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- Thread starter MililaniBuckeye
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daddyphatsacs
Let the cards fall...
Paul Posluszny is going to have a Chad Greenway/ Abdul Hodge kind of season. He's going to find out how hard it is to play LB when your defensive line isn't very good. While I think he's worthy of All American mention, you'll definately see a drop off there this season.
Quinn Pitcock will be on some All American lists come season's end. He is being mentioned as a top 20 pick in some draft circles. Lawrence Wilson could also have a dynamic season.
Smith is worthy, along with Ginn..........no brainers there.
Damn.......is the season ready to get rolling or what?
Quinn Pitcock will be on some All American lists come season's end. He is being mentioned as a top 20 pick in some draft circles. Lawrence Wilson could also have a dynamic season.
Smith is worthy, along with Ginn..........no brainers there.
Damn.......is the season ready to get rolling or what?
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BuckeyeRob
Yeah, whatever...
Hmmm Well considering that Garrett Wolfe was 2nd in the nation for yards per game and his 6.53 yards per carry is higher than anyone in the country except for Reggie Bush Id have to disagree with you. Conisdering he still managed 1580 yards inspite of not playing in 3 games... Wolfe was on track to go over 2000 yards. Bottom line is if Wolfe had not been injured for 3 games, he would have ended up the top back in the country last season.
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A little recap of the Playboy All-American team: http://nfl.com/news/story/9441458
A few Buckeye tidbits at the bottom of the article.
A few Buckeye tidbits at the bottom of the article.
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From CFN: Their pre-season All-America QB's, RB's, and WR's.
We face RBs #6 through #10, with Garrett Wolfe the highest ranked.
<TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Quarterbacks
1. Brady Quinn, Sr. Notre Dame
2. Troy Smith, Sr. Ohio State
3. Drew Stanton, Sr. Michigan State
4. Sam Keller, Sr. Arizona State
5. Drew Tate, Sr. Iowa
6. Brian Brohm, Jr. Louisville
7. Drew Weatherford, Soph. Florida State
8. Colt Brennan, Jr. Hawaii
9. Pat White, Soph. West Virginia
10. John David Booty, Jr. USC
11. Chris Leak, Sr. Florida
12. JaMarcus Russell, Jr. LSU
13. Kevin Kolb, Sr. Houston
14. Chad Henne, Jr. Michigan
15. Zac Taylor, Sr., Nebraska
16. Brandon Cox, Jr. Auburn
17. Kyle Wright, Jr., Miami
18. Jeff Rowe, Sr. Nevada
19. Rhett Bomar, Soph. Oklahoma
20. Brian Johnson, Jr. Utah
21. John Beck, Sr. BYU
22. Rudy Carpenter, Soph. Arizona State
23. Phil Horvath, Sr., Northern Illinois
24. Ben Olson, Soph. UCLA
25. Jordan Palmer, Sr. UTEP
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]cfnews.com
2006 CFN All-America
Quarterbacks
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American [SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]
%20(MC)%20AA.gif)
[FONT=verdana, arial,
sans serif]Brady Quinn, Sr. Notre Dame - [/FONT]292-450, 65%, 3,919 yds, 32 TD, 7 INT, 70 carries, 90 yds, 1 TD
Could Quinn handle the pressure of the big Charlie Weis playbook and succeed in the new offense? Uh, yeah. A nice prospect with a live arm, good size and decent mobility, Quinn entered the rarefied air of being considered a number one overall caliber pro prospect after cranking out the best passing season in Notre Dame history on his way to finishing fourth in the Heisman race. Under Weis he proved he could be a sharp decision maker as well as be able to make all the throws. Just as important was his ability to rally the team and get the offense moving when he had to. Notre Dame might have lost to USC, but Quinn's stock went through the roof after leading the offense on a late drive to take the lead. He became the front-runner for the 2006 Heisman race after throwing for 432 yards in the comeback win over Stanford.
2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American [SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Troy Smith, Sr. Ohio State- 149-237, 2,283 yds, 63%, 16 TD, 4 INT, 136 carries, 611 yds, 4.5 ypc, 11 TD
Could Smith be this year's version of Vince Young and be a do-it-all star who carries his team to a title? After being suspended for the season opener and coming off the bench for the Texas game, he took over and was fantastic showing off an accurate arm along with tremendous rushing skills. He's not a bomber, but he's a great decision maker who's great at making big plays and is icy cool in the clutch. A perfect fit for the read-option offense, he'll be a statistical machine who could be a front-runner for the Heisman if he can pull off a win at Texas.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)
John David Booty, Jr. USC- 27-42, 327 yds, 64.3%, 3 TD, 2 INT
Booty's career hasn't exactly gone as planned. As a true freshman, he was supposed to get a long look as the starter after graduating a year early from high school, but some guy named Leinart went off and won the Heisman and then decided to stick around another year instead of becoming the number one pick in the draft. Now Booty has a back injury to deal with. He has a big arm and he certainly knows the system, but he has to prove he can stay healthy and his decision making has to be spot on. He was making great progress before his back spasms struck knocking him out of spring ball.
