One thing has been made very clear to me as I play EA Sports College Football 25: I suck at defense. While getting into a rhythm on offense is easy once you get used to it, that’s not the case on the defensive side of the ball, where you really have to put in work to get better and help your team win football games.
It certainly helps if you use one of the elite units in the game, and this year, there are seven teams that have earned the distinction of being a 90+ overall. If you’re like me and you could use some help as you try to figure out how to slow down opposing offenses, these are the groups you’ll want to use.
Ohio State Buckeyes: 96 overall
Just do not plan on scoring if you go up against the Buckeye defense, which is the best unit in the game. They’re absolutely loaded, with four players on that side of the ball at least a 90 overall (in a funny turn of events, one player who likely would get a 90+ nod, standout edge rusher JT Tuimoloau, is not in the game). Their secondary, in particular, is a nightmare to deal with, with sophomore FS Caleb Downs a 95 overall and the best player on the team. Just hope you get points off of special teams or something.
Georgia Bulldogs: 94 overall
The best offense in the game also gets the second-best defense in the game, which shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, as Kirby Smart is known for being the sport’s premier defensive-minded head coach now that his mentor, Nick Saban, has retired. Much like Ohio State, the unit is led by a 95-rated free safety in Malaki Starks, while LOLB Mykel Williams is a 93 overall and one of the best linebackers in the entire game.
Oregon Ducks: 90 overall
It’s not a surprise that Dan Lanning’s team is elite on this side of the ball, as he went to Eugene after spending time as Smart’s defensive coordinator in Athens. Jabbar Muhammad, a transfer from Washington, is the best player on the Ducks defense, as he’s a 91 overall, while Jordan Burch is an 88 overall off the left edge and is one of the top players at his position in the game.
Alabama Crimson Tide: 90 overall
If you hoped that Saban’s retirement would lead to the Crimson Tide taking a step back, I have some very bad news. Alabama is going to be excellent on defense again this season, and EA Sports agrees. MLB Deontae Lawson (90 overall) is at the heart of a stout unit, while the Tide possess one of the nation’s most terrifying 1-2 punches at safety in FS Malachi Moore (92 overall) and SS Keon Sabb (88 overall)
Clemson Tigers: 90 overall
Defense has been the calling card of the Tigers’ program over the last few years, and you should not expect that to change in 2024. Clemson is led by the best linebacker in the game in Barrett Carter, who is a 94 overall at ROLB and should be a nightmare blitzing as 90 rated DT Peter Woods blows up the middle of opposing offensive lines.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish: 90 overall
Marcus Freeman has built one heck of a defense in South Bend, one that is built around the second-best cornerback in the game, Benjamin Morrison, who is a 94 overall as a junior. They are yet another team with an elite free safety in Xavier Watts (92 overall), while DT Howard Cross III (90 overall) is dominant in the middle of the defensive line.
Michigan Wolverines: 90 overall
After having one of the best defenses in college football history last season en route to a national title, the Wolverines are going to be terrifying once again. They have two of the top-10 players in the game on that side of the ball in CB Will Johnson (96 overall, the best player in the game) and DT Mason Graham (95 overall). One thing is for certain in the first year of the post-Jim Harbaugh era: The Michigan defense is going to be very, very good.
Just missed: Texas Longhorns, Penn State Nittany Lions, Utah Utes, Florida State Seminoles, Oklahoma Sooners, Iowa Hawkeyes all 88 overall