Strong play in the secondary was a constant for most of the teams in the College Football Playoff last season. Of the teams in the 12-team field, seven ranked in the top 25 nationally in pass efficiency defense. Expect that trend to continue in 2026, as preseason national championship favorites Notre Dame, Miami, Oregon and Georgia each rank among the top five of the best defensive backfields in the nation this season.
How did we come up with this list? Depth, overall talent, production, level of competition and projected output in ’26 all factored into these rankings for the secondary. While some teams may have experienced a down year last season, a new assistant, top recruit, or scheme change can make a huge difference. These rankings reflect projections for ’26, not solely what teams accomplished last year.
Four starters — including Athlon Sports first-team All-American cornerback Leonard Moore — are back from a unit that finished ninth nationally in pass efficiency defense last season. Per Hudl IQ, opponents had a -0.48 EPA/Target when attacking Moore in coverage. The Texas native was a lockdown cover corner last season and ranks among the top returning defenders in 2026. Transfers DJ McKinney (Colorado) and Jayden Sanders (Michigan), along with senior Christian Gray, round out the key contributors at cornerback. Adon Shuler and Brauntae Johnson return after standout ‘25 seasons to form one of the top safety pairings in college football.
With a young trio of cornerbacks in Brandon Finney, Ify Obidegwu and Na’eem Offord in place, and safety help coming from the portal, the Ducks will once again rank among the nation’s top defensive backfields. In a standout freshman campaign, Finney picked off three passes and limited opposing quarterbacks to a completion rate of 36.6% when targeted per Hudl IQ. He’s a third-team Athlon Sports All-American for 2026. Coach Dan Lanning reloaded at safety, adding Minnesota standout Koi Perich and Carl Williams IV from Baylor. Aaron Flowers is also back at safety after shining as a freshman last season with 70 tackles and three pass breakups.
The Hurricanes’ secondary suffocated opposing offenses (No. 18 nationally in pass efficiency defense) last season and could be even better in 2026. Over 16 games in ‘25, Miami allowed just one team (SMU) to eclipse 300 passing yards, and this unit picked off 16 passes against 13 just touchdown passes allowed. Jakobe Thomas and Keionte Scott leave big shoes to fill on the back end, but cornerback is loaded with Xavier Lucas, Ethan O’Connor, Damari Brown, OJ Frederique Jr. and Boston College transfer Omar Thornton battling for snaps. Zechariah Poyser and Bryce Fitzgerald (six interceptions last year) are expected to man the safety positions.
The Bulldogs allowed only 14 touchdown passes and held opponents under 300 passing yards in 12 of their 14 contests. However, coach Kirby Smart’s group has room to improve after ranking 40th nationally in pass efficiency defense and surrendering nine completions of 40-plus yards. Expect this unit to take a step forward in 2026, especially with preseason All-Americans in cornerback Ellis Robinson IV and safety KJ Bolden back to anchor the group. Smart and coordinator Glenn Schumann have a few holes to fill at cornerback, safety and star, but there’s no shortage of talented candidates, including Clemson transfer Khalil Barnes, Demello Jones, freshman Tyriq Green, Rasean Dinkins and transfers Gentry Williams (Oklahoma) and Braylon Conley (USC).
This unit should be the strength of an Alabama defense navigating transition up front and at linebacker. Three starters are back for coordinator Kane Wommack, including cornerback Zabien Brown and safeties Bray Hubbard and Keon Sabb. With Dijon Lee Jr., Red Morgan, and Mercer transfer Carmelo O’Neal in the mix, coach Kalen DeBoer should have no trouble finding someone to start opposite of Brown.
6. Ohio State
7. Oklahoma
8. Texas A&M
9. Indiana
10. Iowa
11. LSU
12. Michigan
13. BYU
14. Utah
15. Texas
16. Clemson
17. Texas Tech
18. Penn State
19. Ole Miss
20. Nebraska