Colt Brennan, Jr. Hawaii - 350-515, 68%, 4,301 yds, 35 TD, 13 INT. 99 carries, 154 yds, 1.6 ypc, 2 TD
Think Timmy Chang with a bigger arm and some mobility. After a long, tough road being exiled from Colorado, Brennan ended up at Hawaii from Saddleback Community College before joining the Warriors. He turned out to be one of the nation's best all-around quarterbacks leading the country in total offense while becoming the WAC's most prolific passer. He's 6-3 and 190 pounds with the mobility to buy himself time to throw and occasionally take off. Of course, at Hawaii, it's all about throwing the ball, and Brennan threw for over 300 yards in ten games including the final seven with four 400-yard days and a 515-yard, seven touchdown explosion against New Mexico State. While he threw 13 interceptions, he spread them out with no more than two in any one game. Considering he threw 515 times, that's not bad.
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Brian Brohm, Jr. Louisville- 207-301, 68.8%, 2,883 yds, 19 TD, 5 INT, 4 rushing TDs
Would Brohm have been a first round draft pick if he could’ve come out this year? Probably. The 6-4, 224-pound junior is coming off an torn ACL that cost him the last two games of the season, but that didn't stop him from being the Big East Offensive Player of the Year. He has the arm, the smarts, and the touch to be a next-level star. Now he has to prove he can be the type of quarterback who can carry his team to a conference title. He's not a runner, but he can move a little bit with good touch when on the move. The key to his game is accuracy. When he gets into a groove, it's over. Just ask Oregon State who got tagged for a 18 of 22, 368-yard, five touchdown game.
[/SIZE][/FONT]
Sam Keller, Sr. Arizona State- 155-264, 58%, 2,165 yds, 20 TD, 9 INT, 1 rushing touchdown
Keller was on the way to an All-America caliber season with two 400-yard games and two 300-yard games in his first six outings along with four touchdown passes in each of his first four games, and then he got hurt against Stanford and missed the second half of the season due to the thumb injury. He's a big 6-4, 240-pound bomber with a live arm and a self-confidence and swagger that's both a help and a hindrance. For example, his attitude helped ASU bomb away against USC on the way to a halftime lead, but he pressed too much when things started going south and finished with five interceptions and a loss. He's not going to run and he's not the most mobile quarterback in the pocket, but he's such a quick decision maker with such a quick release that it doesn't matter.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Drew Stanton, Sr. Michigan State - 236-354, 3,077 yds, 67%, 22 TD, 12 INT, 121 carries, 338 yds, 2.8 ypc 4 TD
The only possible knock is that he tries too hard. Other than that, he should grow into a big-time pro prospect if he has a huge senior season. Arguably the best quarterback in college football over the first four games last year after starting out throwing 13 touchdown passes, he cooled off big time having problems with interceptions when he tried to carry the inconsistent offense. When he's on, there are few better and with his combination of 6-3, 230-pound size, accuracy, running skills, and experience. If he can stay healthy, this should be the year he puts it all together and becomes an All-American.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Drew Tate, Sr. Iowa- 219-352, 62%, 2,828 yds, 22 TD, 7 INT, 44 carries, 41 yds, 2 TD
Tate cut down on his interceptions and improved his decision making by leaps and bounds from his sophomore year, and now he appears ready to make the jump to All-America status as a senior. He got better as last season went on finishing up by throwing for 351 yards and four touchdowns against Minnesota and 346 yards and three scores in the loss to Florida. He's a tough, gritty player who isn't afraid to throw his body around to try to get the tough yards, and he's great in the system. He should be among the nation's most efficient passers and on the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year short list.
Drew Weatherford, Soph. Florida State- 276-469, 59%, 3,208 yds, 18 TD, 18 INT, 3 rushing touchdowns
Weatherford arguably the most underrated quarterback in the nation last season considering what he had to handle. Basically forced to carry the entire Seminole offense as a true freshman, he didn’t get any support from the running game and received little help from the banged up offensive line. Even so, he ended up setting the ACC record for the most passing yards by a freshman and led the team to the conference title. He threw too many interceptions, but that was because he had to keep bombing away. In the two biggest games of the year, the ACC championship and the Orange Bowl, he only threw one pick. While he's not going to run for big yards, he's not immobile.
Pat White, Soph. West Virginia- 65-114, 57%, 828 yds, 8 TD, 131 carries, 952 yds, 7.3 ypc, 7 TD
White is one of the premier running quarterbacks in college football, and now that he knows what he's doing, he should be a stronger passer. He hasn't had to throw much with all the success of the ground gam. He had a great Sugar Bowl performance completing 11 of 14 passes, but was erratic throughout the season and didn't make enough secondaries pay for cheating up against the run. No longer a green freshman, he'll be more of a leader and will take more chances with his throws with more confidence in what he's doing. Of course, he'll make his biggest plays on the move. As a runner, he tore off four 100-yard games highlighted by a 220-yard rushing day against Pitt.
