Getting to the quarterback is the name of the game if you’re an edge rusher, but only so many players can be elite at doing that.
The easiest way to determine the best pass rushers in college football history is to look at who finished with the most sacks, but we took another angle: which players logged the most sacks per game?
Some of the players on this list might surprise you, while others were a slam-dunk pick for the NFL. That said, here’s a look at the 10 players who recorded the most sacks per game in FBS history (minimum 20.0 career sacks).
10 Players With The Most Sacks per Game in FBS History
Bruce Irvin (right) helped West Virginia win the Orange Bowl during his time there. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Before the Seattle Seahawks drafted him with the 15th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Irvin was a dominant player at West Virginia. He was second in the nation in sacks in his first year with the Mountaineers, logging 14 in 2010 after a 16-sack season at Butler Community College the year prior.
T-8. Dan Klecko: 0.87
Dan Klecko was a force at Temple despite the Owls’ poor records. (Photo by Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Klecko, following in his father’s footsteps, was able to shine during his time at Temple. He won Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2002, when he recorded 10.0 sacks.
Demarcus Lawrence was a standout in multiple facets for Boise State. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Lawrence, who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, had 20.0 sacks in 23 games over two seasons at Boise State. He actually began his college career at Butler Community College, but this exercise only takes into account stats recorded at the FBS level.
Jaylon Ferguson was a four-year standout at Louisiana Tech. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Ferguson was a highly productive pass rusher during his time at Louisiana Tech, posting seasons where he had 14.5 and 17.5 sacks. He finished his career with a total of 45.0 sacks.
Ja’Von Rolland-Jones was named Defensive Player of the Year in the Sun Belt twice. (Photo by John Peterson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A two-time Sun Belt Player of the Year, Rolland-Jones recorded at least 8.0 sacks in the four seasons he was at Arkansas State. He finished his college career with 44.0 total sacks.
Myles Garrett gave himself plenty of reasons to smile during his college career. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
There’s a reason why the Cleveland Browns didn’t hesitate to select Garrett with the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He had 11.5 sacks as a true freshman in 2014, finishing his time in College Station with 32.5 sacks. He might have finished with more than that had he not suffered an ankle injury in the middle of his final year with the Aggies.
4. Greg Gathers: 0.92
Greg Gathers might have been higher on this list had he not dealt with a kidney disorder. (Credit: Doug Pensinger/Allsport)
Gathers might have been higher on this list had he not been diagnosed with a kidney disorder prior to his senior season in 2002. Treatment for the disorder slowed him down before eventually causing him to step away from football. He finished his college career with 31.0 sacks over three-plus seasons.
Julius Peppers was a two-sport standout at UNC. (Credit: Craig Jones/Allsport)
Peppers was the third-best pass rusher on a per-game basis in college football history while also juggling a college basketball career at North Carolina. The ex-Tar Heel recorded 30.5 sacks over his college career.
Terrell Suggs was a standout at Arizona State. (Photo by Peter Read Miller/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
When you set a single-season record for sacks, it’s going to be easy to get your name in the top 10 in this list. For Suggs, his 24-sack season in 2002 gets him the No. 2 spot on this list, as the former Arizona State standout finished with 44.0 sacks in his college career.
Before his Hall of Fame NFL career, Dwight Freeney had a Hall of Fame college career. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
Before he became a Pro Football Hall of Fame pass rusher, Freeney was a Hall of Fame pass rusher at the college level. In just two seasons as a starter at Syracuse, Freeney recorded 34.0 total sacks. That included setting a program record of 17.5 sacks in his senior season in 2001.
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