Update: IDP Devy Players Opting Out

Dwight Peebles Posted On September 7, 2020

The college football landscape is evolving daily and many teams are going to be unrecognizable when they take the field this fall. Superstars have opted out, two of the top conferences aren’t playing at all, and the postseason could look drastically different than past years – if we have a postseason at all!

READ: Offensive Players

Some big names have potential superstars waiting in the wings behind them but some will leave their teams with big questions. Below I will outline some of the players entering the 2021 Draft who could have a fantasy impact on defense. Also, we will look at some of the players who could step in and make a name for themselves in 2020.

DEFENSE

Tyler Shelvin, DL LSU

Shelvin’s opting out hits the Tigers on the defensive side of the ball but the line is loaded with talent. He has a chance to sneak into the latter half of the first round in the draft but is likely an early day two pick. If a team needs a massive body to jam up the middle, Shelvin could be their man. He generates massive push inside and will be a run-stuffing defensive tackle, but one who doesn’t likely factor much into IDP leagues.

Glen Ryan is the veteran force in the middle but sophomore Siaki Ika may be the next interior monster for LSU. He’s a four-star force, weighing in at nearly 400 pounds with good movement and power. Freshman Jacobian Guillory also lies in wait, ready to anchor the middle of the LSU 4-3 defense.

Jaylen Twyman, DL Pitt

Twyman is a player I recently watched a lot of and he has the potential to be something special. His upside and traits could get him drafted early in the first round but he is likely a later round one pick. His production is similar to Aaron Donald’s when at Pitt and some of their playing style is similar.

Twyman creates pressure and stops the run by engaging and peeling off of linemen rather than overpowering. He has active hands and an array of moves which make him hard to stop. The typical defensive tackle has huge size and over 300 pounds, he is a shade under at 290. What he lacks in size he makes up for with football smarts, speed, and finesse. Twyman has loads of potential and should be playing on Sundays in 2021.

Greg Rousseau, DE Miami

Rousseau’s redshirt freshman season in 2019 was one of the most dominant defensive seasons by a lineman in recent history. He raked in 54 tackles and 15.5 sacks, almost single-handedly leading the Hurricane defense. There aren’t many holes in his game and he should be an early first-round pick in 2021. He can play standing up or hand in the dirt. He has the power to push linemen back and the moves to break free if engaged. Rousseau can set the edge and has the speed to bend the corner and blaze past linemen as well. The biggest knock is he at times plays too upright and can be taken out of plays.

Miami fills the space left by Rousseau with another super talented end, grad transfer Quincy Roche. In 2019, he had 13 sacks at Temple and gets a shot to show what he can do on a bigger stage. Roche has a lot of the similar upsides in his game as I listed for Rousseau but not consistently. He has a chance to put it all together and elevate his game in 2020.

Micah Parsons, LB Penn State

If there was ever a linebacker deserving of a top ten draft pick, it’s Parsons. There are many things to love about his games and he does many things exceptionally well. His football intelligence is off the charts and his instincts excel at seeing plays developing. The sideline to sideline range is there and his play pursuit is crazy. He covers so much ground quickly. He can get after the passer and tackles everything which comes his way. As much as I loved watching Isaiah Simmons last season, I love watching Parsons even more.

Without a Big Ten season, we won’t get to watch the next man up at Penn State step in. Sophomore Brandon Smith is a five-star linebacker from the Class of 2018 and will get his chance to continue the lineage of Nittany Lion linebackers in 2021. Watch for him to be drafted early in 2022.

Caleb Farley, CB Virginia Tech

A potential first-round pick, Fairley was one of the first players to opt out and toss his name into the 2021 Draft. He is an impressive corner prospect who is well-rounded. Physical and fluid with speed and quickness, athletically he is all an NFL team could want in a corner prospect.

The raw ability will get him drafted but another year on film could have vaulted him into early first-round consideration. Teams may have seen enough and he could still get there. Fairley will train and get ready, with a good combine showing he could be the first corner drafted in April.