cfbnews.RB
2006 CFN All-America
Running Backs[/SIZE] <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Running Backs
1. [SIZE=-1]Adrian Peterson, Jr. Oklahoma[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2.[SIZE=-1] Steve Slaton, Soph. West Virginia[/SIZE]
3.[SIZE=-1] Michael Bush, Sr. Louisville[/SIZE]
4.[SIZE=-1] Kenny Irons, Sr. Auburn[/SIZE]
5.[SIZE=-1] Marshawn Lynch, Jr. California [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]
6. Garrett Wolfe, Sr., Northern Illinois
7. Jamaal Charles, Soph., Texas
[/SIZE]8.[SIZE=-1] Tyrell Sutton, Soph. Northwestern[/SIZE]
9.[SIZE=-1] Albert Young, Jr. Iowa[/SIZE]
10.[SIZE=-1] Mike Hart, Jr. Michigan[/SIZE]
11.[SIZE=-1] Darren McFadden, Soph. Arkansas[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]
12. Darius Walker, Jr. Notre Dame[/SIZE]
13.[SIZE=-1] Yvenson Bernard, Jr. Oregon State[/SIZE]
14.[SIZE=-1] Rafael Little, Jr. Kentucky[/SIZE]
15.[SIZE=-1] James Davis, Soph., Clemson [/SIZE]
16.[SIZE=-1] Arian Foster, Soph. Tennessee [/SIZE]
17.[SIZE=-1] Ken Darby, Sr. Alabama[/SIZE]
18.[SIZE=-1] Ahmad Bradshaw, Jr. Marshall[/SIZE]
19.[SIZE=-1] Thomas Brown, Jr. Georgia[/SIZE]
20. [SIZE=-1]Robert Hubbard, Sr. Nevada[/SIZE]
21.[SIZE=-1] Lynell Hamilton, Jr. San Diego State[/SIZE]
22.[SIZE=-1] Antonio Pittman, Jr. Ohio State[/SIZE]
23.[SIZE=-1] Kyle Bell, Jr. Colorado State[/SIZE]
24.[SIZE=-1] Jamario Thomas, Jr North Texas[/SIZE]
25.[SIZE=-1] Curtis Brown, Sr. BYU[/SIZE][/SIZE]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></B></I>
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]
Adrian Peterson, Jr. Oklahoma - 220 carries, 1,104 yards, 5.0 ypc, 14 TD, 9 catches, 50 yards
The best player in college football and the likely number one pick in the draft if/when he decides to come out next season, the franchise back has to stay healthy for a full season. He had problems with an ankle injury during the middle part of last year carrying it a mere 16 times over a four-game span, and then got healthy and ripped up the back half of the season with four straight 100-yard days highlighted by a breathtaking 237-yard performance against Oklahoma State. He's a tremendous mix of 6-2 size, warp speed, and a warrior's mentality. His running style is a bit too upright and he takes a few too many big shots, but that's nitpicking for the NFL types to worry about. Expect him to be used more in the passing game this year.
Steve Slaton, Soph. West Virginia - 205 carries, 1,128 yds, 5.5 ypc, 17 TD, 12 catches, 95 yds, 7.9 ypc, 2 TD
Easily the shocker of the 2005 season, the new West Virginia rushing star was supposed to be top recruit Jason Gwaltney. That changed in a hurry as Slaton took over in the third game of the year and was unstoppable the rest of the way averaging 136 yards per game after seeing time against Virginia Tech. He got on the national map with a five touchdown game in the win over Louisville, but it was his 204-yard, three touchdown Sugar Bowl against Georgia that got everyone talking. He runs far harder than his 5-10, 190-pound size, and there are few better home run hitters.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Michael Bush, Sr. Louisville - 205 carries, 1,143 yds, 5.6 ypc, 23 TD, 21 catches, 253 yds, 1 TD
Back for what seems like his 13th year in a Cardinal uniform, Bush passed up the chance to be a mid-round NFL draft pick to be on the short list of the nation's top college running backs. He's a freak of nature with good speed and phenomenal power in a 6-3, 250-pound frame. A scoring machine with 38 career touchdowns including 24 last season, he can even play a little quarterback on a halfback option using his skills honed as one of the nation's best high school passers. He also has good hands as a receiver out of the backfield. Staying healthy will be his key thanks to a pounding style that opens him up for some huge shots.
Kenny Irons, Sr. Auburn - 256 carries, 1,293 yds, 13 TDs, 5.1 ypc, 14 catches, 164 yds
The South Carolina transfer ripped it up in spring practice of 2005, but didn't get into the mix until the third game of the season when he tore off 147 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Ball State on just 11 carries. He then went on to be one of the SEC's best players with eight 100-yard days showing off tremendous home-run hitting speed highlighted by a brilliant 218-yard day in the loss to LSU. He's not necessarily a power runner, but he's physical and doesn't go down easily. When he has a sliver of daylight, he'll tear off a huge gain.
