Ranking College Football’s Best Returning Safeties for 2026 Season

The 2026 returning safety class is headlined by players who collected the position's biggest individual honors a season ago.

Bray Hubbard earned Second-Team All-America recognition from the AFCA and First-Team All-SEC honors after tying for the SEC lead with four interceptions at Alabama. KJ Bolden was a Second-Team All-American at Georgia. Bryce Fitzgerald led all FBS freshmen with six interceptions at Miami.

This past transfer portal window gave players new opportunities, with players like Corey Myrick at Clemson, Koi Perich at Oregon and Ty Benefield at LSU moving to bigger programs. Several of these defenders are already on early first-round projections for the 2027 NFL Draft.

More returning college football position rankings:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | EDGE | DT | LB | CB | S

Honorable Mentions

Tamarcus Cooley, LSU Tigers

Redshirt Junior in 2026; 6'0", 206 lbs.
2025: 70 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 2 INT, 2 PBUs

Cooley started all 13 games at deep safety in his first season at LSU after transferring in from NC State, finishing with 70 tackles, two interceptions and a team-high 777 defensive snaps.

LSU Tigers safety Tamarcus Cooley (0) reacts to a play call on him against the Florida Gators. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

His 10-tackle performance against Houston in the Texas Bowl set a career high, and his picks came in back-to-back weeks against South Carolina and a multi-tackle outing at Ole Miss, where he added 1.5 tackles for loss. He helped anchor a Tigers defense that led the SEC with 17 interceptions in 2025.

Draft-eligible after the season as a redshirt sophomore, Cooley opted to return rather than enter the 2026 class, giving new head coach Lane Kiffin a proven starter to build the back end around. He worked with the first-team defense throughout spring camp alongside Ty Benefield, Dashawn Spears, DJ Pickett and PJ Woodland. Now a three-year college player with stops at Maryland, NC State and LSU, Cooley has 113 career tackles, four interceptions and 13 pass deflections across 30 games.

Jackson Bennee, Utah Utes

Junior in 2026; 6'2", 190 lbs.
2025: 64 tackles, 4 TFL, 0.5 sack, 4 INT, 5 PBUs, 1 TD

Bennee broke out as a sophomore in 2025, earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recognition and a Burlsworth Trophy nomination after leading the Utah secondary with 64 tackles, tying for fourth in the Big 12 with four interceptions and ranking second in the league with 103 interception return yards. His 46-yard pick-six against Cal Poly extended the Utes' NCAA-record streak of consecutive seasons with a pick-six to 22.

Utah Utes safety Jackson Bennee (23) on offense misses catching a pass against the UCLA Bruins defense. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

A former walk-on out of Olympus High in Salt Lake City, Bennee added a dimension on offense that few defensive backs in the country can match. He logged three games with offensive snaps and finished with five touches for 33 scrimmage yards. He was one of just 15 FBS players in 2025 to record multiple blocked kicks, swatting down a field goal against Arizona State and a punt against Colorado.

He returns as a centerpiece of first-year defensive coordinator Colton Swan's unit alongside quarterback Devon Dampier on a Utah roster that brought back 55 percent of its 2025 production after losing several stars to the NFL. Sporting News has compared his two-way profile to Travis Hunter, a sign of just how unusual his role has become for a Power Four safety.

Terry Moore, Ohio State Buckeyes

Senior in 2026; 6'0", 200 lbs.
2024 at Duke: 71 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 1.0 sack, 4 INT, 6 PBUs

Moore was graded by Pro Football Focus as the second-best safety in all of college football in 2024, posting a 90.1 defense grade that ranked second among safeties nationally and a 89.2 coverage grade that ranked tenth. He held opposing quarterbacks to a 46.1 passer rating when targeting him, intercepted four passes and forced two fumbles while starting all 13 games at Duke. A torn ACL cost him the entire 2025 season.

Ohio State Buckeyes safety Terry Moore (11) lines up during the first day of spring workouts. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He transferred to Ohio State for his final year and rounded into form by the end of spring camp, working his way from the second-team defense into the starting free safety role for the spring game.

Head coach Ryan Day's secondary loses Jim Thorpe Award winner Caleb Downs to the NFL, but Moore joins returning starter Jaylen McClain and Florida State transfer Earl Little Jr. on a unit safeties coach Matt Guerrieri has positioned as a three-man rotation rather than a one-for-one replacement. When healthy, Moore's 2024 tape suggests he can be one of the best safeties in the Big Ten.

