Fan Rankings Home » NCAAF » Top 10 Best Safeties in College Football 2024-2025 Rankings | NFL Draft 2025 Safety Rankings

The talent and the level of play at the collegiate level continues to excel from one season to the next. This was the case for the 2024-2025 NCAA Football season that produced one of the most exciting and action-packed seasons to date. Across the season we saw players at every position put together stellar seasons including at the safety position. One top tier star that stood out at the safety position was the Notre Dame Fighting Irish senior safety Xavier Watts who lands atop the Top 10 College Football Safeties 2024-2025 Rankings list.

Watts capped off a stellar season while playing a key role in the Fighting Irish’s success while coming up just short in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The senior safety who is expected to hear his name called early in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft posted a second straight season with at least six interceptions.

Joining Watts among the best safeties over the course of the 2024-2025 College Football season is Caleb Downs of the Ohio State Buckeyes, Malaki Starks of the Georgia Bulldogs, Nick Emmanwori of the South Carolina Gamecocks, and Sebastian Castro of the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Here is a look at the Top 10 Best Safeties in College Football 2024-2025 Rankings:

Honorable Mention

Sebastian Castro

School: Iowa Hawkeyes

NFL Draft Status: NFL Draft

Just missing the Top 10 College Football Safeties 2024-2025 Rankings list is the Iowa Hawkeyes senior safety Sebastian Castro. Castro, who has been an anchor within the Hawkeyes secondary over the past few seasons wrapped his final season posted 57 tackles to go along with one pass defended, two forced fumbles, and one interception.

Castro’s strong football IQ and understanding of the game helped the senior safety develop into one of the better all-around safeties in college and a player that is versatile to play at the next level.

The strong play in his senior season earned Castro a Third-Team All-Big Ten selection while helping to propel his draft value to a late round selection for the 2025 NFL Draft.

Caleb Weaver

School: Sam Houston Bearkats

NFL Draft Status: Transfer Portal

One of the sleepers at the safety position from the 2024-2025 College Football season is the Sam Houston Bearkats safety Caleb Weaver. Weaver who like Zechariah Poyser played for a much smaller program capped off a stellar season earning him an opportunity to transfer for the upcoming 2025-2026 College Football season.

While undersized compared to many of the top safeties, Weaver is a tremendous all-around athlete that showcased his ability to find the football season while also playing exceptional against both the pass and run.

The Bearkats talented defender finished the season with a career high 97 tackles to go along with six passes defended, one forced fumble and four interceptions. As Weaver looks to wrap up his college career with the Duke Blue Devils, the talented safety has the potential to improve his draft status for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Top 10 Safeties in College Football 2024-2025 Rankings

10. Billy Bowman Jr.

School: Oklahoma Sooners

NFL Draft Status: NFL Draft

Sliding in at number 10 on the Top 10 College Football Safeties 2024-2025 Rankings list is the talented Oklahoma Sooners safety Billy Bowman Jr. Bowman Jr who earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors last season capped off a strong career with the Sooners that included three straight seasons with at least 55 tackles.

After an impressive six interceptions last season, opposing teams avoided the direction of Bowman Jr for most of the 2024-2025 season.

In the end the talented Sooners safety who is expected to be a mid-round draft pick during the 2025 NFL Draft posted three passes defended and two interceptions to go along with 55 total tackles. This comes just one season after posting a career high six interceptions with three of those returned for a touchdown.

9. Andrew Mukuba

School: Texas Longhorns

NFL Draft Status: NFL Draft

When any College Football team makes a deep run and a run at the National Championship it is easy to find a long list of talented stars on that roster. One of those stars for the Texas Longhorns was senior safety Andrew Mukuba.

Mukuba is a strong physical safety who has tremendous vision and cover skills while also being a player who can play strong against the run. The four-year star capped off his career with the Longhorns posting a career high five interceptions to go along with six passes defended.

To go along with those numbers Mukuba also posted a career high 69 tackles to go along with one forced fumble. As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches expectations are high for Mukuba who has the potential to hear his name called between the third and fifth rounds.

8. Malachi Moore

School: Alabama Crimson Tide

NFL Draft Status: NFL Draft

Over the years the Alabama Crimson Tide have been known to produce a long list of talented defensive players and one of the latest of those players is Malachi Moore. Moore, who was talented enough to enter last season’s NFL Draft, will be one of the hot names among the safeties during the 2025 NFL Draft.

Malachi Moore wrapped up a strong career with the Crimson Tide post a career high 70 tackles during the 2024-2025 College Football season while recording eight passes defended, one sack, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. The strong season landed Moore with his first First-Team All-SEC selection while also elevating his overall draft stock.

While Moore won’t be the first safety selected, the talented Crimson Tide safety should hear his name called in the mid to later rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.