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)
[SIZE=-1]Jamaal Charles, Soph. Texas - [/SIZE]119 carries, 878 yds, 7.4 ypc, 11 TD, 14 catches, 157 yds, 11.2 ypc, 2 TD
Overlooked a bit nationally because he played in the same backfield as Vince Young, Charles had an All-America caliber season as one of the nation's most effective backs over the first half of the year. While tall and thin at 6-1 and 190 pounds, he can pack a little bit of a punch around the goal line and is a bolt of lightning in the open (he ran the fastest 110 meter hurdle time in the nation as a high school senior tearing off a 13.69). Even if he doesn't win the starting job, he'll be an often used number two back getting more than ten carries a game.[SIZE=-1]
Mike Hart, Jr. Michigan[/SIZE] - 150 carries, 662 yds, 4.4 ypc, 4 TD, 16 catches, 154 yds, 9.6 ypc, 1 TD
When healthy, Hart is one of the nation's best running backs. He was a bit overused as a freshman getting 274 carries over the final ten games of the season, got dinged up early on against Notre Dame, got healthy enough to run for 435 yards over a three game span, and then got hurt again and was never right the rest of the way. He's a quick 5-9 and 198 pounds with great hands and a combination of quickness and power.
[SIZE=-1]
Marshawn Lynch, Jr. California [/SIZE]- 196 carries, 1,246 yds, 6.4 ypc, 10 TD, 15 catches, 125 yds
It should say how much is expected out of Lynch that he had a slightly disappointing season and still cranked out 1,246 yards, ten touchdowns and averaged 6.4 yards per carry despite missing time and having a few problems with a hand injury. He's a home run threat every time he touches the ball with the size at 223 pounds to power for tough yards. If he can stay healthy he's a Heisman candidate and a legitimate threat to crank out 2,000 yards.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]Tyrell Sutton, Soph. Northwestern[/SIZE] - 250 carries, 1,474 yds, 5.9 ypc, 16 TD, 44 catches, 396 yds, 2 TD
Sutton took over in the first game of his true freshman season and was unbelievable the rest of the way. Not only was he a workhorse for the ground game with three games with more than 30 carries, and one with 29 carries, he was a reliable receiver highlighted by a ten-catch day against Purdue. He's not all that big at 5-9 and 190 pounds, but he's great at flying through the hole with elusive open field speed.
[SIZE=-1]
Garrett Wolfe, Sr., Northern Illinois [/SIZE]- 242 carries, 1,580 yds, 6.5 ypc, 16 TD, 20 catches, 222 yds, 11.1 ypc, 1 TD
The diminutive 5-7, 173-pound senior is quick enough to zip around defenders and strong enough to power his way over bigger ones. He's one of the strongest pound for pound players in the game to go along with phenomenal instincts and a burst of speed when he gets into the clear; he's simply one of the game's most dynamic backs. What gets lost is his workhorse ability. He carried the ball 107 times over the final three games of the year, including the MAC title game against Akron, for 724 yards and nine touchdowns. Had he not suffered a knee injury midway through the season forcing him to miss three games, he likely would've been a lock for 2,000 yards and well over 20 touchdowns. While not used all that often as a receiver, he has nice hands.
[SIZE=-1]
Albert Young, Jr. Iowa[/SIZE] - 249 carries, 1,334 yds, 5.4 ypc, 8 TD, 24 catches, 244 yds, 10.2 ypc
One of the nation's top unsung rushers, Young returned from a leg injury that cost him all of 2004 to run for eight 100-yard games while rushing for 1,002 yards in Iowa's eight Big Ten games. He blends decent power with tremendous speed and great hands. He has the ability to tear off yards in chunks, but his longest run last season was only 36 yards. Expect that to change. The scary part is that he's even faster after being a year removed from the injury.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]cfbnews.WR<TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Receivers
1. [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Dwayne Jarrett, Jr. USC[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2.[SIZE=-1] Sidney Rice, Soph. South Carolina[/SIZE]
3.[SIZE=-1] Calvin Johnson, Jr., Georgia Tech[/SIZE]
4.[SIZE=-1] Jason Hill, Sr. Washington State[/SIZE]
5.[SIZE=-1] Davone Bess, Soph. Hawaii[/SIZE]
6.[SIZE=-1] Ted Ginn Jr., Jr. Ohio State[/SIZE]
7.[SIZE=-1] Jeff Samardzija, Sr. Notre Dame
8. Steve Smith, Sr. USC[/SIZE]
9.[SIZE=-1] Jarrett Hicks, Sr., Texas Tech[/SIZE]
10.[SIZE=-1] Dorien Bryant, Jr. Purdue [/SIZE]
11.[SIZE=-1] Joel Filani, Sr., Texas Tech[/SIZE]
12.[SIZE=-1] Mario Urrutia, Soph. Louisville[/SIZE]
13.[SIZE=-1] Todd Blythe, Jr., Iowa State[/SIZE]
14.[SIZE=-1] DeSean Jackson, Soph. California[/SIZE]
15.[SIZE=-1] Dwayne Bowe, Sr. LSU[/SIZE]
16.[SIZE=-1] James Hardy, Soph. Indiana[/SIZE]
17.[SIZE=-1] Derrick Williams, Soph. Penn State
[/SIZE]18. Evan Moore, Sr. Stanford
19. Aundrae Allison, Sr. East Carolina
20. Mario Manningham, Soph. Michigan
21. Earl Bennett, Soph. Vanderbilt
22. Chansi Stuckey, Sr., Clemson
23. Dallas Baker, Sr. Florida
24. D'Juan Woods, Sr., Oklahoma State
25. Paul Williams, Sr. Fresno State[/SIZE]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[/FONT][/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]2006 CFN All-America
Wide Receivers
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]
Dwayne Jarrett, Jr. USC - 91 catches, 1,274 yds, 14 ypc, 16 TD
This is assuming he’s eligible after getting into trouble with the NCAA for not paying enough rent for his off-campus apartment with Matt Leinart last year. Jarrett spent his freshman season being compared to Mike Williams, and then had scouts thinking he's even better than the current Detroit Lion after a brilliant sophomore season showing off hands, the ability to make the acrobatic grab, and consistency. He had the full trust of Leinart to be the go-to, crunch time receiver coming through with big play after big play leading the team with 31 more catches than the number two receiver, Steve Smith. He has caught passes for 75 yards or more in 15 of the 26 games he has played in with a whopping 29 touchdowns in two years.
