Offenses |
Quarterbacks |
Running Backs |
Receivers |
Offensive Lines
Defenses
|
Def. Lines
| Linebackers |
Secondaries
1. Georgia
Georgia might have the nation's best special teams with a
pair of All-America caliber kickers in PK Brandon Coutu and P Gordon
Ely-Kelso and talented kick returners Ramarcus Brown and Thomas Flowers.
Brown needs to add more pop to what was an average kickoff return game
last year, but everything else is sound with great coverage units and
highlighted by Coutu's big leg.
2. Texas
Greg Johnson will be the whole kicking game for now,
but the field goal side of things could change if he struggles at all.
He'll likely be an All-Big 12 punter. The return game was one of the
best in America averaging a whopping 26.95 yards per kickoff return and
15.6 yards per punt return. Aaron Ross will be the prime punt returner,
while Quan Cosby and Selvin Young will likely see most of the action on
kickoff returns after the loss of Ramonce Taylor.
3. Miami
It'll be a shock if the Hurricane special
teams aren't among the ACC's best. PK Jon Peattie is too experienced to
have another average season, while P Brian Monroe has improved each of
his last three years growing into a whale of a directional kicker. The
return game is more than fine even after the loss of Devin Hester with
Darnell Jenkins taking over the main roles. He isn't as explosive as
Hester on punt returns, but he was far better on kickoff returns last
season averaging 21.9 yards per try to Hester's 16.1. The coverage units
should once again be fantastic.
4. Florida
The kicking game is as good as it gets with PK Chris
Hetland and P Eric Wilbur each good enough to be on All-America short
lists. Finding steady returners will be a work in progress after
mediocre production last season. The coverage units were among the best
in the nation; there's no reason to assume any sort of a dip.
The key to the unit: Hope for similar seasons from
Chris Hetland and Eric Wilbur and get more big plays from the returners.
5.
Virginia Tech
As always, the Virginia Tech special teams will be among the
best in the country. Placekicker Brandon Pace and punter Nic Schmitt are
All-America candidates, and now the return game has to step up after a
mediocre 2005. Eddie Royal is too speedy not to do more as the team's
main kick returner, while the rest of the top receivers will also
provide a little help.
6. Colorado
Mason Crosby is one of the best kickers in college
football, and now he'll handle the punting game as long as he doesn't
slip as a placekicker. Stephone Robinson will
be the main kick and punt returner again, but he needs to use his elite
quickness to do more after averaging 18.2 yards per kickoff return and
9.9 yards per punt return.
7. Wisconsin
The kicking game will be as good as it gets in the Big
Ten with All-America candidate Ken DeBauche sure to be on the Ray Guy
short list and PK Taylor Mehlhoff reliable from inside 45 yards. The
Badgers led the Big Ten and were tenth in the nation in punt returns
thanks to Brandon Williams, but his loss is eased by the talented Marcus
Randle El. Jarvis Minton and Zach Hampton will handle the kickoff
returns.
8. Arizona
No matter who's punting, the kicking game will be among
the best in the nation. Nick Folk has unlimited range as both a
placekicker and a punter, but transfer Kyle McQuown will likely handle
the punting job this fall. Syndric Steptoe is a decent receiver and an
All-America return man averaging 11.1 yards per punt return and 25.5
yards on kickoff returns. The punters boomed the ball so much that there
were too many huge returns, but the kickoff coverage unit was fine.
9. Fresno State
Clint Stitser is on the verge of being an All-WAC kicker
with a monster leg and good consistency. Mike Lingua is a serviceable
punter who plays his role well enough to not allow the FSU punting game
to be a problem. The big issue will be replacing Adam Jennings, who
averaged 12.4 yards per punt return and 29 yards per kickoff return. Joe
Fernandez averaged 22.6 yards on his five punt returns, but Clifton
Smith, the likely main man, averaged 63 taking two of his three tries
for a score. Fernandez will handle the kickoff returns.
10. Tennessee
The kicking game will be fantastic if James Wilhoit hits
field goals like he did over the second half of last season and if
punter Britton Colquitt turns into the All-American he has the potential
of becoming. The return units should be decent with Jonathan Hefney
getting the full-time gig after averaging an impressive 11.5 yards per
return last year. Lucas Taylor struggled on punt returns, but he
averaged 22.5 yards on kickoff returns.
