FCS Football: 15 Defensive Players To Watch In Week 0

The 2025 season is finally here! Week 0 will feature five FCS games in what should be a very entertaining opening weekend of college football.

Even though your favorite team may not be playing, it's a perfect opportunity to watch some games across the FCS landscape that feature some of the best players in the subdivision. To prepare you for the Week 0 slate, I created a list of 15 defensive players that you should have your eye on this weekend.

We wanted to select at least one player from every FCS team playing this weekend, which led us to also include an extensive honorable mention list below. Here are 15 defensive players to watch this weekend across the FCS.

Honorable Mentions: Rasheed Lovelace (Nicholls, DT), Porter Connors (UC Davis, LB), Nathan Reynolds (Idaho State, LB), Max U'Ren (NCCU, LB), Caden Camese (Mercer, DT), A.J. Tisdell (UIW, CB), Blake Smith (Tarleton State, DB), Tyler Morton (UIW, DB), Ty Rawls (Tarleton State, LB), Myles Weston (Mercer, DB), John Mathis (UIW, DL), Jacob Psyk (UC Davis, DL), Nate Rutchena (UC Davis, LB)

No. 15 - Isaiah Green (Portland State, S)

Green had an excellent freshman season for Portland State, where he took over the starting safety role early in the year. He played in all 11 games, posting 50 tackles, one interception, and four pass breakups. He may be due for a breakout season as he takes on an even bigger role in 2025. He'll have plenty of chances to make a statement against Tarleton State's wide-open passing attack on Saturday.

No. 14 - Mason Young (Idaho State, S)

Young is an experienced player whom the Bengals will heavily rely on next season. He's played in 22 career games over the past two years, finishing with 77 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and three pass breakups. He had a breakout season in 2023 with 75 tackles, one interception, and two pass breakups. Young is a rangy player who you'll see making plays all over the field against UNLV.

No. 13 - Ty Richardson (UC Davis, DB)

UC Davis reloaded the defense with a ton of talented transfer portal additions. There are multiple players who could be placed on this list, but I went with cornerback Ty Richardson. He was a Division III All-American at Tufts University, where he finished with 32 tackles, 12 pass breakups, and six interceptions. Richardson has been discussed by the coaches as a player with excellent leadership qualities and could become an impact player immediately.

No. 12 - Josh Griffis (Tarleton State, EDGE)

Griffis has been quite the journeyman since he started his college football career in 2020. His most productive stop was at Tarleton State in 2023, where he earned All-UAC honors with 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. He transferred to Oregon State, but did not see the field for the Beavers. Griffis returns to Tarleton State for his final season and could be a huge piece for a defensive line that needs someone to emerge as a true pass rusher off the edge. If Griffis can replicate his success in 2023, the trajectory changes for this defense.

No. 11 - Vincent Paige Jr. (Southern, LB)

While most of the attention goes to one of his teammates who is higher on this list, Paige had an excellent season for the Jaguars. He led the team with 84 tackles, while also making plays behind the line of scrimmage with 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. I would expect Paige to play a big role on Saturday night against a physical North Carolina Central rushing attack.

No. 10 - Kasyus Kurns (Tarleton State, CB)

Kurns is now a three-year starter for the Texans, where he's played in over 25 games after starting his career at Fullerton College. He was an All-UAC selection after finishing the year with 64 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, and 11 pass breakups. He has a nose for the ball and made plays happen, including three forced fumbles.

No. 9 - Dune Smith (Incarnate Word, LB)

Smith was an important part of a historically good Southern Illinois defense in 2023. It took some time for him to adjust at Incarnate Word, but he really took off after he found his rhythm. Smith finished as the team's second-leading tackler with 80 tackles. He also made a massive impact by generating negative plays with 11.5 tackles for loss and six sacks.

No. 8 - Declan Williams (Incarnate Word, EDGE)

After transferring from Rhode Island, Williams wasted no time making a big impact at Incarnate Word. He was a first-team All-SLC selection and thrived as an edge threat for the Cardinals, racking up 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 62 tackles. He's going to play a key role in UIW living up to the preseason hype, as the front seven will need to take a step forward against the top teams in the FCS.

No. 7 - Malcolm Reed (North Carolina Central, S)

Reed is an excellent all-around player who helped lead one of the best defenses in HBCU football last year. He was a first-team All-MEAC selection that had 60 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and 11 pass breakups. He enters the year as a preseason FCS All-American and will be a menace for opposing quarterbacks.

No. 6 - Alex Villavaso (Nicholls, EDGE)

Villavaso is one-half of a very talented EDGE duo at Nicholls. The Colonels may have had a down year in 2024, but they still had one of the best defenses in the country. Villavaso and this defensive line unit were a big reason for that. He ranked second on the team with 7.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, while adding 47 tackles.

No. 5 - Brandon Tolvert (Taleton State, DL)

Tolvert was one of the best interior defensive linemen in the country last season. He enters the year as a preseason FCS All-American selection and will anchor one of the most experienced defenses in the FCS. Tolvert finished with 63 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and four sacks in 2024, all impressive totals for a defensive tackle. He earned first-team All-UAC honors and could have a big day against a Portland State offensive line that's replacing multiple starters.

No. 4 - Jake Dalmado (Nicholls, LB)

After starting his career as a running back, Dalmado made the switch to linebacker last season and immediately made an impact. He earned first-team All-Southland honors after posting 12.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks. He's one of the top picks for a potential dark horse for the Buck Buchanan Award this season. Dalmado has a chance to make a chance a statement against UIW, where he will need to make new starting quarterback Richard Torres uncomfortable in only his second career start.

No. 3 - Andrew Zock (Mercer, EDGE)

Zock started his career as a Freshman All-American after he started 14 games for one of the best defenses in the country. He stacked up 14.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in one of the best freshman seasons we've seen from an EDGE in recent memory. Zock now faces the challenge of finding ways to produce despite becoming the focal point of every team's game plan. He has the talent to become one of the best players in the country.

No. 2 - Rex Connors (UC Davis, S)

There's no introduction needed for Rex Connors, who could easily be No. 1 on this list. It feels like he's been a top safety at the FCS level for ages now and is a player who has surely turned down multiple FBS opportunities to stay with the Aggies. His list of accolades is long, but includes FCS All-American, first-team All-Big Sky, and the single-season record holder for solo tackles (74) at UC Davis. He'll be all over the field for the Aggies, showing his ability to cover downfield and come down into the box to create negative plays. He has a lot of freedom in the defense and is sure to make a few highlight plays this weekend.

No. 1 - Ckelby Givens (Southern, EDGE)

Givens is an All-American and one of the preseason favorites to win the Buck Buchanan Award. He's had insane production over his first three seasons, racking up 56 tackles for loss and 22.5 sacks. He was named the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the FCS with 27.5 tackles for loss and posting 12 sacks last year. Givens has been incredibly consistent and continues to improve year after year. He's one of the few defensive players capable of changing the game by himself.

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