Sidney Rice, Soph. South Carolina - 70 catches, 1,143 yds, 16.3 ypc, 13 TD
The 6-3, 200-pound sophomore still needs some polish, but he's still one of the nation's top receivers and a top-flight pro prospect. He missed the opener with a broken finger, and then blew up as the team's main weapon with five 100-yard games in his final six highlighted by a brilliant 12-catch, 191-yard, one touchdown performance in the Independence Bowl loss to Missouri. The only question is his durability suffering a knee injury in 2004, the broken finger last year, and a thumb injury this season that kept him out of spring ball.
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE]Jason Hill, Sr. Washington State - 62 catches, 1,097 yds, 17.7 ypc, 13 TD
In one of the biggest surprises in college football this off-season, Hill decided to return for his senior season when he could've been a first day draft pick. He's has the size at 6-2 and 208 pounds and the deep speed to be this year's star you need to watch. Not just flashy, he's consistent and clutch. Of course, his big performances are what get him noticed with a 240-yard, three touchdown day against Cal and a 190-yard, one score performance against Oregon State. He has only gone six games over the last two seasons without a touchdown.
Calvin Johnson, Jr., Georgia Tech - 54 catches, 888 yds, 16.4 ypc, 6 TD
While his numbers slipped after a record-setting freshman season, the 6-4, 235-pound Johnson became a more complete receiver and stopped relying solely on his ridiculous talents to get by. He figured out how to be more physical and use his strength and size more to his advantage and showed better route running ability. Now he has to be an even more polished route runner and do a better job of being open despite being the focus of every defensive gameplan. If he's the be-all-end-all pro prospect he's supposed to be, he has be a 7-10 catch per game receiver no matter what.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)
Davone Bess, Soph. Hawaii - 89 catches, 1,124 yds, 12.6 ypc, 14 TD
UH head coach June Jones has gone as far as to call Bess the best receiver he has ever coached. Remember, Jones coached in the NFL. Bess spent his senior year in high school as a quarterback, sat out the 2004 season, and then ripped it up as a true freshman with seven 100-yard games highlighted by a two game stretch against Fresno State and Nevada when he caught 26 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns. He's as tough as they come with phenomenal hands and great concentration around the goal line.
Dorien Bryant, Jr. Purdue - 80 catches, 960 yds, 12 ypc, 4 TD
While there have been some tremendously productive receivers in the Joe Tiller era, Bryant was the most heralded recruit and arguably has the most talent. He had a better season than he got credit for considering the shaky play of the quarterbacks, and there wasn't a more dominant receiver in America over a three game stretch when Bryant caught 40 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns against Notre Dame, Iowa and Northwestern. His production tailed off once Curtis Painter took over, but he was still a producer. While he's not huge, he's too quick to cover one on one.
Jarrett Hicks, Sr., Texas Tech - 65 catches, 1,048 yds, 13.1 ypc, 10 TD
Hicks has been one of the nation's top producing receivers over the last two seasons with moments of explosion and unstoppable stretches. He's great at finding his way in the end zone with 173 career grabs for 2,525 yards and 28 touchdowns. At 6-3 and 208 pounds, he's too physical for most defensive backs. At the X position, he has enough speed to be a solid deep threat.
Ted Ginn, Jr. Ohio State - 51 catches, 803 yds, 15.7 ypc, 4 TD, 12 carries, 83 yds, 6.9 ypc, 1 TD
What was wrong with Ted Ginn? That was the cry early last year when one of college football's top all-around players failed to make any top all-around plays. As it turned out, he just needed a little time to breakout, and then he showed off his skills with some big punt returns while growing into a dangerous receiver finishing with an eight-catch, 167-yard, one touchdown day against Notre Dame. The light has appeared to go on and he should be the All-America, number one target he was expected to blossom into last season.
