, Kiser earned All-American honors from numerous outlets and won the Campbell Trophy.

CB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State — Ramsey won a national championship as a freshman, then earned All-American recognition both as a sophomore and junior, where he was a consensus honoree. Over his last two years with the Seminoles, Ramsey, a clutch and complete playmaker, compiled 22 total pass break-ups, four forced fumbles and three interceptions to go along with 181 career tackles.

CB David Amerson, NC State — Setting a then-ACC record and leading the nation with 13 interceptions in 2011, Amerson, that season, was named an All-American and presented with the Tatum Trophy for being college football’s best defensive back. He, in just two years as a sophomore and junior, recorded a stunning 18 total picks, returning three of those interceptions back for touchdowns.

CB Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech — It didn’t take Fuller, part of a great program legacy, long to make an impact as he recorded six interceptions as a newcomer for the Hokies in 2013. He, starting 12 games as a freshman, was named the ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. Fuller promptly came back the very next year to earn All-American honors for Virginia Tech for an encore.

S Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State — A consensus All-American and a national champion in 2013, Joyner actually earned all-ACC honors three different times. He, consistent in run and pass defense and a leader for the Seminoles, finished his career with 197 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and eight interceptions. Joyner, functional and versatile, played both safety and cornerback at Florida State.

S Gerod Holliman, Louisville — What Holliman did in 2014 stands as one of the most remarkable seasons ever by a defensive back. He, as a ballhawk for the Cardinals, tied an NCAA record with 14 interceptions, was named a unanimous All-American and won the Thorpe award. Holliman had four multi-pick games as a sophomore and 245 interception return yards with a score.