|
11 |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
|
12 |
Louisville |
Big East |
|
13 |
TCU |
M-West |
|
14 |
Boise State |
WAC |
|
15 |
Baylor |
Big 12 |
|
16 |
UTEP |
CUSA |
|
17 |
Louisiana Tech |
WAC |
|
18 |
Ohio State |
Big Ten |
|
19 |
LSU |
SEC |
|
20 |
West Virginia |
Big East |
|
21 |
Nebraska |
Big 12 |
|
22 |
Arizona State |
Pac 10 |
|
23 |
Penn State |
Big Ten |
|
24 |
Maryland |
ACC |
|
25 |
NC State |
ACC |
|
26 |
Connecticut |
Big East |
|
27 |
Kansas |
Big 12 |
|
28 |
North Carolina |
ACC |
|
29 |
Oklahoma State |
Big 12 |
|
30 |
Rutgers |
Big East |
|
31 |
Syracuse |
Big East |
|
32 |
San Diego State |
M-West |
|
33 |
Colorado State |
M-West |
|
34 |
Miami Univ. |
MAC |
|
35 |
Western Michigan |
MAC |
|
36 |
Troy |
Sun Belt |
|
37 |
Army |
Ind |
|
38 |
Auburn |
SEC |
|
39 |
Oklahoma |
Big 12 |
|
40 |
Florida State |
ACC |
|
41 |
Iowa |
Big Ten |
|
42 |
Pitt |
Big East |
|
43 |
UCLA |
Pac 10 |
|
44 |
East Carolina |
CUSA |
|
45 |
UCF |
CUSA |
|
46 |
UNLV |
M-West |
|
47 |
Ball State |
MAC |
|
48 |
USC |
Pac 10 |
|
49 |
California |
Pac 10 |
|
50 |
Notre Dame |
Ind |
|
51 |
Georgia Tech |
ACC |
|
52 |
Missouri |
Big 12 |
|
53 |
Arkansas |
SEC |
|
54 |
Texas Tech |
Big 12 |
|
55 |
Boston College |
ACC |
|
56 |
Michigan State |
Big Ten |
|
57 |
Washington State |
Pac 10 |
|
58 |
Oregon |
Pac 10 |
|
59 |
Oregon State |
Pac 10 |
|
60 |
Minnesota |
Big Ten |
|
61 |
BYU |
M-West |
|
62 |
Tulsa |
CUSA |
|
63 |
Kansas State |
Big 12 |
|
64 |
Southern Miss |
CUSA |
|
65 |
Northern Illinois |
MAC |
|
66 |
Mississippi State |
SEC |
|
67 |
Kentucky |
SEC |
|
68 |
Stanford |
Pac 10 |
|
69 |
Tulane |
CUSA |
|
70 |
North Texas |
Sun Belt |
|
71 |
San Jose State |
WAC |
|
72 |
Alabama |
SEC |
|
73 |
Iowa State |
Big 12 |
|
74 |
Purdue |
Big Ten |
|
75 |
Northwestern |
Big Ten |
|
76 |
Houston |
CUSA |
|
77 |
Marshall |
CUSA |
|
78 |
Navy |
Ind |
|
79 |
Wyoming |
M-West |
|
80 |
SMU |
CUSA |
|
81 |
Central Michigan |
MAC |
|
82 |
Idaho |
WAC |
|
83 |
Clemson |
ACC |
|
84 |
Utah |
M-West |
|
85 |
Texas A&M |
Big 12 |
|
86 |
Virginia |
ACC |
|
87 |
South Carolina |
SEC |
|
88 |
Mississippi |
SEC |
|
89 |
Toledo |
MAC |
|
90 |
Indiana |
Big Ten |
|
91 |
Washington |
Pac 10 |
|
92 |
Nevada |
WAC |
|
93 |
Vanderbilt |
SEC |
|
94 |
New Mexico |
M-West |
|
95 |
Memphis |
CUSA |
|
96 |
UAB |
CUSA |
|
97 |
Air Force |
M-West |
|
98 |
Bowling Green |
MAC |
|
99 |
Kent State |
MAC |
|
100 |
Eastern Michigan |
MAC |
|
101 |
MTSU |
Sun Belt |
|
102 |
Rice |
CUSA |
|
103 |
New Mexico State |
WAC |
|
104 |
South Florida |
Big East |
|
105 |
Wake Forest |
ACC |
|
106 |
Hawaii |
WAC |
|
107 |
Illinois |
Big Ten |
|
108 |
Duke |
ACC |
|
109 |
Arkansas State |
Sun Belt |
|
110 |
Utah State |
WAC |
|
111 |
Cincinnati |
Big East |
|
112 |
Akron |
MAC |
|
113 |
UL Lafayette |
Sun Belt |
|
114 |
Ohio |
MAC |
|
115 |
UL Monroe |
Sun Belt |
|
116 |
FIU |
Sun Belt |
|
117 |
Buffalo |
MAC |
|
118 |
Temple |
Ind |
|
119 |
Florida Atlantic |
Sun Belt |