Sure, giving is a good thing in life. But with the top returning defensive statistical leaders in FCS football, it’s better to take away from offenses.
If you want to know what teams made the FCS playoffs last year, look no further than ones with star defensive players who rank No. 1 nationally in different statistics among 2025 season returnees.
Sure, there’s national champion North Dakota State with its standout players. But Abilene Christian, Villanova, UC Davis, Rhode Island, Lehigh, Drake and Central Connecticut State also have top-returning defensive statistical leaders.
The NCAA transfer portal and graduation are taking away plenty of FCS players, but like the return of offensive statistical leaders, there are there still many defensive standouts to go around.
Among the top returnees is William & Mary defensive back Jalen Jones, a 2024 national statistical leader in two categories with 22 passes defended and a 1.8 per-game average. No wonder he’s a 2026 NFL Draft prospect.
With the FCS coming off a strong FCS NFL Draft class, @CraigHaley lists five prospects to watch this fall for next year's three-day event in Pittsburgh (April 23-25, 2026). pic.twitter.com/Oxi9VzR4wX
— FCS Football (@OptaAnalystFCS) April 29, 2025Nahil Perkins, playing at Fordham, was No. 2 behind Jones in per-game average (1.7), and his five interceptions top all returnees. He’s transferred to Samford this year and seeks to build on his 40 career passes defended, another high among returnees. His nine career interceptions share the returning high with Jihah McCall, a transfer to Eastern Illinois from Morehead State.
Abilene Chistian’s first playoff appearance was paved defensively by linebacker Will Shaffer, whose 123 tackles in his first season as a transfer represent the high among FCS returnees and just ahead of Villanova’s veteran linebacker Shane Hartzell (121). UC safety Rex Connors averaged 10.5 tackles per game, which is No. 1 among returnees.
Graphic by Graham Bell.Fordham linebacker James Conway is returning to utilize a fifth season of eligibility, and he’s No. 1 among active players with 38-game career totals of 436 tackles (a Patriot League record), 196 solos and an average of 11.5 stops per game. The NCAA began to chart defensive statistics in 2000, and Conway could chase Illinois State’s Boomer Grigsby, who in that time frame posted the most tackles with 550 in 44 games from 2001-04.
The top-returning sack artist is Rhode Island linebacker A.J. Pena with 12.5 last year, which was just ahead of defensive ends Ckelby Givens (12.0) of Southern and Matt Spatny (11.5) of Lehigh, as well as 27.5 in his career. Spatny’s 0.96 sacks per game rank as the highest-returning average.
Givens had more tackles for loss (27.5) than any FCS player last year; Pena had 22.5, but his 113 yards in losses were the most among returning players.
NDSU defensive end Toby Anene forced four fumbles in the Bison’s 10th FCS championship season – more than any returning player. Across a career, Ckelby has the most among active players with eight.
Central Connecticut State cornerback Christopher Jean is known for denying passes, but his four fumble recoveries as a redshirt freshman mark the most among returning FCS players.
Top photo, from left, via Abilene Christian, William & Mary and Southern Athletics.
For more FCS football coverage, follow on social media at X, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.
Top Returning Defensive Statistical Leaders in the 2025 FCS Football Season Opta Analyst.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Top Returning Defensive Statistical Leaders in the 2025 FCS Football Season )
Also on site :