Peyton Bowen, Oklahoma Sooners

Senior in 2026; 6'0", 203 lbs.
2025: 47 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INT, 7 PBUs

Bowen started all 13 games at Oklahoma in 2025, earned Second-Team All-SEC honors from the coaches in the Sooners' first season in the conference, and tied for the team lead with seven pass breakups while adding two interceptions and a blocked field goal.

Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Peyton Bowen (22) against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the CFP National Playoff First Round. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He was named Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week after a four-tackle, blocked-field-goal performance against Missouri, and he posted a season-high seven tackles with a pass breakup that ended an LSU drive late in November.

A former five-star recruit ranked among the top 17 prospects in the 2023 class by every major service, Bowen enters his final season with 117 career tackles and 20 starts across three years in Norman. He is now the senior leader of a Sooners secondary that lost Robert Spears-Jennings and Kendal Daniels from a defense that ranked among the best in the country in 2025, and head coach Brent Venables will lean on him to anchor the back end.

Top 10 returning college football safeties for 2026

10. Ty Benefield, LSU Tigers

Senior in 2026; 6'3", 208 lbs.
2025: 107 tackles, 8.5 TFL, 2 INT, 3 PBUs (at Boise State)

Benefield earned First-Team All-Mountain West honors for the second consecutive season at Boise State in 2025, led the Broncos with 107 tackles and added 8.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery in the Mountain West title game win over UNLV. He was named MWC Championship Game MVP a year earlier in 2024 and finished his three years in the program with 235 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, five interceptions and 28 consecutive starts.

Former Boise State Broncos safety Ty Benefield (0) against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the Fiesta Bowl. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He transferred to LSU this offseason and stepped immediately into the open safety job alongside Tamarcus Cooley. Lane Kiffin singled him out after the first spring practice, grouping him with Trey'Dez Green and Jordan Seaton as one of three Tigers with what he called an "ultra-elite" skill set and mindset.

Benefield played 355 snaps in man coverage at Boise State in 2025, a profile defensive coordinator Blake Baker views as a clean fit for an LSU scheme that asks safeties to cover man-to-man while the front blitzes. At 6'3" and 208 pounds, he gives the Tigers length on the back end and the football pedigree to handle the move from the Mountain West to the SEC.

9. Adon Shuler, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Junior in 2026; 6'0", 202 lbs.
2025: 53 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 2 INT, 2 FF, 5 PBUs

Shuler served as a team captain in 2025 and finished second on the Notre Dame defense in tackles with 53, adding two interceptions, two forced fumbles, three tackles for loss and his first career sack. His 11-tackle performance against USC was a career high, and his interception against Boston College set up a Notre Dame touchdown on the next possession.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Adon Shuler (8) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Across two seasons as a starter, he has 118 career tackles, five interceptions, three forced fumbles and 10 pass breakups while starting 27 of 33 games. He came to South Bend as a consensus four-star recruit out of Irvington High in New Jersey and started all 16 games as a true freshman in 2024, posting three interceptions and 94 return yards.

He projects to wear the captain's C again in 2026 as part of a Notre Dame secondary that could be among the best in the country. With Leonard Moore returning, who ranks No. 1 on my returning cornerbacks list, opposite a rebuilt back end, the Irish are positioned to lean on a veteran group, with Shuler as the communicator and physical presence in the middle of the field.

8. Koi Perich, Oregon Ducks

Junior in 2026; 6'1", 200 lbs.
2025: 82 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT, 3 PBUs (at Minnesota)

Perich earned All-Big Ten Second Team defensive back honors from the media in 2025 along with Sporting News Second Team All-American recognition, finishing with 82 tackles, three tackles for loss, an interception and a forced fumble while seeing action on offense and special teams as well. He added 19 kickoff returns for 499 yards, 18 punt returns and seven catches for 89 yards, the kind of complete production that made him one of the more well-rounded defensive backs in the conference.

Former Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) against the New Mexico Lobos during the Rate Bowl. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He transferred to Oregon this offseason after the Ducks lost Dillon Thieneman to the 2026 NFL Draft, and head coach Dan Lanning has already drawn the comparison between the two: both ultra-competitive safeties with elite ball skills who chose Eugene to develop into NFL prospects. Across two seasons in Minneapolis, Perich has 128 career tackles and six interceptions, including a pick-six and a 27-yard return as a sophomore.

