College Fantasy Football Team Defense Rankings: Top 25 D/STs

July 21, 2026

Jackson's top 25 college fantasy football defense (D/ST) draft rankings for 2026. These CFB fantasy DEF rankings include the top 25 defenses for Yahoo leagues.

College fantasy football has been around, but it's quickly gaining popularity thanks to the launch of Yahoo leagues! Like NFL fantasy football, team defenses don't get a lot of shine. D/ST are often overlooked, but they can make the difference between winning weekly matchups and championships. They're also arguably the most difficult piece of a fantasy football team to figure out, so we're here to help with our 2026 college fantasy football defense (D/ST) rankings.

In the rankings below, check out where potential top national defenses such as Notre Dame, Oregon, Georgia, Oklahoma, Indiana, and more stand among the other top 25 D/STs for preseason drafts.

These rankings are put together by lead college football analyst Jackson Sparks and will be updated as fall camp developments and injury news roll in. Below the rankings, you will see Yahoo's default scoring settings for team defenses/special teams.

College Fantasy Football Quarterback Draft Rankings

College Fantasy Football Default Scoring Settings: Defense/Special Teams

2026 College Fantasy Football Defense News

Ty Benefield, S, LSU

Boise State transfer safety Ty Benefield was one of the top defensive backs available in this offseason's transfer portal, and he was the first defensive player to commit to Lane Kiffin's Tigers. The 6'2" California native has had a standout career in three seasons with the Broncos, tallying 235 tackles (162 solo), 18 tackles for loss, five interceptions, 12 pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble in 41 career games. He notably led Boise State in tackles (nine) in its College Football Playoff Game against Penn State in 2025.

Kiffin said Benefield has an "ultra-elite skill set and mindset," so expectations are reasonably high for his first season in the SEC. Benefield is set to play for one of the country's best defensive coordinators in Blake Baker, and a strong season could propel him into an early-round NFL Draft grade in 2027.

Austin Romaine, LB, Texas Tech

Former Kansas State linebacker Austin Romaine enters his senior season with Texas Tech after transferring to Lubbock this offseason, and although he's an established Big 12 linebacker, he has big shoes to fill. Last season, the Red Raiders' linebacker Jacob Rodriguez stuffed the stat sheet with 128 total tackles, six pass deflections, seven forced fumbles, four interceptions, and a sack.

He won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, and Chuck Bednarik Award, and finished fifth in the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting. Romaine is a two-time second-team All-Big 12 linebacker and has tallied 184 tackles, four pass deflections, one interception, and 3.5 sacks in his career. He'll be playing with the most surrounding talent of his career, setting him up for a productive season in the middle of the fierce Tech defense in 2026.

Taylor Wein, DL, Oklahoma

As part of one of the best and most talented defenses in 2025, Oklahoma defensive lineman Taylor Wein posted a strong sophomore season. The Tennessee native tallied 39 tackles (22 solo), seven sacks, 15 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one pass deflection, and one interception.

He was named a second-team All-SEC performer, but with R Mason Thomas off to the NFL, he could be in line to take another step forward in Brent Venables' defense. Wein led the team in sacks, tackles for loss, and pressures, and another year of seasoning could propel him into being one of the nation's premier players on the defensive line. Expect Oklahoma's stop unit to remain one of the best in the conference despite some of its losses via the 2026 NFL Draft.

Rasheem Biles, LB, Texas

Former Pitt linebacker Rasheem Biles transferred to Texas this offseason, and while he wasn't the biggest name to join the Longhorns in the portal, he could sneakily be the most important addition in 2026. The rising senior was a machine last season for the Panthers, tallying 101 tackles (62 solo), 17 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks.

He was also credited with two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, four pass deflections, two interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns. The Longhorns lost Anthony Hill Jr. to the 2026 NFL Draft, but there might not be much of a drop-off with Biles playing in the middle of Will Muschamp's defense next season.

Jordan Rogers, DB, Texas Tech

Transfer safety Jordan Rogers, who was named a D2 All-American in 2025 at Pitt State, has opted to transfer to Texas Tech.

Rogers spent five seasons at Pitt State and tallied 162 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 15 interceptions, 5.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles over the course of his career. He had five interceptions and four forced fumbles in a career year in 2025, and joins a Texas Tech defense that was among the nation's best last season

Dylan Steward, Edge, South Carolina

Many were surprised when South Carolina edge rusher Dylan Stewart decided to stay with the program after a 4-8 campaign, but the 2024 freshman All-American and 2025 All-SEC performer is back for at least one more season. Stewart is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in the country after collecting 56 tackles (36 solo), 22.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, three pass deflections, six forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries through his first 24 career games.

The standout turns 21 years old during his true junior season and could play his way into being a top-five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft if he lives up to his potential. With games against Alabama, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Clemson on the schedule, Stewart will have no shortage of attention on him heading into a big year for the Washington, D.C., native.

Hayden Lowe, Edge, Miami

Miami defensive end Hayden Lowe was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2025, and according to ESPN's Andrea Adelson, he was making an early impact in practice ahead of his freshman season before suffering an injury that cost him the entire 2025 season. Now, with Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor off campus and on to the NFL, Lowe figures to be part of the group tasked with helping replace their production.

Bain and Mesidor combined for 117 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 22 sacks, and five forced fumbles last season, so there is plenty of production up for grabs in 2026. Lowe has the opportunity to be a full-time player for the Canes, and head coach Mario Cristobal said his expectations for the California native are "through the roof."

Will Muschamp, DC, Texas

Despite having a strong defense for most of the last few seasons, Texas replaced defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski with Will Muschamp this offseason. Muschamp is known for being a fiery coach on the field, and that has already been the case during his second stint in Austin. "This is a violent sport, a physical sport, and you can't coach people with gloves on, if that makes sense," defensive tackle Hero Kanu said. "I really love that about Coach Muschamp. He's professional about it.

He doesn't cross a line or anything like that, but he's intense and coaches you that way every single day." Muschamp knows he's viewed as an intense coach who pushes his players, and he's not trying to change that. "I think players want to be coached hard," Muschamp said. "The good ones do. If they don't, then they probably don't need to come to Texas. That would be my advice for them."

The 54-year-old spent the last five years on Georgia's defensive staff following stints as South Carolina's head coach, Auburn's defensive coordinator, Florida's head coach, and Texas' defensive coordinator. He is viewed as one of the top defensive minds in college football, and the program is hoping his SEC experience yields great results in 2026.

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