The college football season is approaching. There is always debate over ranking the best players in the sport. Here are the top 25 college football safeties heading into the 2025 season.
Note: There is some projection in these rankings for the upcoming season. These are not NFL Draft rankings, but rather focus on the best players in college football.
25. Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State Cyclones
His 48 total tackles and two interceptions were impressive for Iowa State last season. Now Cooper will hope his play can help them win the Big 12.
24. Shyheim Brown, Florida State Seminoles
Brown has experience and 2024 was his best season yet. He had 70 total tackles and can provide leadership from the back of the defense.
23. Khalil Barnes, Clemson Tigers
Barnes tallied 61 stops and four interceptions in 2024. He isn’t one of the bigger names on Clemson, but is very important to their success.
22. Genesis Smith, Arizona Wildcats
Smith helped clean up a lot on Arizona’s backend last season. He had 63 tackles and three interceptions in 2024.
21. Collin Wright, Stanford Cardinal
Wright racked up 45 tackles and three interceptions last year for Stanford. He enters this year as Stanford’s best player.
20. Duce Chestnut, Syracuse Orange
Chestnut went from Syracuse to LSU and then back to Syracuse. The former corner is playing safety now, where his ball skills may shine.
19. Isaac Smith, Mississippi State Bulldogs
Smith is a tackle machine for Mississippi State, after totaling 127 tackles in 2024. He will be a bright spot on a team that isn’t expected to do well.
18. Adon Schuler, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Schuler was part of a quality secondary last year and will be looking to keep it that way this year for the Fighting Irish. He racked up 59 total tackles and three interceptions in 2024.
17. Jalen Catalon, Missouri Tigers
Catalon has been playing solid football for a while now with stops at Arkansas, Texas and UNLV. His experience will help a Missouri defense that is replacing a lot from last season.
16. Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma Sooners
Bowen has played well for Oklahoma over the last two seasons. After registering 34 total tackles in 2024, he’ll be looking to make more plays on the ball.
15. Xavion Alford, Arizona State Sun Devils
Alford went from Texas to USC and finally to Arizona State. He has been in college since 2020, but had his best season in 2024 with 85 total tackles and two interceptions.
14. Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa Hawkeyes
Nwankpa has played well for Iowa over the last two seasons. In 2024, he tallied 41 total tackles and a pass defended.
13. Terry Moore, Duke Blue Devils
Moore is part of a Duke secondary that is one of the more underrated in the country. He had four interceptions and six passes defended last season.
12. Bud Clark, TCU Horned Frogs
Clark is an experienced safety, after being at TCU for five seasons already. He had 67 tackles and three interceptions in 2024.
11. Xavier Scott, Illinois Fighting Illini
Scott could be classified as a corner, but is versatile enough to play anywhere in the secondary. He had four interceptions and six passes defended.
10. Kamari Ramsey, USC Trojans
Ramsey spent two seasons at UCLA before transferring to USC. He had one interception and five passes defended in 2024 with the chance to build on it this season.
9. Isaiah Nwokobia, SMU Mustangs
Nwokobia had 100 total tackles and three interceptions to help SMU qualify for the CFP. Another big season is expected out of Nwokobia.
8. Bray Hubbard, Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama has a good pair of safeties with Keon Sabb and Hubbard. Last season, he totaled 57 tackles and three interceptions.
7. KJ Bolden, Georgia Bulldogs
Bolden made an impact for Georgia last season as a freshman. He had 59 total tackles and will look to make more plays on the ball this season.
6. Michael Taaffe, Texas Longhorns
Taaffe showed great ball skills last season with 10 passes defended and two interceptions. His experience in the secondary will help Texas be even better on that side of the ball this season.
5. Rod Moore, Michigan Wolverines
Moore was a big part of Michigan’s 2023 national championship team, but missed last season due to injury. He had two interceptions and three passes defended in 2023.
4. Keon Sabb, Alabama Crimson Tide
Sabb played two seasons at Michigan and then transferred to Alabama last season. He had two interceptions and four passes defended with the ability to build on that this season.
3. Koi Perich, Minnesota Golden Gophers
Last season, Perich impressed as a freshman with five interceptions and three passes defended. He will be Minnesota’s best player this season.
2. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon Ducks
Thieneman had two highly productive seasons at Purdue with over 100 total tackles in each season. He now will join plenty of other transfers on Oregon who should help them compete in the Big Ten.
1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeyes
Downs may be the best overall player in the country this season. He had 82 total tackles, two interceptions and six passes defended on his way to helping Ohio State to a national championship.
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