ESPN's latest ranking of college football's best defenders ranked Ahmad Moten No. 5 in its top 10 defensive players entering the 2026 season after polling more than 20 front-office voices from around the sport. The Miami defensive tackle is the only player from a current ACC program in the top 10, joining a list packed with projected first-round NFL talent.
Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore took the No. 1 spot, followed by Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons and South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart. Oregon defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington came in at No. 4, one spot ahead of Moten.
Moten finished ahead of LSU safety Ty Benefield, Texas linebacker Rasheem Biles, Oregon cornerback Brandon Finney Jr., Ole Miss defensive tackle Will Echoles and Georgia safety KJ Bolden.
Moore is the nation's top-ranked defender after a unanimous All-America season at Notre Dame, Simmons has 21 career sacks at Texas, Stewart has 11 sacks and six forced fumbles in two seasons at South Carolina, and Washington is widely seen as one of the top interior defensive line prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Ahmad Moten ranks among college football's top defensive players
Miami's defense finished 2025 ranked No. 5 nationally in scoring defense, No. 12 in total defense, No. 6 against the run and No. 4 in sacks under coordinator Corey Hetherman. That group has major production to replace up front, but Moten is expected to be the centerpiece of the next version.
Moten earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2025 after recording 31 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
Bryce Fitzgerald and Damon Wilson II also receive recognition
Safety Bryce Fitzgerald was named among the players who received votes at his position, alongside Oregon's Koi Perich. Fitzgerald made an immediate impact as a true freshman in 2025 with six interceptions, including two in Miami's CFP first-round win over Texas A&M.
Edge rusher Damon Wilson II also appeared among the defensive ends who received votes. Wilson is an experienced pass-rush option coming over from Missouri.
Add us as a preferred source on Google