7. Michael Taaffe

School: Texas Longhorns

NFL Draft Status: Returning to Texas for senior year

Another talented safety returning to college football another College Football season is the Texas Longhorns safety Michael Taaffe. Taaffe was a key part of a Longhorns defense that ranked among the tops in College Football while also making a run at the College Football Playoffs.

The Austin Texas native who will be looking to build his draft resume for the 2026 NFL Draft finished his junior season setting a career high with 78 tackles while finding himself all around the football.

In addition to the tackles, the Longhorns safety forced one fumble, posted two sacks, recovered one fumble, and picked off two passes. To go along with those numbers Taaffe also posted 10 passes defensed while displaying great coverage skills all season.

6. Lathan Ransom

School: Ohio State Buckeyes

NFL Draft Status: NFL Draft

Joining his teammate Caleb Downs among the best safeties in College Football is Lathan Ransom who is expected to be drafted during the middle rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Ransom, who has been an anchor within the Buckeyes secondary over the past four seasons, has been solid against the run while also showcasing strong cover skills in the passing game. The Buckeyes safety capped off his final season setting a career high with 75 tackles while also posting one sack, three forced fumbles, two passes defended, and one interception.

The strong play of Ransom while anchoring down one of the best secondaries in College Football helped the Buckeyes win the National Championship.

5. Zechariah Poyser

School: Jacksonville State Gamecocks

NFL Draft Status: NFL Draft

Rounding out the Top 5 on the Top 10 College Football Safeties 2024-2025 Rankings list was one of the top freshmen in the country Zechariah Poyser.

Poyser, who may have gone under the radar at the safety position for most of the season playing for the smaller Jacksonville State Gamecocks was a playmaker all season at the position and a player to watch on film.

The talented red shirt freshman who now is a member of the Miami Hurricanes after entering the transfer portal will look to build on a season that included 77 total tackles, two fumble recoveries, and three interceptions. Look for Poyser to rank among the best safeties in college football during the 2025-2026 College Football season.

4. Nick Emmanwori

School: South Carolina Gamecocks

NFL Draft Status: NFL Draft

Coming in just behind the likes of Malaki Starks, Caleb Downs, and Xavier Watts is the South Carolina Gamecocks safety Nick Emmanwori.

Emmanwori, who is challenging the likes of Starks and Watts as the best all-around safety entering the NFL Draft finished off his collegiate career earning First-Team All-SEC Honors and First-Team All-American honors alongside Starks.

After a stellar 2023 season posting eight passes defended, the Gamecocks junior safety posted a career high four interceptions with two of those interceptions being returned for touchdowns. To go along with the interceptions, Emmanwori posted a career high 88 tackles to go with two passes defended.

3. Malaki Starks

School: Georgia Bulldogs

NFL Draft Status: NFL Draft

Another talented safety who elected to enter the 2025 NFL Draft and forgo his senior season is the Georgia Bulldogs star defender Malaki Starks. Starks has been an anchor for the Bulldogs since arriving as a freshman back before the start of the 2022 season.

The talented safety who can do it all from pass coverage to coming up to the line of scrimmage posted a career high 77 tackles last season while also posting one interception and three passes defended.

While his overall stats may be lacking compared to other top safeties, his play at the position forced opposing quarterbacks to find him and avoid him across most of the season.

Starks who is expected to be one of the first two or three safeties drafted during the upcoming NFL Draft wraps up his collegiate career with six interceptions, 17 passes defensed, and 198 career tackles to go along with one National Championship, two first team All-SEC Selections, and a First Team All American Selection last season.

2. Caleb Downs

School: Ohio State Buckeyes

NFL Draft Status: Returning to Ohio State

Now as all eyes are on some of the other top safeties including Malaka Starks, Xavier Watts, and Nick Emmanwori who all are expected to potentially be first round draft picks during the 2025 NFL Draft, one safety who was stellar all season is Caleb Downs.

The Ohio State Buckeyes safety may have been the best all around safety down the stretch and formed one of the top tandems in the country alongside teammate Lathan Ransom who is also expected to be selected during the NFL Draft. Downs, who transferred into the Buckeyes for his sophomore season after Nick Saban retired with the Alabama Crimson Tide posted 81 tackles to go along with two interceptions, six passes defensed, and a half sack.

On film it is hard to look past Downs true playmaking abilities and the potential he brings to the Buckeyes for the upcoming 2025-2026 College Football season.

1. Xavier Watts

School: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

NFL Draft Status: NFL Draft

In at number one on the Top 10 College Football Safeties 2024-2025 Rankings list is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety and projected first round draft pick Xavier Watts. Watts is an all-around tremendous player on the defensive side of the football and a true playmaker at the safety position.

The Fighting Irish senior finished the season ranked second in the nation with six interceptions and the most interceptions over the past two seasons with 13 combined.

In addition to the interceptions, Watts posted a career high 83 tackles and nine passes defensed while showcasing his big play potential and knack for finding the football. It is hard to look past his success in the Fighting Irish’s secondary all season.

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