Sports Illustrated’s Joan Niesen shared her top 10 defensive players in college football for 2017-18. Making the cut at No. 6 is sophomore DE Rashan Gary:
As a freshman, Gary logged 27 tackles—five for loss—along with half a sack last fall. And according to the Detroit Free Press, he looked to have taken a massive step forward in the Wolverines’ spring game. Gary told the newspaper afterward that his knowledge of the playbook is complete, allowing him to take his game to the next level. He was the No. 1 recruit in the country in 2016, but he played most of last year as a backup on Michigan’s line full of future NFL players, so 2017 will be his first campaign truly in the spotlight.
See the complete list of players here.