Offenses |
Quarterbacks |
Running Backs |
Receivers |
Offensive Lines
Defenses
|
Linebackers |
Secondaries
| Spec. Teams
1. Nebraska
Not only does the Husker D line have six
All-Big 12 candidates, it has six solid pro prospects led by ends Adam
Carriker and Jay Moore. Speed rusher Barry Turner isn't as big as the
two starting ends, but he'll be every bit as dangerous when he gets on
the field. Ola Dagunduro, Ndamukong Suh and Barry Cryer are soon to be
Big 12 household names; the NFL scouts certainly know all about them.
There won't be a better front four in America at getting into the
backfield from all positions.
2. Oklahoma
The line turned out to be a major plus last
year, and will be even better despite the loss of Dusty Dvoracek.
Injured ends Larry Birdine and John Williams are back and healthy, while
there's good promise in the middle with rising stars Cory Bennett and
DeMarcus Granger ready to emerge as top players. The tackles just have
to hold up so the fabulous ends can do their thing. Calvin Thibodeaux,
C.J. Ah You, Birdine and Williams form one of the nation's best
foursomes.
3. Florida
Can anyone outside of the SEC name a player
on one of the best lines in America? It's an unsung group that has at
least three potential All-SEC talents if everything comes together.
Marcus Thomas decided not to turn pro and should be a terror in the
middle. Jarvis Moss will be a serious threat to set the record as the
school's all-time single season sacker if he sees plenty of one-on-one
coverage. There's more than enough depth to get the type of rotation
that defensive coordinator Greg Mattison wants to employ.
4. Miami
The line could be something special
if the tackles come through with big seasons. 300 pounders Kareem Brown
and Antonio Dixon and the quick Teraz McCray should be strong against
the run, but the starting experience isn't there. The ends are
deep and fantastic as Baraka Atkins, Bryan Pata, Eric Moncur and Calais
Campbell are all pass rushing terrors who'll form a great rotation to
steadily get to the quarterback.
5.
Texas
The loss of Rodrique Wright in the middle will be big unless Derek
Lokey and Roy Miller can be more than adequate, but the rest of the line
will be oh-my-goodness good with three All-America candidates in tackle
Frank Okam and ends Tim Crowder and Brian Robison. There's more than
enough quality depth to get plenty of production if injuries strike, but
other than Okam, there aren't the huge, hulking tackles Texas usually
throws out there.
6. Georgia Tech
The line should be the team's strength as long as the big bodies hold up
in the middle. The tackles are more quick than big, so 280-pound Joe
Anoai and sophomore Darryl Richard, who's coming back from a knee
injury, have to be rocks while rising 260 pounders Elris Anyaibe and
Vance Walker step up in the rotation. The ends are fine even though
there's not a dominant pass rusher like Eric Henderson to count on.
Adamm Oliver and Darrell Robertson are solid starters with a slew of
talented backups to count on.
7. Missouri
It'll be a major shock if this isn't one of
the Big 12's best defensive lines with five talented players with
starting experience returning and even more good players among the reserves. Brian
Smith is one of the nation's best pass rushers, while the combination of
Stryker Sulak and Xzavie Jackson on the other side should flourish.
Lorenzo Williams is a next-level prospect at tackle, while Jamar Smith
should be an All-Big 12 performer on the nose. Getting to the
quarterback shouldn't be a problem but the group, now that it's
experienced, has to be stronger against the run.
8. Iowa
The
line was considered a big problem spot going into last season after
losing a slew of productive all-stars, but there were whispers that
things might not be so bad with several raw, talented prospects. Even
the most hopeful Hawkeye fans couldn't have foreseen how good the front
four was going to become with four rising superstars with all-star
potential. Ken Iwebema got most of the press after turning into a pass
rushing terror, while Bryan Mattison was almost as good on the other
side. Matt Kroul and Mitch King bulked up in a big hurry going from big
linebackers the quick tackles in a year. Everyone can get into the
backfield and everyone can stop the run with the ends bigger than the
tackles.
9. Wisconsin
Very,
very quietly, this might be one of the Big Ten's best defensive lines by
the end of the year. It suffered through major problems last season with
youth and injuries preventing any sort of consistency with little to no
pass rush throughout the conference season and not nearly enough
production against the run. On the positive side, several young players
were thrown to the wolves and got their feet wet. The strength is at
tackle where Jason Chapman, Nick Hayden, and Justin Ostrowski, if
they're healthy, have All-Big Ten potential. Matthew Shaughnessy and
Jamal Cooper should be decent pass rushers if they can return healthy
from torn ACLs, and Joe Monty is a steady all-around end on the left
side.
10. USC
This could be the Achilles' heel early, but it should
turn into a killer of a pass rushing unit as the season goes on.