Now expected to start alongside returner Aaron Flowers, he projects as both a defensive anchor and Oregon's primary punt and kick returner, given his 605 combined return yards in 2024. He was a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year semifinalist in 2024, and an FWAA Freshman All-American, and his profile suggests another All-Big Ten season is well within reach in his first year in green and yellow.

7. Bryce Fitzgerald, Miami Hurricanes

Sophomore in 2026; 6'1", 185 lbs.
2025: 16 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack, 6 INT, 2 PBUs

Fitzgerald earned FWAA Freshman All-America honors after intercepting six passes as a true freshman in 2025, the most by any FBS freshman and tied for second in the country at any class level. He was one of only six FBS players to record more than five picks last season, and his two-interception performance against Texas A&M in the College Football Playoff included a goal-line pick with 27 seconds left to seal a 10-3 win.

Miami Hurricanes defensive back Bryce Fitzgerald (13) against the Mississippi Rebels during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He moved into a starter's role late in the year after Keionte Scott went down with a foot injury and held the spot the rest of the way. With Scott and Jakobe Thomas now both off to the NFL, Fitzgerald is projected to start at safety alongside redshirt junior Zechariah Poyser, with Boston College transfer Omar Thornton expected to handle nickel duties.

A former consensus four-star prospect ranked among the top 20 safeties nationally out of Christopher Columbus in Miami, he chose the Hurricanes over offers from Auburn, Florida State, LSU and Michigan. Defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman has emphasized his positional versatility, a quality Fitzgerald has embraced as he steps into a larger role in 2026.

6. KJ Bolden, Georgia Bulldogs

Junior in 2026; 6'0", 195 lbs.
2025: 76 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2 INT, 5 PBUs

Bolden earned Second-Team All-SEC honors from the coaches in 2025 and Second-Team All-America recognition from both The Athletic and USA Today, finishing with 76 tackles, two interceptions and five pass breakups while starting all 14 games for Georgia. He posted double-digit tackles twice, including a 10-stop performance against Mississippi State and another in the Sugar Bowl against Ole Miss.

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back KJ Bolden (4) gestures after a game against the Texas Longhorns at Sanford Stadium. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Now entering his junior year, he has 135 career tackles and three interceptions across 28 games with the Bulldogs. A consensus five-star recruit out of Buford High School and a 2024 FWAA Freshman All-American, Bolden has taken on the role of orchestrating the Georgia secondary in the wake of Malaki Starks' departure to the NFL.

With JaCorey Thomas, Joenel Aguero and starting cornerback Daylen Everette all gone, head coach Kirby Smart is leaning on Bolden as the communicator and leader of a rebuilt back end. He is widely projected as a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

5. Keon Sabb, Alabama Crimson Tide

Redshirt Senior in 2026; 6'1", 208 lbs.
2025: 54 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 sack, 1 INT, 3 PBUs

Sabb started all 15 games for Alabama in 2025 and paired with Bray Hubbard to give the Crimson Tide one of the more stable safety duos in the SEC. He logged 54 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception with a 12-yard return and was named to the Comeback Player of the Year Watch List after returning from a season-ending foot injury that ended his 2024 campaign seven games in.

Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Keon Sabb (3) celebrates after a safety was called on an intentional grounding penalty against the Georgia Bulldogs. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Imagn Images

He withdrew from the 2026 NFL Draft and returned for a fifth college season alongside Hubbard, the two of them forming the lone constant in a Crimson Tide secondary that has otherwise turned over significantly. Cornerback Zabien Brown is back, but Domani Jackson and DaShawn Jones are out, and the front seven has been rebuilt.

A 2023 national champion at Michigan before transferring, Sabb returns with a clearly stated goal: a second ring. He has 117 career tackles, three interceptions and 12 pass breakups across stops in Ann Arbor and Tuscaloosa and projects to anchor the deep middle of a defense that head coach Kalen DeBoer is rebuilding around veteran leadership.

4. Corey Myrick, Clemson Tigers

Junior in 2026; 6'3", 200 lbs.
2025: 91 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2 INT, 6 PBUs, 1 FF (at Southern Miss)

Myrick posted the highest coverage grade among all transfer safeties in college football last season per Pro Football Focus, finishing with a mark of 86.2 while allowing only one touchdown across 384 coverage snaps and holding opposing quarterbacks to a 53.7 passer rating when targeted. He started 11 of 13 games for Southern Miss in 2025 and ranked third on the team with 91 tackles, adding 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

Former Southern Miss Golden Eagles safety Corey Myrick (22) is wrapping up a tackle. | Matt Bush/Special to the Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He transferred to Clemson in early January as part of a defensive haul that also included Old Dominion safety Jerome Carter III and Auburn cornerback Donovan Starr. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen and new safeties coach Nolan Turner identified the duo of Myrick and Carter as the centerpiece of an overhauled secondary, and both have worked exclusively with the first team throughout spring camp.

