Last week, I wrote about the most underrated offensive players in EA Sports College Football 26 based on my 2026 NFL Draft Summer Scouting Big Board. This week, I’m going to list the most underrated defensive players in CFB 26. We’ll be covering five in-depth and mentioning some honorable mentions with each position.
As with last week, this list will be entirely based on their positional ranking in the game. And of course, only scouting draft-eligible players for my big board, some underclassmen push some of these players down the board a little bit, but most of the top players in the game are draft-eligible. Now, let’s get started!
EDGE
Max Llewellyn - Iowa
Iowa EDGE Max Llewellyn kicks off this list. Llewellyn is CFB 26’s 40th-rated left EDGE and is an 82 overall. I may not be as high on Llewellyn as some others in the draft community, but having him as the 40th-rated left EDGE is crazy to me.
Llewellyn had a productive junior season for the Hawkeyes, racking up six sacks as well as registering a 21% pass rush win rate. He was mostly a rotational player last season, but I’d expect him to have a larger role in 2025.
He is categorized as a designated pass rusher to me, as he never played more than 11 snaps against the run in any game last season, and only twice did he log double-digit snaps against the run. The tape against the run wasn’t necessarily pretty either.
However, Llewellyn is a fireball off the edge. He’s twitched up at 6’5” and 263 pounds and has a wicked inside spin move that gives offensive tackles fits, while also working in some ghost moves and rip moves.
I gave Llewellyn a 3rd-round grade, and he’s currently my 8th-ranked EDGE, and in my top 75 on my big board. I’m expecting him to take another jump in 2025 and be more of a complete player come next April.
Honorable mentions: Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell and Missouri’s Damon Wilson II.
Defensive Tackle
Caleb Banks - Florida
Florida defensive tackle Caleb Banks continues this list. Banks is CFB 26’s 8th-rated defensive tackle and is a 90 overall, which is very good. However, he is vastly higher on my board.
Banks’s 2024 was his best season yet, as he racked up 4 sacks and a pass rush win rate of 11.2%. He played a balanced amount of snaps against the run and the pass, and will continue to eat up a vast majority of the snaps on that Gator defensive line.
He’s a giant at 6’6” and 330 pounds, and may be the most explosive athlete at that size we’ve ever seen. Banks is long, mean, and plays with great power and hand refinement. He’s further along as a pass rusher now than against the run, but he’s effective against both.
I gave Banks a 1st-round grade, and he’s my DT2 and my 8th overall player with a 1st-round grade. I think he has the traits to be a true blue-chip player in this class and be a slam-dunk top 10 pick.
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Honorable mention: Clemson’s Demonte Capehart.
Linebacker
Whit Weeks - LSU
LSU linebacker Whit Weeks comes next. Weeks is CFB 26’s 7th-rated MIKE Linebacker and is an 89 overall. While I can understand the overall rating, I think way higher of him than the 7th-rated MIKE linebacker in the class, and definitely well inside the top seven of linebackers in general.
Weeks was a star for the Tigers as a sophomore, registering 120 tackles with four pass deflections, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception. He did suffer a gruesome right leg injury in LSU’s bowl game against Baylor, dislocating his ankle and fracturing his tibia, but all reports say he’s fully recovered.
Weeks’ coverage ability jumped off the screen. His quick feet and acceleration allow him to get depth in a hurry and reroute receivers. Most athletic linebackers don’t have a great feel for zone coverage, but Weeks absolutely does.
Even at his size, 6’2” and 225 pounds, he is a fiery run defender, able to take on blocks pretty well and shed. When he shoots a gap, the play is over.
I gave Weeks a 2nd-round grade, and he’s a “my guy” as he’s my LB1 and my 39th overall player. Hopefully, he has a fully healthy season and can hit the ground running at the next level.
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Honorable mention: Michigan’s Jaishawn Barham.
Cornerback
Keith Abney II - Arizona State
Next up is Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II. Abney is CFB 26’s 97th, yes 97th, rated cornerback and is an 83 overall. Sorry, but there aren’t 96 better cornerbacks in the country, much less the 2026 draft class, than Abney.
Abney was an essential piece to the Sun Devils’ run to the College Football Playoff in 2024, logging three interceptions while breaking up eight passes. He also scored four defensive touchdowns.
Abney is rangy at 5’11” and 195 pounds, with great athletic tools and fluid hips. His IQ in both man coverage and zone coverage is exceptional. He also only had a 9.5% missed tackle rate, a good rate for a corner.
I gave Abney a 2nd-round grade, and he’s my CB4 and my 36th overall player. I’m a big fan of his, and he should continue to grow in 2025.
Honorable mentions: Illinois’ Xavier Scott, Texas A&M’s Will Lee III, and Colorado’s DJ McKinney.
Safety
Skyler Thomas - Oregon State
Oregon State safety Skyler Thomas rounds out this list. Thomas is CFB 26’s 36th-ranked strong safety and comes in as an 84 overall. Thomas is another flag plant for me, as I haven’t seen much buzz about him elsewhere in the community.
Thomas had a really good 2024, logging 61 tackles along with an interception, a forced fumble, and 10 pass breakups. His missed tackle rate was only 6.2% and he only allowed 55.3% of his targets to be caught.
Thomas was a fun player to evaluate. At 6’2” and 215 pounds, he’s the traditional box safety that can match up with tight ends in the passing game. I also thought he did a good job in the intermediate part of the field and was a plus against the run.
I gave Thomas a 4th-round grade, and he’s my S6 and inside my top 100. I’m a big fan of his range and length, and am excited to see what his 2025 looks like.
Honorable mentions: USC’s Kamari Ramsey, Illinois’ Miles Scott, and James Madison’s Jacob Thomas.
Final Thoughts
This mini-series was a lot of fun, and once again, it’s fun to see CFB 26 coincide with summer scouting. I hope you enjoyed this list of underrated defensive players in CFB 26 based on my 2026 NFL Draft Summer Scouting Big Board.