2012 Defensive Rankings; as of January 19th, 2012

Updated Rankings: Post Underclassmen Deadline, Defensive Rankings

3-4 Defensive Ends:

1. Jared Crick, Nebraska
2. Billy Winn, Boise State
3. Kheeston Randall, Texas
4. Kendall Reyes, Uconn
5. Kaleb Ramsey, Boston college

4-3 Defensive Ends:

1. Quinton Coples, North Carolina
2. Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
3. Cam Johnson, Virginia
4. Jake Bequette, Arkansas
5. Trevor Guyton, California
6. *Chandler Jones, Syracuse

3-4 Nose Tackles:

1. *Dontari Poe, Memphis
2. Brandon Thompson, Clemson
3. Alameda Ta'amu, Washington
4. Josh Chapman, Alabama

4-3 Defensive Tackles:

1. Devon Still, Penn State
2. *Jerel Worthy, Michigan State
3. *Michael Brockers, LSU
4. * Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State
5. *Marcus Forston, Miami(Fla.)

3-4 Outisde Linebackers:

1. Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
2. *Nick Perry, USC
3. Vinny Curry, Marshall
4. *Whitney Mercilus, Illinois
5. Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
6. Andre Branch, Clemson
7. Donte Paige-Moss, North Carolina

4-3 Outside Linebackers:

1. Zach Brown, North Carolina
2. *Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma
3. Travis Lewis, Olahoma
4. Lavonte David, Nebraska
5. Sean Spence, Miami(Fla.)

Inside Linebackers:

1. *Luke Kuechly, Boston College
2. *Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State
3. *Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
4. Bobby Wagner, Utah State
5. Jerry Franklin, Arkansas
6. Audie Cole, N.C. State

Cornerbacks:

1. *Morris Claiborne, LSU
2. *Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
3. *Stephen Gilmore, South Carolina
4. Janoris Jenkins, Northern Alabama
5. Chase Minnifield, Virginia
6. Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
7. *Josh Robinson, UCF
8. *Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech
9. Keith Tandy, West Virginia
10. Brandon Boykin, Georgia
11. Jamel Fleming, Oklahoma
12. Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt
13. Shaun Prater, Iowa
14. Trumaine Johnson, Montana
15. Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
16. Cliff Harris, Oregon
17. Omar Bolden, Arizona State
18. Donnie Fletcher, Boston College

Safeties:

1. Mark Barron, Alabama
2. Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State
3. Aaron Henry, Wisconsin
4. Eddie Whitley, Virginia Tech
5. George Ikola, Boise State
6. Harrison Smith, Notre Dame