Best Defensive players by Season Rating in J3 League 2026

The best defensive players in J3 League in 2026, ranked on Field Insider.

Best defensive goalkeepers in J3 League Best defensive defenders in J3 League Best defensive midfielders in J3 League Best defensive attackers in J3 League Best players in J3 League Most in-form players in J3 League

At a glance

R. Terakado of Kagoshima United is the standout for raw talent across players in J3 League, with a Field Insider Rating of 39.5, and C. Jennings has been the form player this season, grading 36.1.

The numbers a scout watches are the year-on-year jumps: Y. Nishimura has improved his Season rating most, up +16.6 on last season. Those are the players whose trajectory is bending upward fastest.

By our market-value index, R. Kabayama of Ehime FC is the most valuable name in this group at 4.8.

FC Gifu · 24/25→25/26

Most improved

Y. Nishimura+16.6SsN

Thespakusatsu Gunma · 20/21→25/26

50 players · ranked by best defendersCustomise →

	Player	Team
1	R. Kawakami Centre-back	Osaka	31	24.2	24	14
2	T. Akiyama Centre-back	Osaka	32	22.9	23	14
3	H. Iwasaki Centre-back	Tochigi SC	23	21.1	21	29
4	Yoshitaka Aoki Full-back	Kagoshima United	27	20.5	21	24
5	K. Yamawaki Full-back	Kitakyushu	25	18	18	29
6	Y. Tsujioka Centre-back	Kitakyushu	24	17.9	18±0%	28±0%
7	W. Hiramatsu Full-back	Tochigi SC	26	16.6	17	24
8	Y. Hasegawa Full-back	Parceiro Nagano	29	16.4	16124.7%	1760.8%
9	S. Tachino Full-back	Osaka	33	15.6	16	9
10	S. Nikaido Centre-back	Gainare Tottori	25	15.5	16	26
11	K. Tomita Centre-back	Parceiro Nagano	30	15.3	15	15
12	K. Sugiyama Centre-back	Kitakyushu	28	15.1	15	20
13	M. Tokida Centre-back	Sagamihara	28	15	15	19
14	H. Sugii Full-back	Kagoshima United	26	14.5	15	27
15	Y. Takahashi Centre-back	Thespakusatsu Gunma	27	14.4	14	22
16	T. Nonomura Centre-back	Matsumoto Yamaga	28	14.2	14	18
17	S. Kozuki Full-back	Kochi United	26	13.2	13	25
18	S. Suzuki Full-back	Kochi United	25	13.1	13	27
19	Soichiro Tsutsumi Full-back	Osaka	24	12.9	13	28
20	K. Chibu Centre-back	Kagoshima United	31	12.8	13	13
21	H. Nukui Centre-back	Gainare Tottori	29	12.6	13	18
22	D. Ogawa Centre-back	Matsumoto Yamaga	34	12.4	124033.3%	742.1%
23	K. Kitazume Full-back	Matsumoto Yamaga	34	12.4	1277.1%	1627.4%
24	K. Inoue Centre-back	Azul Claro Numazu	25	12.2	12	24
25	S. Mihara Centre-back	Azul Claro Numazu	25	12	12	25
26	H. Sugita Centre-back	Matsumoto Yamaga	22	12	12	26
27	D. Matsumoto Centre-back	Kanazawa	27	11.7	12265.6%	2349.8%
28	M. Kaneura Centre-back	Gainare Tottori	26	11.6	12	23
29	S. Kikuchi Centre-back	FC Ryukyu	23	11.4	11	27
30	N. Yamamoto Centre-back	Kanazawa	31	11.1	1134.7%	1464%
31	R. Ohata Centre-back	Thespakusatsu Gunma	28	11.1	11	19
32	K. Kai Centre-back	FC Gifu	31	11.1	11	14
33	Y. Tsukegi Centre-back	Kamatamare Sanuki	31	10.7	11	14
34	K. Ikoma Full-back	Nara Club	28	10.7	11	20
35	S. Maruyama Centre-back	Gainare Tottori	27	10.6	11	22
36	T. Shinozaki Centre-back	Azul Claro Numazu	28	10.6	11	18
37	S. Nagano Centre-back	Gainare Tottori	20	10.4	10	27
38	D. Fukagawa Centre-back	Kochi United	27	9.8	10	20
39	Daiki Higuchi Full-back	Matsumoto Yamaga	24	9.8	10	25
40	N. Suzu Centre-back	Fukushima United	26	9.7	10	24
41	R. Araki Full-back	FC Ryukyu	25	9.6	10	28
42	S. Sagou Full-back	Kamatamare Sanuki	24	9.5	10	26
43	R. Yamamoto Full-back	Matsumoto Yamaga	26	9.4	9	23
44	S. Nose Centre-back	Thespakusatsu Gunma	23	9.3	9	25
45	Y. Ono Centre-back	Parceiro Nagano	30	9.2	9	13
46	H. Oshima Full-back	Gainare Tottori	26	9.1	9	24
47	J. Suzuki Centre-back	FC Ryukyu	30	8.8	9	15
48	J. Ninomiya Centre-back	Matsumoto Yamaga	22	8.6	9	26
49	G. Matsumura Centre-back	Matsumoto Yamaga	24	8.5	9	24
50	M. Yamada Centre-back	Fukushima United	31	8.4	8	13