← the board · drewhoover.com · 2024–2026
Minnesota's best defenders since 2024
Koi Perich leads with 128 tackles in 25 games at Minnesota; John Nestor had 70.
Every defender with 5 or more games at Minnesota since 2024, ranked by tackles; the lines are each player's tackles game by game, the top 8 drawn. A link opens the player's page, where he has one, or his row on the board.
76 defenders with 5+ games at Minnesotatackles
| # | player | seasons | games | tackles | sacks | tackles for loss | interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koi Perich | 2024–2025 | 25 | 128 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | John Nestor | 2025–2026 | 17 | 70 | 0 | 10 | 7 |
| 3 | Joey Gerlach | 2024–2026 | 19 | 54 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 4 | Jaxon Howard | 2024–2026 | 25 | 43 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| 5 | Karter Menz | 2025–2026 | 14 | 43 | 9.5 | 14 | 0 |
| 6 | Ethan Robinson | 2024 | 13 | 42 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 7 | Jai'Onte' McMillan | 2024–2025 | 15 | 40 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | Zack Harden | 2025–2026 | 8 | 33 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 9 | TJ Bush Jr. | 2026 | 6 | 23 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| 10 | Aydan West | 2026 | 6 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Rushawn Lawrence | 2025 | 10 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 12 | Mason Carrier | 2025–2026 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 13 | Emmanuel Karmo | 2025–2026 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 14 | Theorin Randle | 2026 | 5 | 15 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | Nate Becker | 2024–2025 | 11 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 16 | Mike Gerald | 2025–2026 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Naquan Crowder | 2026 | 6 | 12 | 0.5 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | Riley Sunram | 2025–2026 | 6 | 12 | 1.5 | 7 | 0 |
| 19 | Garrison Monroe | 2025–2026 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Naiim Parrish | 2025–2026 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | Rhyland Kelly | 2024–2026 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | Adam Kissayi | 2025–2026 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | Anthony Smith | 2023–2026 | 36 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 24 | Maverick Baranowski | 2022–2026 | 36 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 25 | Deven Eastern | 2023–2025 | 33 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 26 | Devon Williams | 2023–2025 | 32 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 27 | Kerry Brown | 2023–2026 | 32 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 28 | Jalen Logan-Redding | 2021–2025 | 30 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 29 | Marcus Jones | 2011–2014 | 30 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 30 | Justin Walley | 2021–2024 | 29 | — | — | — | 7 |
| 31 | Jalen Myrick | 2013–2016 | 27 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 32 | Danny Striggow | 2022–2024 | 24 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 33 | Aidan Gousby | 2023–2026 | 23 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 34 | Darius Green | 2022–2025 | 22 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 35 | Jack Henderson | 2023–2024 | 21 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 36 | Jah Joyner | 2021–2024 | 21 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 37 | Tyler Nubin | 2020–2023 | 21 | — | — | — | 13 |
| 38 | Matt Kingsbury | 2023–2026 | 19 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 39 | Za'Quan Bryan | 2023–2025 | 19 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 40 | Cody Lindenberg | 2021–2024 | 18 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 41 | Lucas Finnessy | 2022–2025 | 17 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 42 | Coleman Bryson | 2022–2024 | 14 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 43 | KiAnte Hardin | 2015–2016 | 14 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 44 | Antoine Winfield Jr. | 2016–2019 | 13 | — | — | — | 9 |
| 45 | Derik LeCaptain | 2021–2025 | 13 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 46 | Thomas Barber | 2016–2019 | 13 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 47 | Craig James | 2014–2015 | 11 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 48 | Kyler Baugh | 2022–2023 | 11 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 49 | Briean Boddy-Calhoun | 2013–2015 | 10 | — | — | — | 10 |
| 50 | Jordan Howden | 2018–2022 | 10 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 51 | Tyler Stolsky | 2023–2024 | 10 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 52 | Antonio Shenault | 2016–2018 | 9 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 53 | Chris Collins | 2023 | 9 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 54 | Eli Mau | 2023–2024 | 9 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 55 | Kamal Martin | 2016–2019 | 9 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 56 | Tre'Von Jones | 2023 | 9 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 57 | Coney Durr | 2018–2021 | 8 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 58 | Justus Harris | 2017–2021 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 59 | Ryan Selig | 2023 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 60 | Antonio Johnson | 2013–2015 | 7 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 61 | Damarius Travis | 2014–2016 | 7 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 62 | Thomas Rush | 2020–2022 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 63 | Braelen Oliver | 2019–2022 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 64 | Carter Coughlin | 2016–2019 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 65 | Jacob Huff | 2017–2018 | 6 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 66 | Julian Huff | 2016–2018 | 6 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 67 | Logan Richter | 2023–2024 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 68 | Mariano Sori-Marin | 2021–2022 | 6 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 69 | Terell Smith | 2018–2022 | 6 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 70 | Trill Carter | 2020–2022 | 6 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 71 | Winston DeLattiboudere | 2016–2019 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 72 | Darnell Jefferies | 2022–2024 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 73 | Duke McGhee | 2016–2017 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 74 | Gaelin Elmore | 2016 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 75 | Jonathan Celestin | 2016–2017 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 76 | Steven Richardson | 2016–2017 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
Also at Minnesota: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, punters. Every school and conference: schools, conferences. The games are ESPN's box scores since 2004 (the Method says where they fall short); a position is the roster's, else read off the box score, so a tight end from before 2014 may be listed with the wide receivers.