Top 5 safeties in college football for 2019

#3 Alohi Gilman, Notre Dame

Alohi Gilman

This barely recruited Hawaiian native was the highest-graded safety in the nation according to Pro Football Focus. Gilman recorded 94 tackles, five passes broken up and another two intercepted. While not being the biggest 5’11”, 200 pounds, he played a lot around the line of scrimmage for the Irish last season and forced three fumbles on the season. In pass coverage, he has made several spectacular plays on the ball, such as one interception versus Stanford where he kind of leaped over two of his teammates but saw it called back due to contact by his guys and he also intercepted two of his three targets against Syracuse. When the ball goes underneath of him, you see this guy shoot into the picture constantly.

This young man is an outstanding hustle player, which was never more on display than on a play against Vanderbilt last season when a receiver had fought his way down to the end-zone, but Gilmore ripped the ball into the air which was then covered by one of the other defenders for a touchback. Unfortunately, his worst showing came against Clemson in the College Football Playoff on the national stage, where he just could not hold up athletically against that talented group of receivers in coverage.