First-Team Defense for Week 11 in college football
Which defensive players made the first-team Team of the Week for Week 11?
EDGE: Will Anderson Jr., Alabama
Sure, it was against inferior competition, but Will Anderson Jr. was remarkable on Saturday afternoon. Anderson proved his worth as potentially next year’s top defensive player with a vintage performance against New Mexico State. He pushed the pocket with ease and recorded 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss.
That hardly tells the story, however, as he had an impact on seemingly every single pass-rush attempt. Anderson also was a menace against the run, showcasing terrific closing speed and tackling skills.
DI: Justin Ademilola, Notre Dame
The Notre Dame defense did what no team had been able to do all season long: stymie the Virginia offense. Justin Ademilola and his teammate Rylie Mills were dominant all night long. They recorded a combined 3.5 sacks and as many tackles for loss as Ademilola was a constant pressure in UVA QB Jay Woolfolk’s face. Ademilola also recorded 5 total tackles as his run-defense skills helped limit UVA’s rushing attack to just 2.7 yards per carry.
DI: Rylie Mills, Notre Dame
Mills led the game with his 2 sacks as he was half of the Fighting Irish’s dominant interior on Saturday. He pushed the pocket with strength but also showcased terrific hand speed on his pass rushes. All told, with Ademilola commanding attention, Mills was able to continue his ascension this season. This is a formidable duo on the inside without even taking into account Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, who missed the game against Virginia.
EDGE: Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
There’s not much more you can say about Aidan Hutchinson that hasn’t been said at this point. So, we’ll let his statistical output against Penn State do the talking: 3 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 7 total tackles.
He dominated the action early, middle, and late against the Nittany Lions. Hutchinson has more than developed into a feared pass rusher — he’s officially a game-wrecker.
LB: Trey Cobb, Appalachian State
Trey Cobb had another monster performance for the Mountaineers on Saturday. Recording 2 interceptions, he returned the second of his takeaways 100 yards for a touchdown, all but ending the game for App State. He finished the day with 6 total tackles, but his coverage prowess and ability to be in the right place at the right time were more than enough to land him on our Team of the Week.
LB: Channing Tindall, Georgia
The Georgia defense put forth another dominant effort after allowing 10 first-quarter points to the nation’s best first-quarter team in Tennessee. Channing Tindall was the star of the show, as he recorded 3 sacks and 8 total tackles. He was more than just a sack machine, however, as he continually pushed the pocket with perfectly-timed blitzes and more than held his own in coverage.
LB: Ferrod Gardner, Louisiana
Ferrod Gardner was quite literally all over the field for the Ragin’ Cajuns on Saturday. Troy’s short-area passing attack targeted him quite frequently, but he was something of an immovable object. In fact, he actually intercepted a pass and had a handful of other pass breakups and forced incompletions as he kept the Troy offense off base all game long.
CB: Ricky Johnson, UNLV
Ricky Johnson played a brand of lockdown cornerback on Saturday, intercepting Hawaii twice and not allowing much to come in his direction. He made Chevan Cordeiro think twice before looking to his side while also chipping in on run defense with a half-tackle for loss. It was a great performance from an important position on a team that has now won two straight.
CB: Rejzohn Wright, Oregon State
The Oregon State defense is thin at this point of the season, but given Rejzohn Wright’s level of play, no one else needs play on the outside. Helping Oregon State clinch bowl eligibility with their victory against Stanford, Wright turned in another terrific performance in coverage. He made an interception and recorded another pass breakup as he made the night incredibly tough for the young Cardinal signal-callers.
CB: Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
Remember the name, folks: Kris Abrams-Draine has arrived. Fine, he’s been at Missouri for two years now, but the sophomore is going to continue to turn heads with performances like Week 11. Abrams-Draine was targeted a handful of times, and he made the most of his opportunities in coverage.
He recorded 2 pass breakups and an interception against South Carolina. Playing on a team with two potential 2022 NFL Draft cornerbacks (Akayleb Evans, Allie Green IV), Abrams-Draine is making a name for himself this season.
S: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech
The Red Raiders won their game against Iowa State in a dramatic fashion, but early on, it didn’t seem like they were going to need late-game heroics. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson contributed to Texas Tech’s early lead, as he and linebacker Colin Schooler combined for 2 interceptions that gave the Red Raiders a 31-14 lead at one point. Taylor-Demerson was solid all game long, allowing very little in his coverage area or over the top.
S: Verone McKinley III, Oregon
We were tuned in to another “Vintage Verone” performance on Saturday, watching the Oregon safety who has showcased incredible range all season long. Verone McKinley III was all over the field for the Ducks, leading the team with 8 total tackles. He recorded an interception as well and did his part at limiting Washington State’s passing attack to just 7.8 yards per attempt. McKinley now has 5 interceptions on the season as he continues to climb up draft boards.
FLEX: Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State
The most important person on the field for the Seminoles all afternoon was Jermaine Johnson II. He single-handedly changed the game on multiple plays and flashed an ability that we hadn’t previously seen. Johnson’s efforts in run defense were integral for the FSU victory as he chased down Miami running backs from all angles. He was seemingly never beat to the edge on a run play and kept contain on others.
This all goes without mentioning his impact on the passing game, as he recorded 3 sacks and 5 total tackles for loss. Johnson pressured Tyler Van Dyke on just about every pass-rushing snap and changed the direction of the game with his quick pass-rushing wins.
Punter: Matt Araiza, San Diego State
Matt Araiza continues to dominate with his leg for the Aztecs. He booted 5 punts against Nevada, averaging a whopping 55.6 yards per attempt. He wasn’t even at his best on the night, as he missed a few punts inside the 20 and actually let some of his kicks receive punt-return yardage. Yet, we’re just finding minor flaws in his game at this point because we’ve run out of superlatives for Araiza.
Second-Team Defense
EDGE: Sam Williams, Ole Miss
DI: Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh
DI: Julius Turner, Rutgers
EDGE: Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State
LB: Merlin Robertson, Arizona State
LB: Tatum Bethune, UCF
LB: Colin Schooler, Texas Tech
CB: Omari Alexander, Western Kentucky
CB: Jacobi Francis, Memphis
CB: Al Walcott, Baylor
S: Jaiden Woodbey, Boston College
S: Jammie Robinson, Florida State
FLEX: David Ojabo, Michigan
Punter: Jake Camarda, Georgia
Honorable Mention Defense
EDGE: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
DI: Ralph Holley, Western Michigan
DI: C.J. Wright, Georgia Southern
EDGE: Cameron Thomas, San Diego State
LB: Kyle Harmon, San Jose State
LB: Jack Campbell, Iowa
LB: Dax Hollifield, Virginia Tech
CB: Omarion Cooper, Florida State
CB: Max Melton, Rutgers
CB: Jacobee Bryant, Kansas
S: Nick Cross, Maryland
S: Keilos Swinney, UL-Monroe
FLEX: Antonio Parks, UTSA
Punter: Brad Robbins, Michigan