Jeff Samardzija, Sr. Notre Dame - 77 catches, 1,249 yds, 16.2 ypc, 15 TD
A decent target over his first two seasons, Samardzija exploded into an All-American leading the Irish in receiving as Brady Quinn's top target. He was unstoppable up until the Fiesta Bowl with six 100-yard days and touchdown catches in every game but two: the loss to Ohio State and the win over Navy. The 6-5, 220-pound senior has grown into a first round pro prospect with great speed to go along with reliable hands. Drafted by the Chicago Cubs, he'll also look into trying to become a two-sport athlete at the next level.
Steve Smith, Sr. USC - 60 catches, 957 yds, 15.9 ypc, 5 TD
Smith could've gone pro this year but returned to join Dwayne Jarrett to form the nation's best 1-2 receiving tandem. He showed no problems from the broken leg that knocked him out in 2004 with the same speed and quickness he had before the injury. A decent sized target at 6-0 and 195 pounds, he also has some of the best wheels on the team.
[/SIZE][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]
We face RBs #6 through #10, with Garrett Wolfe the highest ranked.
<TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Quarterbacks
1. Brady Quinn, Sr. Notre Dame
2. Troy Smith, Sr. Ohio State
3. Drew Stanton, Sr. Michigan State
4. Sam Keller, Sr. Arizona State
5. Drew Tate, Sr. Iowa
6. Brian Brohm, Jr. Louisville
7. Drew Weatherford, Soph. Florida State
8. Colt Brennan, Jr. Hawaii
9. Pat White, Soph. West Virginia
10. John David Booty, Jr. USC
11. Chris Leak, Sr. Florida
12. JaMarcus Russell, Jr. LSU
13. Kevin Kolb, Sr. Houston
14. Chad Henne, Jr. Michigan
15. Zac Taylor, Sr., Nebraska
16. Brandon Cox, Jr. Auburn
17. Kyle Wright, Jr., Miami
18. Jeff Rowe, Sr. Nevada
19. Rhett Bomar, Soph. Oklahoma
20. Brian Johnson, Jr. Utah
21. John Beck, Sr. BYU
22. Rudy Carpenter, Soph. Arizona State
23. Phil Horvath, Sr., Northern Illinois
24. Ben Olson, Soph. UCLA
25. Jordan Palmer, Sr. UTEP
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]cfnews.com
2006 CFN All-America
Quarterbacks
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American [SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]
sans serif]Brady Quinn, Sr. Notre Dame - [/FONT]292-450, 65%, 3,919 yds, 32 TD, 7 INT, 70 carries, 90 yds, 1 TD
Could Quinn handle the pressure of the big Charlie Weis playbook and succeed in the new offense? Uh, yeah. A nice prospect with a live arm, good size and decent mobility, Quinn entered the rarefied air of being considered a number one overall caliber pro prospect after cranking out the best passing season in Notre Dame history on his way to finishing fourth in the Heisman race. Under Weis he proved he could be a sharp decision maker as well as be able to make all the throws. Just as important was his ability to rally the team and get the offense moving when he had to. Notre Dame might have lost to USC, but Quinn's stock went through the roof after leading the offense on a late drive to take the lead. He became the front-runner for the 2006 Heisman race after throwing for 432 yards in the comeback win over Stanford.
2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American [SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Troy Smith, Sr. Ohio State- 149-237, 2,283 yds, 63%, 16 TD, 4 INT, 136 carries, 611 yds, 4.5 ypc, 11 TD
Could Smith be this year's version of Vince Young and be a do-it-all star who carries his team to a title? After being suspended for the season opener and coming off the bench for the Texas game, he took over and was fantastic showing off an accurate arm along with tremendous rushing skills. He's not a bomber, but he's a great decision maker who's great at making big plays and is icy cool in the clutch. A perfect fit for the read-option offense, he'll be a statistical machine who could be a front-runner for the Heisman if he can pull off a win at Texas.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)
John David Booty, Jr. USC- 27-42, 327 yds, 64.3%, 3 TD, 2 INT
Booty's career hasn't exactly gone as planned. As a true freshman, he was supposed to get a long look as the starter after graduating a year early from high school, but some guy named Leinart went off and won the Heisman and then decided to stick around another year instead of becoming the number one pick in the draft. Now Booty has a back injury to deal with. He has a big arm and he certainly knows the system, but he has to prove he can stay healthy and his decision making has to be spot on. He was making great progress before his back spasms struck knocking him out of spring ball.
Colt Brennan, Jr. Hawaii - 350-515, 68%, 4,301 yds, 35 TD, 13 INT. 99 carries, 154 yds, 1.6 ypc, 2 TD
Think Timmy Chang with a bigger arm and some mobility. After a long, tough road being exiled from Colorado, Brennan ended up at Hawaii from Saddleback Community College before joining the Warriors. He turned out to be one of the nation's best all-around quarterbacks leading the country in total offense while becoming the WAC's most prolific passer. He's 6-3 and 190 pounds with the mobility to buy himself time to throw and occasionally take off. Of course, at Hawaii, it's all about throwing the ball, and Brennan threw for over 300 yards in ten games including the final seven with four 400-yard days and a 515-yard, seven touchdown explosion against New Mexico State. While he threw 13 interceptions, he spread them out with no more than two in any one game. Considering he threw 515 times, that's not bad.
