Despite College Football and the NFL transitioning to more offense, defense is still essential to winning championships.
A good defensive coordinator is very important to a team’s success or lack thereof.
Getting a big sack or a huge takeaway changes the entire game.
Coming up with a defensive scheme that works and being able to adjust the scheme is critical for a team.
Below, we give our expert pick on the top 10 defensive coordinators in College Football ahead of the 2023 season.
Top 10 Defensive Coordinators In College Football 2023
While College Football and the NFL are geared toward the offense, having a good defense becomes even more important.
Defensive coordinators need to come up with a great game plan each week and adjust during games.
Having a very good defensive coordinator is crucial to a team’s success.
Brad White will kick off the top 10 list of defensive coordinators ahead of the 2023 College Football season.
10. Brad White, Kentucky Wildcats
The former Wake Forest linebacker was a graduate assistant under Mark Stoops in 2018.
Now, White is nearing his fifth season leading Kentucky’s defense.
White has had a lot of success over the last couple of years.
Kentucky ranked fourth in the SEC and 26th in the FBS in scoring and total defense in 2021.
Last season, the Wildcats ranked second in the league and 12th in the country in yards allowed.
White had Kentucky third in the conference and 13th in the nation in scoring defense.
His scheme compliments Stoops’ ground-and-pound offense.
It has been a recipe for success in the almighty SEC.
With all of the returning talent on defense, Kentucky has the potential to be White’s best yet.
White will have another strong campaign and be amongst the top defensive coordinators in College in 2023.
9. Kurt Mattix, San Diego State Aztecs
Kurt Mattix has been a staple in the Mountain West since he arrived from the FCS ranks.
He has put together three sharp campaigns with the Aztecs.
San Diego State ranked first in the conference in total defense in 2020, second in 2021, and third in 2022.
Mattix operates a scheme designed to keep the opposition from the endzone.
This is why the Aztecs have finished top 20 in the FBS in scoring defense each of the last three seasons.
Mattix does extensive work with linebackers as well and they are always in attack mode on ball carriers.
San Diego State has been excellent against the run and ranked top-three nationally in two of the last three years.
Mattix has been a very good defensive coordinator and will once again have a stellar defense in 2023.
8. Morgan Scalley, Utah Utes
Morgan Scalley has been on Kyle Whittingham’s staff since 2007.
He has run Utah’s defense since 2016.
In four of the last five seasons, Utah ranked in the top two in the Pac-12 in total defense.
The Utes were second in the league in points and yards allowed in 2022.
Scalley had Utah 19th in the FBS in scoring and total defense.
He has been consistent with finding elite talent and is a huge reason why Utah has won back-to-back Pac-12 Championships.
Utah has had 13 defenders drafted under Scalley’s leadership, including a first-rounder.
With the physicality of Scalley’s scheme and the returning talent on defense, Utah is poised for another title run.
Scalley will prove once again to be among the top defensive coordinators in College in 2023.
7. Joe Rossi, Minnesota Golden Gophers
Joe Rossi is approaching his fifth season as Minnesota’s defense.
Everything is trending up because the last two seasons have been excellent for Rossi.
During that span, the Golden Gophers have registered three shutout victories, including two last year.
Minnesota ranked second in the Big Ten in scoring, rushing, passing, and total defense in 2021.
The Golden Gophers ranked fourth in the league and ninth nationally in total yards allowed last season.
They also ranked fourth in the FBS in scoring defense.
This last season, the Golden Gophers allowed positive expected points added (EPA) on 36.9% of opposing drives, fourth in the Power Five.
In 2021, the Golden Gophers ranked 12th in the Power Five in EPA allowed per play.
Minnesota was also fourth in touchdown drive percentage (12.8%).
Rossi does a lot of work with the linebackers and helped mold Mariano Sori-Martin into an All-Big Ten performer.
Expect another stellar season for Rossi and Minnesota’s defense in 2023.
6. Jon Headcock, Iowa State Cyclones
Jon Headcock is Matt Campbell’s right-hand man and the two have been working together since their days at Toledo.
This makes Headcock the longest-tenured assistant in the Big 12.
Headcock has led some of the league’s best defenses over the last five seasons.
Iowa State has finished in the top 20 nationally in total defense each year during that span.
The Cyclones led the Big 12 and ranked second in the nation in total yards in 2022.
Iowa State was also first in the conference and sixth in the FBS versus the pass.
Considering Iowa State does not attract star-studded recruits like other huge programs, this is very impressive.
