EA Sports College Football 25 is back this summer, and with it comes an abundance of vaunted defenses from across the country ready to make their mark in the game.
Under a month away from the big drop on July 19, we try to guess who is the cream of the crop with an EA Sports Football 25 Top 10 defenses prediction.
EA Sports College Football 25 Top 10 Defense Prediction
10) Alabama Crimson Tide
Nick Saban left his post at the helm of the Crimson Tide, but Alabama’s defense is still in great hands. New head coach Kalen DeBoer brought in South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack to man the unit.
Still loaded with talent across the board, the Crimson Tide’s defense could see a resurgence despite changes at the top.
9) FSU Seminoles
After being snubbed from the College Football Playoff last season, the Seminoles lost most of its best players on a defensive unit that held teams to 15.9 points per game, the sixth-lowest in the nation.
While the departures hurt, head coach Mike Norvell and DC Adam Fuller are still around and have proven capable of maximizing their defensive talent.
8) Nebraska Cornhuskers
Head coach Matt Rhule made his return to college football last season and with it returned his prowess on the defensive side of the ball, leading the Cornhuskers to the 11th-best total defense (303.5 yards per game) and 16th-best scoring defense (18.3 points per game) in the nation.
Nebraska’s defensive attrition was light this offseason, and the program returns most of its starters, paving the way for increased production from the Cornhuskers’ defense.
7) Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Fighting Irish fielded a top-10 defense last season, averaging 16.6 points per game allowed and 282.4 total yards per game.
Head coach Marcus Freeman retained a good chunk of that defensive unit, including Xavier Watts and Howard Cross III (back for a sixth season), setting up Notre Dame for an improved season.
6) Penn State Nittany Lions
The Nittany Lions had the best total defense in 2023, allowing 223.3 yards per game, but lost almost half of its defensive starters after the season.
Penn State is still a formidable force on the defensive side, mainly thanks to the presence of Abdul Carter off the edge, pinning them just outside the top five predicted defenses in EA Sports College Football 25.
5) Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa’s offense leaves many scratching their heads, but safe to say that few can doubt the prowess of a Hawkeyes’ defense that allowed 13.2 points per game and 274.8 total yards per game.
Head coach Kirk Ferentz and DC Phil Parker (who won the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in college football last fall) have proven defensive mavens. They’re back to assert their dominance in 2024.
4) Clemson Tigers
While some of its best defenders are off to play on Sundays in the NFL, the Tigers are still full of talent and have a top-five defense heading into 2024.
Head coach Dabo Swinney’s era at Clemson has been headlined by incredible defenses, which will be no different in EA Sports College Football 25.
3) Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are loaded to the gills on both sides of the ball, with a defense that finished ninth in points allowed (16.6 per game) and 10th in total defense (295.2 yards per game).
With a new class containing a handful of five-star defensive players already in Athens for the Bulldogs’ spring practice, Georgia will be a force this fall.
2) Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State already had a top defense — finishing second in points allowed at 11.0 per game last year — before securing former Alabama star safety Caleb Downs.
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Downs only amplifies the Buckeyes’ superiority, who fall just one spot shy of taking the predicted top spot on offense and defense for EA Sports College Football 25.
1) Michigan Wolverines
Michigan’s vaunted defense launched the Wolverines to a National Championship last season, holding teams to 9.5 points and 239.7 yards per game in 2023.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL, but it’s still business as usual on defense in Ann Arbor as the Wolverines lead the way for EA Sports College Football 25’s top 10 predicted defenses.
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