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Brian Brohm, Jr. Louisville- 207-301, 68.8%, 2,883 yds, 19 TD, 5 INT, 4 rushing TDs
Would Brohm have been a first round draft pick if he could’ve come out this year? Probably. The 6-4, 224-pound junior is coming off an torn ACL that cost him the last two games of the season, but that didn't stop him from being the Big East Offensive Player of the Year. He has the arm, the smarts, and the touch to be a next-level star. Now he has to prove he can be the type of quarterback who can carry his team to a conference title. He's not a runner, but he can move a little bit with good touch when on the move. The key to his game is accuracy. When he gets into a groove, it's over. Just ask Oregon State who got tagged for a 18 of 22, 368-yard, five touchdown game.
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Sam Keller, Sr. Arizona State- 155-264, 58%, 2,165 yds, 20 TD, 9 INT, 1 rushing touchdown
Keller was on the way to an All-America caliber season with two 400-yard games and two 300-yard games in his first six outings along with four touchdown passes in each of his first four games, and then he got hurt against Stanford and missed the second half of the season due to the thumb injury. He's a big 6-4, 240-pound bomber with a live arm and a self-confidence and swagger that's both a help and a hindrance. For example, his attitude helped ASU bomb away against USC on the way to a halftime lead, but he pressed too much when things started going south and finished with five interceptions and a loss. He's not going to run and he's not the most mobile quarterback in the pocket, but he's such a quick decision maker with such a quick release that it doesn't matter.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Drew Stanton, Sr. Michigan State - 236-354, 3,077 yds, 67%, 22 TD, 12 INT, 121 carries, 338 yds, 2.8 ypc 4 TD
The only possible knock is that he tries too hard. Other than that, he should grow into a big-time pro prospect if he has a huge senior season. Arguably the best quarterback in college football over the first four games last year after starting out throwing 13 touchdown passes, he cooled off big time having problems with interceptions when he tried to carry the inconsistent offense. When he's on, there are few better and with his combination of 6-3, 230-pound size, accuracy, running skills, and experience. If he can stay healthy, this should be the year he puts it all together and becomes an All-American.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Drew Tate, Sr. Iowa- 219-352, 62%, 2,828 yds, 22 TD, 7 INT, 44 carries, 41 yds, 2 TD
Tate cut down on his interceptions and improved his decision making by leaps and bounds from his sophomore year, and now he appears ready to make the jump to All-America status as a senior. He got better as last season went on finishing up by throwing for 351 yards and four touchdowns against Minnesota and 346 yards and three scores in the loss to Florida. He's a tough, gritty player who isn't afraid to throw his body around to try to get the tough yards, and he's great in the system. He should be among the nation's most efficient passers and on the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year short list.
Drew Weatherford, Soph. Florida State- 276-469, 59%, 3,208 yds, 18 TD, 18 INT, 3 rushing touchdowns
Weatherford arguably the most underrated quarterback in the nation last season considering what he had to handle. Basically forced to carry the entire Seminole offense as a true freshman, he didn’t get any support from the running game and received little help from the banged up offensive line. Even so, he ended up setting the ACC record for the most passing yards by a freshman and led the team to the conference title. He threw too many interceptions, but that was because he had to keep bombing away. In the two biggest games of the year, the ACC championship and the Orange Bowl, he only threw one pick. While he's not going to run for big yards, he's not immobile.
Pat White, Soph. West Virginia- 65-114, 57%, 828 yds, 8 TD, 131 carries, 952 yds, 7.3 ypc, 7 TD
White is one of the premier running quarterbacks in college football, and now that he knows what he's doing, he should be a stronger passer. He hasn't had to throw much with all the success of the ground gam. He had a great Sugar Bowl performance completing 11 of 14 passes, but was erratic throughout the season and didn't make enough secondaries pay for cheating up against the run. No longer a green freshman, he'll be more of a leader and will take more chances with his throws with more confidence in what he's doing. Of course, he'll make his biggest plays on the move. As a runner, he tore off four 100-yard games highlighted by a 220-yard rushing day against Pitt.