Lawrence Jackson is an All-America caliber talent at one end, but a
steady pass rusher, hopefully Kyle Moore, has to develop on the other
side to take the pressure off. Sedrick Ellis is an undersized and
underrated tackle to build around, and there are plenty of good
prospects ready to fill in the gaps. Fortunately, the impressive
linebacking corps will clean up most of the mistakes the front four
makes.
|
11 |
Arizona State |
Pac 10 |
|
12 |
Auburn |
SEC |
|
13 |
Ohio State |
Big Ten |
|
14 |
Michigan |
Big Ten |
|
15 |
Clemson |
ACC |
|
16 |
Florida State |
ACC |
|
17 |
Georgia |
SEC |
|
18 |
Tennessee |
SEC |
|
19 |
California |
Pac 10 |
|
20 |
TCU |
M-West |
|
21 |
Mississippi State |
SEC |
|
22 |
Virginia Tech |
ACC |
|
23 |
Penn State |
Big Ten |
|
24 |
LSU |
SEC |
|
25 |
Boston College |
ACC |
|
26 |
NC State |
ACC |
|
27 |
West Virginia |
Big East |
|
28 |
Louisville |
Big East |
|
29 |
Alabama |
SEC |
|
30 |
Iowa State |
Big 12 |
|
31 |
Colorado |
Big 12 |
|
32 |
Mississippi |
SEC |
|
33 |
Arkansas |
SEC |
|
34 |
Utah |
M-West |
|
35 |
Washington State |
Pac 10 |
|
36 |
North Carolina |
ACC |
|
37 |
Notre Dame |
Ind |
|
38 |
Oregon |
Pac 10 |
|
39 |
Duke |
ACC |
|
40 |
Pitt |
Big East |
|
41 |
Oregon State |
Pac 10 |
|
42 |
Maryland |
ACC |
|
43 |
Syracuse |
Big East |
|
44 |
Texas Tech |
Big 12 |
|
45 |
Oklahoma State |
Big 12 |
|
46 |
Fresno State |
WAC |
|
47 |
Texas A&M |
Big 12 |
|
48 |
Kansas |
Big 12 |
|
49 |
Boise State |
WAC |
|
50 |
Kansas State |
Big 12 |
|
51 |
UCLA |
Pac 10 |
|
52 |
Arizona |
Pac 10 |
|
53 |
Baylor |
Big 12 |
|
54 |
Washington |
Pac 10 |
|
55 |
South Florida |
Big East |
|
56 |
Connecticut |
Big East |
|
57 |
Virginia |
ACC |
|
58 |
Cincinnati |
Big East |
|
59 |
Wake Forest |
ACC |
|
60 |
Michigan State |
Big Ten |
|
61 |
Southern Miss |
CUSA |
|
62 |
UTEP |
CUSA |
|
63 |
Toledo |
MAC |
|
64 |
South Carolina |
SEC |
|
65 |
Purdue |
Big Ten |
|
66 |
Minnesota |
Big Ten |
|
67 |
Kentucky |
SEC |
|
68 |
Rutgers |
Big East |
|
69 |
Vanderbilt |
SEC |
|
70 |
Nevada |
WAC |
|
71 |
SMU |
CUSA |
|
72 |
East Carolina |
CUSA |
|
73 |
BYU |
M-West |
|
74 |
Colorado State |
M-West |
|
75 |
Marshall |
CUSA |
|
76 |
Illinois |
Big Ten |
|
77 |
UAB |
CUSA |
|
78 |
Northern Illinois |
MAC |
|
79 |
Stanford |
Pac 10 |
|
80 |
Indiana |
Big Ten |
|
81 |
Akron |
MAC |
|
82 |
Northwestern |
Big Ten |
|
83 |
Western Michigan |
MAC |
|
84 |
Kent State |
MAC |
|
85 |
Hawaii |
WAC |
|
86 |
Troy |
Sun Belt |
|
87 |
Miami Univ. |
MAC |
|
88 |
Tulsa |
CUSA |
|
89 |
UCF |
CUSA |
|
90 |
New Mexico |
M-West |
|
91 |
Navy |
Ind |
|
92 |
Houston |
CUSA |
|
93 |
San Diego State |
M-West |
|
94 |
Wyoming |
M-West |
|
95 |
Memphis |
CUSA |
|
96 |
Louisiana Tech |
WAC |
|
97 |
Bowling Green |
MAC |
|
98 |
Air Force |
M-West |
|
99 |
Central Michigan |
MAC |
|
100 |
Eastern Michigan |
MAC |
|
101 |
Tulane |
CUSA |
|
102 |
Arkansas State |
Sun Belt |
|
103 |
UNLV |
M-West |
|
104 |
Ohio |
MAC |
|
105 |
Army |
Ind |
|
106 |
FIU |
Sun Belt |
|
107 |
MTSU |
Sun Belt |
|
108 |
UL Lafayette |
Sun Belt |
|
109 |
Idaho |
WAC |
|
110 |
Rice |
CUSA |
|
111 |
Ball State |
MAC |
|
112 |
Buffalo |
MAC |
|
113 |
Utah State |
WAC |
|
114 |
San Jose State |
WAC |
|
115 |
UL Monroe |
Sun Belt |
|
116 |
North Texas |
Sun Belt |
|
117 |
New Mexico State |
WAC |
|
118 |
Florida Atlantic |
Sun Belt |
|
119 |
Temple |
Ind |