By Luke Brumm
The last position we have left is safety. Let’s see who makes my final top five for 2024.
5. Kevin Winston Jr. – Penn State
Kevin Winston Jr. is an upcoming junior and will be the leader in that Penn State secondary. He is very experienced as he has had playing time in each of his first two seasons in Happy Valley. Winston is looking to be one piece of a very good defense. He accumulated 60 total tackles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception last year and I think he can improve on those numbers. The Nittany Lions will need him if they are going to be able to get over the hump.
4. Dillon Thieneman – Purdue
Thieneman is another safety on this list coming out of the Big Ten and he won’t be the last. He is only a rising sophomore but had a very good freshman season. He came from Carmel, Indiana, and stands 6’0″ tall and weighs 205 lbs.
In 2023, Thieneman had 106 total tackles and two fumble recoveries. The wild part is his 6 interceptions! That is outstanding and he will only get better. I expect big things from Dillon Thieneman once the season starts.
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3. Xavier Watts – Notre Dame
Some people have Watts as their number one safety in the country, but I have him coming in at number three on my list. He is a great safety for the Fighting Irish and has been good for them for years now. 52 total tackles, a forced fumble and fumble recovery, half a sack, four pass breakups, and seven interceptions were his stat line for last season. You can see why certain people have him number one, he can do it all. Notre Dame will face some good teams in Texas A&M, Louisville, Florida State, and USC, so that defense better be ready.
2. Malaki Starks – Georgia
Starks has been shining since he was a true freshman at Georgia. He even recorded an interception in his first-ever game. He has been a staple of that secondary since 2022 and will be again this upcoming season.
Starks racked up 52 total tackles and two interceptions last year to add to his 69 tackles and two interceptions from 2022. He is very physical at 6’1″ and 205 lbs. I look for him to make a big impact in the key games this year such as Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss.
1. Caleb Downs – Ohio State
Coming in at number one is Caleb Downs. The Ohio State transfer who came over from Alabama is sure to be a stud again this year. He is only a rising sophomore but is already considered one of the best. In his lone season, he recorded 107 total tackles, a forced fumble and recovery, and two picks. He now head to Columbus to be a part of that revamped Buckeye team. We’ll see how it all goes down in the new look Big Ten.