Headcock will have another strong campaign in 2023 and be among the best defensive coordinators in College Football.
Top 5 Defensive Coordinators in College Football 2023
Now, we get to the top five defensive coordinators in College Football.
Manny Diaz kicks off the top-five list.
5. Manny Diaz, Penn State Nittany Lions
Manny Diaz returned to a defensive coordinator position this last season after spending three years as Miami’s (FL) head coach.
If Diaz’s defenses continue to perform as they did in 2022, it will not be long before another college program offers him a chance to be a head coach once again.
Penn State’s defense improved from 22nd in EPA allowed per play in 2021 to fifth this last season.
Making that even more impressive is the fact Penn State’s defensive coordinator in 2021, Brent Pry, left to become the head coach at Virginia Tech.
Diaz will have Penn State’s defense ready to roll in 2023 and he will once again be among the top defensive coordinators in College.
4. Glenn Schumann & Will Muschamp, Georgia Bulldogs
Glenn Schumann and Will Muschamp share duties running Georgia’s defense but Schumann reportedly was calling the plays in 2022.
Eight players from Georgia’s historic 2021 defense were drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Five of those defensive players went in the first round.
Not only that but Georgia’s defensive coordinator that year, Dan Lenning, was hired to become the head coach at Oregon.
Despite the huge turnover, Georgia’s defense was still sixth in the Power Five in EPA allowed per play.
Schumann and Muschamp made magic on the field after Georgia led the SEC and finished 10th in the FBS in total defense.
Georgia allowed just 15 touchdown passes through 15 games.
The Bulldogs will once again have a loaded defense in 2023.
Schumann and Muschamp will lead a stellar defense once again in 2023 and Georgia’s defense will be elite.
3. Jesse Minter, Michigan Wolverines
Jesse Minter was a finalist for the Broyles Award this last season in his first year as Michigan’s defensive coordinator.
He is one of two finalists who remain a college coordinator in 2023.
Despite losing stars like Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, and Daxton Hill, Michigan’s 93.7 team defense grade this last season trailed only Iowa.
They were also fourth in the Power Five in terms of EPA allowed per play.
Michigan allowed a scoring drive on only 22% of opposing drives, the fourth-lowest rate in the FBS in 2022.
The Wolverines ranked first in the Big Ten and seventh in the FBS against the run.
They allowed just 10 rushing touchdowns through 14 games.
Michigan finished third in the conference in total defense and sacks per game.
Minter was able to keep the wheels rolling for Michigan and they won their second-straight Big Ten title and secured a playoff berth.
Michigan will once again have a strong defense, led by Minter.
2. Jim Knowles, Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State made a massive improvement in defense from 2021 to 2022.
They went from 56th to seventh in EPA allowed per play.
It is no coincidence that this last season was Knowles’ first as the Buckeyes’ defensive coordinator.
Before taking over defensive coordinator duties for Ohio State, Knowles was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2021 for his work as Oklahoma State’s defensive coordinator.
That year, the Cowboys were third in the country in EPA allowed per play.
Ohio State finished 14th in the FBS in total defense under Knowles.
This was a huge improvement after ranking 59th in the country in total yards allowed under Kerry Coombs.
Ohio State was 25th in the nation in rushing and scoring defense.
Knowles installed crafty blitz packages and the Buckeyes finished fourth in the league in sacks per game.
Expectations will be even higher in 2023.
Knowles will have another very successful season in 2023 running Ohio State’s defense and he will be among the best defensive coordinators in College Football
1. Phil Parker, Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa had the worst offense in the Power Five and was the second-worst nationally in terms of EPA per play.
Among the 12 worst offenses in that department, the Buckeyes were the only team that made a bowl game and did so fairly easily.
This does not happen without an elite defense.
Last season, Iowa led the nation in team defense grade (94.3) and paced the Power Five in EPA allowed per play (-0.267).
Parker’s defenses have finished top-15 in the FBS in EPA allowed per play in each of the last five seasons and have two top-five finishes in that span.
He has been a semifinalist for the Broyles Award in each of the last three years.
Parker has been one of the best defensive minds in today’s game and consistently has an elite defense.
Iowa is always fundamentally sound and disciplined under Parker’s watch.
Parker does a lot of work with defensive backs.
Last season, Jack Cambell won the Butkus Award, edge rusher Lukas Van Ness and CB Riley Moss were All-Big Ten performers, and safety Kaevon Merriweather earned second-team, AP All-American honors.
Phil Parker will prove to be the best defensive coordinator in College Football in 2023.
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