A long, rangy safety at 6'3" and 200 pounds, Myrick has cited Houston Texans Pro Bowler Calen Bullock as his stylistic model and brings two years of eligibility to a Tigers defense looking to bounce back from a season that finished 120th nationally against the pass.

3. Amare Ferrell, Indiana Hoosiers

Senior in 2026; 6'2", 205 lbs.
2025: 48 tackles, 2 TFL, 4 INT, 10 PBUs

Ferrell started 15 of 16 games on Indiana's national championship defense in 2025, earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors from the media and Honorable Mention from the coaches, and tied for fourth in the conference with four interceptions while adding 10 pass breakups. He posted a multi-pick performance against Michigan State and helped anchor a back end that delivered the program's first title.

Indiana Hoosiers defensive back Amare Ferrell (1) during the 2026 Rose Bowl. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A former Tom Allen recruit who has now been part of Indiana's rise from the bottom of the Big Ten to the top of college football, Ferrell enters his final season with 107 career tackles and eight interceptions across three years in Bloomington. With Jamari Sharpe being the only other returning starter from the 2025 secondary, head coach Curt Cignetti will lean heavily on his experience.

He has embraced the role of vocal leader this spring under Cignetti's "last season was last season" mantra, focused on improving his communication and consistency from the back end. The Hoosiers open the season as one of the favorites to repeat in the Big Ten, with Ferrell positioned as the senior anchor of the defense.

2. Marcus Ratcliffe, Texas A&M Aggies

Senior in 2026; 6'2", 209 lbs.
2025: 66 tackles, 3 TFL, 3 PBUs

Ratcliffe started 12 of 13 games for Texas A&M in 2025 and finished his second season in College Station with 66 tackles for an Aggies defense that ranked among the top 30 nationally and reached the College Football Playoff. He posted 1.5 tackles for loss in the road win at Notre Dame and earned the trust of head coach Mike Elko as one of the few players capable of handling three-safety looks, slot coverage and box duties in the same game.

Texas A&M Aggies safety Marcus Ratcliffe (3) celebrates during the second half against the UTSA Roadrunners at Kyle Field. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

He announced his return to College Station on the first day the transfer portal opened, a move that prompted On3 to slot him as the No. 1 returning safety in college football and No. 25 overall. The Aggies' players voted him a team captain alongside linebacker Daymion Sanford and fellow safety Dalton Brooks ahead of his senior year.

A former three-star recruit out of Cathedral Catholic in San Diego who started his career at San Diego State, Ratcliffe has 114 career tackles, three interceptions and three forced takeaways across 26 games. He returns as the centerpiece of a Texas A&M defense that, under first-year defensive coordinator Lyle Hemphill, is targeting a drastic improvement in turnovers generated, and Ratcliffe's ball-hawking instincts will be central to that effort.

1. Bray Hubbard, Alabama Crimson Tide

Senior in 2026; 6'2", 217 lbs.
2025: 79 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2 sacks, 4 INT, 10 PBUs, 3 FF

Hubbard earned First-Team All-SEC honors from both the AP and the coaches in 2025, picked up Second-Team All-America recognition from the AFCA, and tied for the SEC lead with four interceptions while adding 79 tackles, 10 pass breakups and three forced fumbles. His season included Panini Senior Bowl Defensive Player of the Week honors against Wisconsin and Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week recognition for his Iron Bowl performance, where he forced a fumble with 40 seconds left to seal the win over Auburn.

Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Bray Hubbard (18) against the Oklahoma Sooners during the CFP National Playoff First Round. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He returned to the Tide alongside Keon Sabb to give Alabama its starting safety duo for another season. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack called the pair's decision one of the program's biggest recruiting wins of the offseason, and cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. has been vocal about the chemistry returning across the back end.

A two-year starter with 137 career tackles and seven interceptions across 36 games, Hubbard enters his senior season as the most decorated returning safety in college football by All-America credentials. Alabama's defensive front turned over significantly, which should make the experience of Hubbard, Sabb and Zabien Brown the foundation for what could be the country's best secondary.

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