South Flordia's George Selvie record 14.5 sacks in 2007, second best in college football. Cliff Welch/Icon SMI

By Tony Pauline, Special to SI.com, TFYDraft.com

The college season kicks off this weekend, and with it another year of NFL scouting begins in earnest. The top prospects from the defensive side of the ball have a decidedly Southern California flavor with a large hint of Ohio State Buckeye. Teams targeting pass rushers, linebackers or defensive backs have a lot to smile about as there will be plenty to choose from next April. (For offensive prospects, click here.)

Defensive Line

George Selvie/DE/South Florida (Underclassmen): Selvie is a pass rushing force who makes plays behind the line of scrimmage with regularity. His playing style remind many of Simeon Rice and like the former All Pro, Selvie is an early first-round pick.

Ricky Sapp/DE/Clemson (U): Clemson's next great defensive lineman is a versatile athlete who makes plays out of a three-point stance yet can also stand up over tackle. Sapp's got first-round potential if he opts for the NFL after this season.

Tyson Jackson/DE/LSU: Jackson comes off a disappointing junior campaign and hopes to rebound as a senior. He's one of the better two-gap ends in the nation and a difference maker at the top of his game.

Greg Middleton/DE/Indiana (U): Middleton combines athleticism with intensity on the field. He makes plays as a pass rusher and run defender while offering a good amount of upside.

Doug Worthington/DE/Ohio State (U): Worthington is a developing prospect that shows flashes of ability. He has the skills to play in a variety of defenses and will be an early draft choice once he rounds out his game.

Fili Moala/DT/USC: The Trojans have recently produced quality defensive tackles Mike Patterson and Sedrick Ellis, and Moala is next in line. He struggled last year as a junior, but as a sophomore he showed Darrell Russell-type of ability.

Terrance Taylor/DT/Michigan: Michigan's fireplug in the middle of the line, Taylor enters the year as one of the nation's best nose tackle prospects.

Sleeper

Greg Hardy/DE/Mississippi: Hardy did double duty at Ole Miss playing on both the football and basketball teams. He's a tremendous athlete slowly rounding into a dominant football player.

Overrated

Michael Johnson/DE/Georgia Tech: Johnson was one of the few seniors in the nation to receive an early first round grade from the league's scouting services. He's a tremendous pass rusher that can be impossible to stop but Johnson also takes plays off and seems uninterested at times, which is a major concern.

Linebackers

Rey Maualuga/ILB/USC: Maualuga is a dominant linebacker who justifiably draws comparisons to former Trojan star Junior Seau. He is a dominant run defender who intimidates opponents with his aggressive play. Maualuga is headed into the draft's top five selections next year.

James Laurinaitis/ILB/Ohio State: He is another forceful defender with an appetite for physical contact. Laurinaitits does not grade out as high as former Buckeye A.J. Hawk, yet still fits into the first half of round one.

Darry Beckwith/LB/LSU: Beckwith is an intelligent defender with the ability to be used at several linebacker spots. He consistently puts himself in a position to defend the run or stop the pass.

Brandon Spikes/ILB/Florida (U): Channing Crowder, Andra Davis and now Spikes; all fierce, run-defending linebackers from the Gator program. Spikes shows slightly more athleticism compared to his predecessors and as a result will be drafted earlier.