In today’s game of football, third-level defenders must be versatile, seamlessly shifting from one phase to another.
The 2024 CUSA Safety Rankings reflect this adaptability, with Brylan Green leading a group bolstered by impact transfers ready to make their mark.
CUSA 2024 Safety Rankings
10) Demarko Williams, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky rebuilt its secondary through the transfer portal with two former SEC defenders: Texas A&M cornerback Kent Robinson and Ole Miss CB Demarko Williams. Williams played 17 games over two seasons with the Rebels, recording 25 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup.
However, he’ll move to safety with the Hilltoppers as the program replaces all four of its snap leaders at the position. If Williams struggles to transition, he’ll fall out of the top 10. But if he hits the ground running, he’ll fly up the 2024 CUSA Safety Rankings.
9) Jamal Potts, FIU Panthers
Jamal Potts played safety early in his high school career before moving to outside CB for his last two years. But change wasn’t through with him, as he moved to Nickel once he landed at Florida International University.
“A nickel is going to get blocked more than a cornerback,” head coach Mike MacIntyre said. “A nickel needs to be more physical inside. He has to understand run fits. He has to understand flooding an area with extra receivers coming from the backside. Jamal is excellent in the nickel. He’s an extremely good hitter and blitzer off the edge.”
While outside CB and nickel are completely different positions, Potts has made the transition look seamless. His 6’2″, 193-pound frame fit right at home closer to the line of scrimmage, where he racked up 63 tackles, six tackles for loss, a half-sack, two forced fumbles, and two PBUs last season.
8) Fred Perry, Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Now a true junior, Fred Perry was a key contributor for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks as a sophomore, starting 11 games. He ranked third on the team with 75 total tackles, leading with 49 solo stops.
Perry’s impact extended beyond tackling, as he added five TFLs, seven QB hurries, one interception, and five PBUs. Perry also led the team with three forced fumbles, ranking third in CUSA and tying for 15th nationally.
Standing at a rocked-up 5’10” and 200 pounds, Perry is Jacksonville State’s enforcer over the middle, splitting his time between the deep third and the box.
7) Sidney Porter, Kennesaw State Owls
Sidney Porter began his collegiate career at NAIA-level St. Thomas, where he earned first-team all-conference honors in his first two years and second-team All-American recognition in his third.
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His standout play earned him a spot on the Kennesaw State Owls, where the well-built 6’0″, 215-pound DB played in seven games with four starts last season. Porter finished with 27 tackles and two INTs but looks to build more on his strong FBS debut.
6) Quinton Reese, Liberty Flames
The injury bug bit Quinton Reese in 2021 (five missed games) and 2022 (one), but he started all 14 contests for the Liberty Flames last season. He has played significant snaps since stepping on campus in 2020, making him one of the most experienced players in the conference.
In 2023, Reese tallied 55 tackles (fourth on the team) with three TFLs, one PBU, and one forced fumble. He also snatched two picks, helping Liberty rank as the top team in the country in interceptions. Making his numbers look even better, last season was Reese’s first as a full-time safety after primarily playing in the slot the three years prior.
5) Caleb Weaver, Sam Houston Bearkats
Yet another slot-to-safety convert, Caleb Weaver has been one of Sam Houston’s best defenders over the last two years — no matter where he lines up.
He appeared in 12 games last season, registering 49 tackles, two INTs, and four other PBUs. With Da’Marcus Crosby gone, Weaver will be the vocal leader in the Bearkats’ defensive backfield this season.
4) Kory Chapman, UTEP Miners
Kory Chapman is part of a large contingent of ex-Austin Peay players following head coach Scotty Walden to UTEP. Across three seasons and 33 career games (25 starts), Chapman has accumulated 170 tackles, 15 TFLs, four sacks, 14 PBUs, and five INTs, lining up anywhere from the box to deep safety to the slot.
While the FCS isn’t the FBS, Chapman has consistently outperformed his competition, making him more than ready for the jump.
3) Keyshawn Swanson, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Keyshawn Swanson joined WKU after four seasons with Troy. Despite sitting out the 2020 season due to transfer rules, he made an impact over three seasons. Swanson played in 38 games and recorded 89 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, an interception, three PBUs, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.
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With stellar athleticism and a heat-seeking ability on the move, Swanson will anchor the third level as Williams comes into his own.
2) Michael Richard, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
The 2023 season was Michael Richard’s first on the collegiate stage — he didn’t perform like it. Playing in all 12 games and starting six at the nickel, Richard led all CUSA freshmen with seven PBUs. Opponents completed just 40% of their passes (14 of 35) against him, and he allowed only one TD on 249 defensive snaps.
Richard didn’t stop stuffing the stat sheet there, adding another 32 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and two QB hurries, even returning a blocked punt for a score. As the Bulldogs’ top DB in 2024, the question is if Richard can build on that momentum.
We’re betting he will.
1) Brylan Green, Liberty Flames
First Team All-CUSA. FWAA Second Team All-American. 2024 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. You name it, and Brylan Green has likely achieved it. And if he hasn’t, he will soon.
After rotating in as a true freshman, Green had his coming-out party last season as Liberty’s primary slot defender. In 13 games and only three starts, he generated 38 tackles, ranked second on the team with eight PBUs, and finished tied for sixth in the nation with five INTs.
Head coach Jamey Chadwell spoke highly of Green last year: “We think he has NFL potential if he completely commits himself to football.”
What did Chadwell mean by that last part? Green, along with disrupting offenses on the gridiron, took his talents to the diamond as a center fielder for the Flames’ baseball team as a freshman.
But Chadwell likely won’t have to worry about Green dividing himself between two sports. Last spring, he was not on the baseball roster, focusing all his energy on football — a terrifying prospect for the rest of the CUSA.
2024 CUSA Safety Rankings | 11-20
11) CJ Christian, FIU
12) Marvae Myers, Middle Tennessee State
13) Blake Thompson, Louisiana Tech
14) Oscar Moore, UTEP
15) Brendon Harris, Middle Tennessee State
16) Antonio Carter, Jacksonville State
17) Nick Session, New Mexico State
18) Isaac Paul, Kennesaw State
19) Jaylon Jimmerson, Sam Houston
20) Dylan Early, New Mexico State
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