2020 Preseason All-American Projections: Defensive Tackles

By Charlie Campbell
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Heading into the 2020 college football season WalterFootball.com will debut our projections for the nation’s leaders during the fall. The All-American teams always have some surprises and the stars of next fall could be the headlining players next April in the 2021 NFL Draft.

First-Team Defensive Tackles:

Marvin Wilson, Florida State

Wilson established himself as the Seminoles best interior lineman in 2018, combining with edge rusher Brian Burns to form a nice tandem for Florida State. Wilson had 42 tackles with 3.5 sacks, one forced fumble, two passes batted and 4.5 tackles for a loss that season.

In 2019, Wilson stayed consistent in the ground game and improved his pass rush despite not having Burns next to him to draw attention. Wilson totaled 44 tackles with five sacks, four passes defended and a forced fumble last season. The 6-foot-5, 317-pound Wilson has quality speed, good size, and athleticism. He should be one of the top interior defensive linemen in college football as a senior.

Jay Tufele, USC

Tufele was a disruptive presence for USC in 2019, totaling 42 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a pass batted. His run defense was improved, and he looks like he has upside to improve as an upperclassman. After redshirting in 2017, Tufele made an impressive debut for the Trojans in 2018, racking up three sacks with 23 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and a blocked field goal. The 6-foot-3, 305-pounder has the upside to grow and perform better as he gains experience.

Second-Team Defensive Tackles:

Jerome Johnson, Indiana

Johnson (6-3, 304) has improved each year at Indiana, and as a junior, he was one of the best interior defensive linemen in the Big Ten. Last year, Johnson was a quality defender in the ground game while showing improving pass-rushing skills to get after the quarterback. He totaled five sacks with 43 tackles for the season. If Johnson can continue to improve and ups his pass-rush production, his draft stock could take off and he could earn a lot of postseason honors.

Daviyon Nixon, Iowa

The Kenosha, Wisconsin product broke out in 2019, showing quickness to get upfield and cause problems behind the line of scrimmage. Nixon wasn’t even a full-time starter, but he still produced solid numbers for an interior defensive lineman, three sacks and 29 tackles. Nixon could be a riser in 2020 if he plays every down, plus he could be even better now that he has some experience.

Third-Team Defensive Tackles:

Tedarrell Slaton, Florida

Over the past two seasons, Slaton did not produce a big stat lines for the Gators, but the big nose tackle caused a lot of disruption and plugged a lot of gaps at the point of attack. He totaled 21 tackles with two for a loss in 2018 and 29 tackles with two sacks and a pass defended last year.

Team sources have remarked that Slaton jumped out at them and was impossible to ignore while grading the Gators’ prospects for the 2020 NFL Draft. Slaton may not produce as large of a stat line as Marvin Wilson or Jay Tufele, which I think could cause him to be more of a candidate to be a Second- or Third-Team All-American.

LaBryan Ray, Alabama

Ray recorded nine tackles with a sack and forced fumble during his 2019 season before going out of the lineup in September with a foot injury that required surgery. He has a good enough skill set and the ability to break out in 2020, provided he is healthy. While Quinnen Williams was the star of the Alabama defensive line in 2018, Ray flashed at times for the Crimson Tide and had some nice moments that year. Ray totaled 39 tackles with six for a loss, 2.5 sacks and two passes batted on the season.

Honorable Mentions: Florida State’s Corey Durden, Georgia’s Jordan Davis, LSU’s Neil Farrell Jr., Alabama’s Christian Barmore, Washington’s Levi Onwzurike, and Michigan State’s Naquan Jones.











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