2022 College Football's Best Defensive Duos

There seems to be a bigger competitive drive in this year's debate on the best defense in college football. An argument lies between the Clemson Tigers' defensive front, Alabama's linebacker room, NC State's experience and Notre Dame's secondary, among others. This year's top defensive duos shine the light on talented linebacker rooms and seasoned lineman.

The 2022 season is bound to have a national bout on the defensive end to crown the most dominant positions groups in the FBS. Many of these teams presented have a legitimate chance at making the CFP, so a commanding defense will be essential to propel these programs toward the top.

Whether it's proven stars or young prospects that have gotten a lot of buzz, the trenches have always been a priority in building a national title contender. Some of these men will hear their names called on draft night very soon, and a clean slate for scouts and coaches starts this weekend.

The Crimson Tide have such a talented defense that the biggest debate will be which room has more All-Americans. They added one of the biggest stars in the transfer portal, Eli Ricks, who will share the field with potential breakout cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. Despite the talent in the secondary, including All-SEC safety Jordan Battle, the main focus will lie on the linebacker duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Henry To'o To’o.

Anderson put his name in the conversation as one of the best college football players in the country, regardless of position. Whoever was next to him as the second-best linebacker at Alabama was bound to end up on this list. It just so happens to be a tackling menace in To'o To’o. The senior started his collegiate career with the Tennessee Volunteers, transferring to Alabama prior to the 2021 season.

He finished his first year wearing the crimson with one forced fumble, two passes defended, four sacks and 111 total tackles, per ESPN.

To'o To’o is an extremely skilled player, but there's no FBS defensive player that's currently on Anderson's level. As a freshman in 2020, he tallied one forced fumble, seven sacks and 52 tackles. Fast forward another year under head coach Nick Saban, and Anderson recorded three passes defended, 17.5 sacks and 101 tackles.

This duo should cause any offensive unit immense trouble throughout the season, as both rank in the top ten of their respective position on a powerhouse program.

The state of Iowa is a blue-collar territory and the Hawkeyes resemble that image perfectly. Senior Jack Campbell represents the Iowa Hawkeyes like no other player on the roster. He was a first-team All-Big Ten member that ranked second in his conference in tackles with 143 on the season. The hometown hero will be the biggest key to Iowa competing in the Big Ten this year.

Iowa's defense has the ability to stop any offense in the Big Ten from different positional groups. Their defensive line includes Lukas Van Ness and Noah Shannon, while their secondary stars All-Big Ten cornerback Riley Moss. Aside from Moss, one of the most versatile athletes on this team is linebacker Seth Benson.

The senior from South Dakota stretches the field in a phenomenal way, earning him one interception, two sacks, three passes defended and 105 tackles in 2021, per ESPN. Campbell and Benson are monsters at reading gaps and tackling in the open field. The two should highlight a solid Hawkeyes defense that is going to need dominance on that end this season.

The Oregon Ducks went through a complete revamp during the 2022 offseason, with the addition of a brand new head coach, defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator. Head coach Dan Lanning may have been hit with losses through the transfer portal, but there are two foundational pieces that remained in Eugene.

Linebacker Noah Sewell has been an absolute stud ever since he arrived at Oregon. The former five-star prospect has been in the college atmosphere for several years now, earning his name in the debate for one of the best defensive players in the country. Sewell recorded one interception, two forced fumbles, four sacks, five passes defended and 114 total tackles in 2021, per ESPN.

The first-team All-Pac-12 star comes from a football family that's known for dominance and Sewell's talent shows nothing different. His teammate Justin Flowe was another highly touted prospect, positioned to break out in 2022. Flowe was the second-highest ranked player in Oregon history upon his commitment.

He's a younger, unseasoned player that doesn't have much college film to watch, but he has the sheer intangibles that can make him a solid contributor. Both of these linebackers have the ability to change the game in so many different aspects; if they communicate well with each other it'll be a scary sight.

Despite the loss of longtime defensive coordinator Brent Venables, Clemson will be fielding one of the nation's best defensive lines. The Tigers trenches will star Myles Murphy on the edge and Bryan Bresee in the middle, both of which were former top 10 recruits in the class of 2020, per 247Sports.

With the experience on the Tigers defensive line, it'll be extremely hard for any offensive line to be able to focus on just one player. Veterans Xavier Thomas, and Tyler Davis should be able to attract attention so Murphy and Bresee don't have all eyes on them. It's an extremely polished line that's ready to produce, and push their team toward the top of the ACC.

Bresee finished his second year in orange with one interception, one and a half sacks, and 13 tackles in four games. His sidekick Murphy notched one forced fumble, two passes defended and seven sacks, per ESPN.

This duo should brighten up the eyes of Clemson fans, knowing that their defense can help the Tigers compete with anyone in the country. Bresee and Murphy may be a bit inexperienced, but 2022 will show their true ranking in the college field.

There are new faces in South Bend this year, with the end of the Brian Kelly era comes the beginning of the Marcus Freeman era. Although, one of Notre Dame's biggest departures from the 2021 season is All-American safety, Kyle Hamilton. The loss left a massive gap for the Fighting Irish to fill, so they went searching through the transfer portal and found two-time All-Big Ten safety, Brandon Joseph.

The Texas native was originally a three-star recruit, but his IQ and ball-hawking make him one of the best safeties in the country. He transferred from Northwestern after three seasons, where he recorded a combined one sack, one fumble recovery, six passes defended, nine interceptions and 135 tackles, per ESPN.

We have yet to see him pair with veteran cornerback Cam Hart, but the two should mesh together nicely. They both read the floor with ease, knowing what line the receiver wants to take or how any offensive threat will cut their way. Hart ended the 2021 season with two interceptions, seven passes defended and 41 tackles.

In classic Notre Dame fashion, these are smart players that can control almost any offense if they're on the same page. Expect Joseph and Hart to turn heads in 2022.

NC State's defense has caught national attention due to its experience level. Redshirt junior Payton Wilson was sidelined for most of the 2021 season with a shoulder injury that shut him down after two games. Wilson showed significant potential in his first two seasons with the Wolfpack. He combined for three interceptions, three and a half sacks, four passes defended and 177 total tackles in 2019 and 2020, per ESPN.

Wilson is paired with junior Drake Thomas that tackles everything in his line of sight. Thomas finished his 2021 campaign with one touchdown, one pass defended, three interceptions, six sacks and 99 tackles, per ESPN. He was a first-team All-ACC performer that led the Wolfpack in tackles and should take another leap into improving his game.

Thomas and Wilson are proven players that have shown consistency in their careers and will be an absolute nightmare for a quarterback to deal with. The tandem will likely lead a seasoned defensive unit that's competing for an ACC title.

Pittsburgh welcomes back an extremely skilled defensive line with Calijah Kancey and Habakkuk Baldonado at the forefront. Both are upperclassmen coming fresh off an ACC title. The Panthers may have one of the more settled defensive lines in the nation with three seniors and a redshirt junior in the starting rotation.

They were extremely underrated during their historic run in 2021 and it seems like the national media is still blowing the Pitt hype over. With uncertainty in their offense, the Panthers' defensive core needs to be dominant next year.

All of that starts with Habakkuk Baldonado and the way he'll set the tone early on in the season. Baldonado ended the 2021 season with one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, nine sacks and 41 tackles. His performance in the conference championship was vital for the Panthers to secure their first ACC title in school history

Kancey's continued development could put the Panthers in a position to compete for another title. He finished his third active year with one forced fumble, one pass defended, seven sacks and 33 tackles per ESPN. This is a deep group that'll need a confident tone from the start of the season since they'll face such talented quarterbacks in the ACC.