2020 Preseason All-American Projections: Defensive Ends

By Charlie Campbell
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Heading into the 2020 college football season WalterFootball.com will debut our projections for the nation’s leaders during the fall. The All-American teams always have some surprises and the stars of next fall could be the headlining players next April in the 2021 NFL Draft.

First-Team Defensive Ends:

Gregory Rousseau, Miami

Despite being a redshirt freshman, Rousseau was one of college football’s best edge defenders in 2019. He collected 15.5 sacks with two forced fumbles, 19.5 tackles for a loss and 54 tackles on the year. Rousseau was second to Ohio State’s Chase Young in sacks last season.

With dangerous edge rusher Quincy Roche transferring from Temple to Miami, it will be hard for defenses to exclusively focus on Rousseau in 2020. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound Rousseau also can line up on the inside in the sub package, so the Hurricanes will move him around to put him in position to notch a lot of sacks and harass the quarterback. If Rousseau stays somewhat close to his 2019 production, he should be a slam dunk First-Team All-American.



Carlos Basham, Wake Forest

It took some time for Carlos “Boogie” Basham to break out for Wake Forest. He redshirted in 2016 and was a backup in 2017. As a sophomore, Basham (6-5, 275) worked his way onto the field and showed some solid run defense skills, notching 64 tackles to go with 4.5 sacks. Basham put together a big 2019, showing serious improvement as a pass rusher and totaling 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, three passes batted and 57 tackles. In the pass rush, he was a steady presence who came through with some clutch rushes for Wake Forest last season. While Basham has a big and strong frame, he is faster than one would think from the eyeball test. If he stays consistent with his 2019 season, Basham will be one of the best defensive linemen in college football this fall.



Second-Team Defensive Ends:

Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon

Thibodeaux (6-5, 242) had a superb freshman season for the Ducks in 2019, doing an excellent job of getting after the quarterback and notching nine sacks. He also had 35 tackles and a forced fumble on the year. Thibodeaux’s game would be helped by gaining more strength, as he will need more weight to hold up as a run defender and to shed blocks from NFL offensive linemen. He has plenty of time to add weight and get stronger as a sophomore. If he stays consistent or builds off of his freshman year, Thibodeaux should receive First- or Second-Team All-American status.



Kwity Paye, Michigan

Paye (6-4, 277) had an impressive junior year as a well-balanced defender at the point of attack. With his developed strength, Paye can set the edge and hold his ground in run defense, as he made 50 tackles with 15 tackles for a loss in 2019. He also showed pass-rush ability with 6.5 sacks and the upside to be better as a senior. It was only his first season as a starter, so Paye could be improved in 2020. Paye has the upside to be a riser, and he enters his senior year as a top All-American candidate.





Third-Team Defensive Ends:

Patrick Jones II, Pittsburgh

Jones broke out in 2019 with 8.5 sacks, 15 tackles for a loss, four forced fumbles and 43 tackles. The junior was was one of the best edge defenders in the ACC. He was solid in the ground game and productive in the pass rush. It wasn’t his first year of solid tape, as he was productive in a backup rotational role as a sophomore. If Jones can stay consistent or build on his performance, he could easily end up being higher-rated at the end of his senior year.



Elerson Smith, Northern Iowa

It can be hard for small-school players to receive All-American honors, but Smith has that potential. Smith had good sack production in 2018 – 7 sacks -, but then he exploded as a junior with the third-most sacks in the FCS – 14. He also added 63 tackles and five forced fumbles. If Smith duplicates his 2019 production, he should have plenty of postseason accolades come his direction.

Honorable Mentions: Kentucky’s Josh Paschal, Clemson’s Xavier Thomas, Florida State’s Joshua Kaindoh, Ohio State’s Tyreke Smith, Stanford’s Thomas Booker, and Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson.









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