2006 Preseason All-Americans - Def. Tackles

2006 CFN All-America Defensive Tackles

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2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans
Brandon Mebane, Sr. California  - 29 tackles, 7 sacks, 9.5 TFL
Mebane is a defensive end built into the 6-3, 306-pound body with tremendous quickness into the backfield. He was one of the league's top linemen last year even though he suffered through an ankle injury and had to fight through constant double teaming. Expect him to be a disruptive anchor of a strong Cal defense.

Quinn Pitcock, Sr. Ohio State - 28 tackles, 1 sack, 3 TFL
One of only two returning starters on the Buckeye D, Pitcock should be one of the Big Ten's best defenders. He has the speed to be a dangerous end, but at 6-3, 295 pounds he's a true tackle. While he's not flashy and he isn't going to get his name called a lot, he'll require two blockers on every down.

Preseason 25 Best Tackles
1. Brandon Mebane, Sr. California
2. Quinn Pitcock, Sr. Ohio State
3. Marcus Thomas, Sr. Florida
4. Jay Alford, Sr. Penn State
5. Andre Fluellen, Jr., Florida State
6. Sedrick Ellis, Jr. USC
7. Red Bryant, Jr. Texas A&M
8. Justin Harrell, Sr. Tennessee
9. Frank Okam, Jr., Texas
10. Kevin Brown, Jr. UCLA
11. Jeremy Clark, Sr. Alabama
12. Derek Landri, Sr. Notre Dame
13. Turk McBride, Jr. Tennessee
14. Jordan Hill, Sr. Arizona State
15. Howie Fuimaono, Sr. UNLV
16. Clifton Ryan, Sr Michigan State
17. Conrad Boiston, Sr. Maryland
18. Breny Curvey, Sr. Iowa State
19. Joe Anoai, Sr. Georgia Tech
20. Adrian Haywood, Sr. SMU
21. Nick Hayden, Jr. Wisconsin
22. Chris Norwell, Jr. Illinois
23. Colin Ferrell, Jr., Kent State
24. Andrew Browning, Sr. Boise St
25. Tank Tyler, Sr. NC State

2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans
Marcus Thomas, Sr. Florida - 45 tackles, 4 sacks, 10.5 TFL
The Honorable Mention All-SEC performer flirted with the idea of turning pro early before deciding to come back. A likely early first day draft pick last year, the 290-pound senior can up his stock with a big season and showing off even more as an interior pass rusher. He's the leader in the middle and should be even stronger against the run with the improvement of the rest of the line around him.

Jay Alford, Sr. Penn State - 37 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 11.5 TFL, 2 broken up passes
The Second Team All-Big Ten performer is the only returning starter on the line and should be one of the nation's best all-around tackles. He's not a huge space-eater at 6-3 and 288 pounds, and he's tremendously quick on the inside. When he gets on a roll, he can dominate. Now he has to show he can handle all the attention of being the focus of every team's blocking scheme.

2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)

Kevin Brown, Jr. UCLA
Brown's return can't come fast enough for the woebegone run defense. The 297-pound junior suffered an ankle injury last summer and ended up missing the entire year. He's the team's biggest presence inside and is quick enough to get into the backfield on a regular basis providing the anchor the line sorely needed last season.

Red Bryant, Jr. Texas A&M - 28 tackles, 3 sacks, 7.5 TFL
Bryant is one of the nation's best unsung tackles with excellent all-around talent and next level size at 6-5 and 330 pounds. He was the team's best player against the run even though the stats might not show it. He's a true anchor who should dominate any time he sees one blocker. Expect him to become even better at getting into the backfield.

Sedrick Ellis, Jr. USC - 50 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 8 TFL
Ellis has to be a rock up front as one of the few returning Trojan linemen with any appreciable experience. The 285-pound junior is coming off a strong year where he stepped into Mike Patterson's old job and held his own. He's a bit unsung, but that won't happen this year as his quickness and great technique will crank out the stats for All-Pac 10 honors.

Andre Fluellen, Jr. Florida State - 26 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 7.5 TFL
With the quickness of an end in the body of a 285-pound tackle, Fluellen is on the verge of a big season. He benefited from having Brodrick Bunkley right next to him, but Bunkley also got some help with Fluellen occupying plenty of attention. He's a nice run stopper who's as consistent as they come.

Justin Harrell, Sr. Tennessee  - 39 tackle, 2.5 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 2 interceptions, 8 quarterback hurries
The third-year starter will have to be the new start of the line with his combination of quickness and size at 306 pounds. The MVP of the 2005 Cotton Bowl has to have another All-SEC season and has to be the anchor of the line from day one. If he progresses just a little bit, he'll take over the All-America honors left by Jesse Mahelona.
 
Frank Okam, Jr. Texas - 48 tackles, 1 sack, 5 TFL, 11 quarterback pressures
Able to play on the nose or at tackle, the 6-5, 315-pound junior will be a key run defender and should once again be an All-Big 12 performer. With 20 quarterback pressures over the last two seasons, he has NFL quickness for a tackle and should be camped out in the backfield if the rest of the line can take a little bit of the heat off.