The college football season will get underway this week with a handful of key games with major implications on the national stage. While football fans will be excited to see the season finally get underway, nobody will be paying closer attention to the college action than NFL scouts doing their homework ahead of next year’s NFL Draft. This year’s safety class appears to be absolutely loaded at the top with at least two players that could very well be top-10 picks. Here is a look at the top safety prospects in college football right now.
Jamal Adams
LSU Tigers
Adams was a true difference maker in the LSU defense a year ago when he recorded 67 tackles, six pass breakups and four interceptions. His ability to excel against both the run and pass makes him the complete package at the position and he has drawn comparisons to former LSU safety Eric Reid as one of the top prospects at his position. The 6’0’’, 211-pound Adams plays with incredible speed and confidence and he will have every opportunity to prove himself as the top safety in this year’s college football class as the leader of the Tigers’ defense this season.
We saw the Tigers defense play very well in the opening game of the season at Wisconsin, but of course, the offense wasn’t there for support. Brandon Harris and the passing game failed to deliver, which meant the defense – and running back Leonard Fournette – were hung out to dry. On the bright side, that’ll mean that players like Adams will get to shine even more this year even if the Tigers aren’t able to deliver the wins that the fans and school is hoping for.
Marcus Maye
Florida Gators
Maye enters his third season as a starter with the opportunity to prove he deserves to be a first round pick in the NFL as one of the top prospects at his position. Maye set career-highs last season with 82 tackles, six pass breakups and two interceptions and he will look to build on those numbers at Florida this season. The 5’11’’, 209-pound Maye has steadily improved his play in coverage but needs to improve against the run in order to boost his draft stock. Maye’s field awareness and football knowledge will lead to him taking on more responsibility as a leader this season. The Gators started their 2016 campaign with a win even if they had a cupcake matchup to start. We’ll see if they can keep it up against the stronger college football teams in the SEC.
Justin Evans
Texas A&M Aggies
The junior college transfer finished third on the Aggies with 78 tackles last season and could have even better numbers with a full year of experience in the A&M defense this season. Evans has the coverage skills to play center field and he isn’t afraid to step up and make plays against the run near the line of scrimmage either. Evans should continue to progress as the captain of the Aggies’ secondary and will be among the keys to A&M bouncing back in the SEC this season. They’ve already had a solid start to the season as the Aggies took care of business at home against the No. 16 UCLA Bruins. Not many people were expecting the Aggies to be able to win games like that this college football season but considering they got off to such a positive start, they might in fact be turning things around.
Eddie Jackson
Alabama Crimson Tide
The defending national champion Crimson Tide are very fortunate that Jackson decided to forego his opportunity to enter the NFL Draft in order to return to Alabama for one more season. The fourth-year senior appeared in 18 games at cornerback before making the switch to free safety where he can more effectively use his quality instincts and ball-hawking ability to make plays. Jackson will need to improve his tackling in the open field and prove that he can stay healthy after he tore his ACL in the spring of 2014 but his versatility and outstanding skills against the pass make him an intriguing safety prospect worth keeping a close eye on at Alabama this college football season.