cfbnews.RB
2006 CFN All-America
Running Backs[/SIZE] <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Running Backs
1. [SIZE=-1]Adrian Peterson, Jr. Oklahoma[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2.[SIZE=-1] Steve Slaton, Soph. West Virginia[/SIZE]
3.[SIZE=-1] Michael Bush, Sr. Louisville[/SIZE]
4.[SIZE=-1] Kenny Irons, Sr. Auburn[/SIZE]
5.[SIZE=-1] Marshawn Lynch, Jr. California [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]
6. Garrett Wolfe, Sr., Northern Illinois
7. Jamaal Charles, Soph., Texas
[/SIZE]8.[SIZE=-1] Tyrell Sutton, Soph. Northwestern[/SIZE]
9.[SIZE=-1] Albert Young, Jr. Iowa[/SIZE]
10.[SIZE=-1] Mike Hart, Jr. Michigan[/SIZE]
11.[SIZE=-1] Darren McFadden, Soph. Arkansas[/SIZE][SIZE=-1]
12. Darius Walker, Jr. Notre Dame[/SIZE]
13.[SIZE=-1] Yvenson Bernard, Jr. Oregon State[/SIZE]
14.[SIZE=-1] Rafael Little, Jr. Kentucky[/SIZE]
15.[SIZE=-1] James Davis, Soph., Clemson [/SIZE]
16.[SIZE=-1] Arian Foster, Soph. Tennessee [/SIZE]
17.[SIZE=-1] Ken Darby, Sr. Alabama[/SIZE]
18.[SIZE=-1] Ahmad Bradshaw, Jr. Marshall[/SIZE]
19.[SIZE=-1] Thomas Brown, Jr. Georgia[/SIZE]
20. [SIZE=-1]Robert Hubbard, Sr. Nevada[/SIZE]
21.[SIZE=-1] Lynell Hamilton, Jr. San Diego State[/SIZE]
22.[SIZE=-1] Antonio Pittman, Jr. Ohio State[/SIZE]
23.[SIZE=-1] Kyle Bell, Jr. Colorado State[/SIZE]
24.[SIZE=-1] Jamario Thomas, Jr North Texas[/SIZE]
25.[SIZE=-1] Curtis Brown, Sr. BYU[/SIZE][/SIZE]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></B></I>
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
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The best player in college football and the likely number one pick in the draft if/when he decides to come out next season, the franchise back has to stay healthy for a full season. He had problems with an ankle injury during the middle part of last year carrying it a mere 16 times over a four-game span, and then got healthy and ripped up the back half of the season with four straight 100-yard days highlighted by a breathtaking 237-yard performance against Oklahoma State. He's a tremendous mix of 6-2 size, warp speed, and a warrior's mentality. His running style is a bit too upright and he takes a few too many big shots, but that's nitpicking for the NFL types to worry about. Expect him to be used more in the passing game this year.
Easily the shocker of the 2005 season, the new West Virginia rushing star was supposed to be top recruit Jason Gwaltney. That changed in a hurry as Slaton took over in the third game of the year and was unstoppable the rest of the way averaging 136 yards per game after seeing time against Virginia Tech. He got on the national map with a five touchdown game in the win over Louisville, but it was his 204-yard, three touchdown Sugar Bowl against Georgia that got everyone talking. He runs far harder than his 5-10, 190-pound size, and there are few better home run hitters.
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2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Michael Bush, Sr. Louisville - 205 carries, 1,143 yds, 5.6 ypc, 23 TD, 21 catches, 253 yds, 1 TD
Back for what seems like his 13th year in a Cardinal uniform, Bush passed up the chance to be a mid-round NFL draft pick to be on the short list of the nation's top college running backs. He's a freak of nature with good speed and phenomenal power in a 6-3, 250-pound frame. A scoring machine with 38 career touchdowns including 24 last season, he can even play a little quarterback on a halfback option using his skills honed as one of the nation's best high school passers. He also has good hands as a receiver out of the backfield. Staying healthy will be his key thanks to a pounding style that opens him up for some huge shots.
Kenny Irons, Sr. Auburn - 256 carries, 1,293 yds, 13 TDs, 5.1 ypc, 14 catches, 164 yds
The South Carolina transfer ripped it up in spring practice of 2005, but didn't get into the mix until the third game of the season when he tore off 147 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Ball State on just 11 carries. He then went on to be one of the SEC's best players with eight 100-yard days showing off tremendous home-run hitting speed highlighted by a brilliant 218-yard day in the loss to LSU. He's not necessarily a power runner, but he's physical and doesn't go down easily. When he has a sliver of daylight, he'll tear off a huge gain.
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)
[SIZE=-1]Jamaal Charles, Soph. Texas - [/SIZE]119 carries, 878 yds, 7.4 ypc, 11 TD, 14 catches, 157 yds, 11.2 ypc, 2 TD
Overlooked a bit nationally because he played in the same backfield as Vince Young, Charles had an All-America caliber season as one of the nation's most effective backs over the first half of the year. While tall and thin at 6-1 and 190 pounds, he can pack a little bit of a punch around the goal line and is a bolt of lightning in the open (he ran the fastest 110 meter hurdle time in the nation as a high school senior tearing off a 13.69). Even if he doesn't win the starting job, he'll be an often used number two back getting more than ten carries a game.[SIZE=-1]
Mike Hart, Jr. Michigan[/SIZE] - 150 carries, 662 yds, 4.4 ypc, 4 TD, 16 catches, 154 yds, 9.6 ypc, 1 TD
When healthy, Hart is one of the nation's best running backs. He was a bit overused as a freshman getting 274 carries over the final ten games of the season, got dinged up early on against Notre Dame, got healthy enough to run for 435 yards over a three game span, and then got hurt again and was never right the rest of the way. He's a quick 5-9 and 198 pounds with great hands and a combination of quickness and power.
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Marshawn Lynch, Jr. California [/SIZE]- 196 carries, 1,246 yds, 6.4 ypc, 10 TD, 15 catches, 125 yds
It should say how much is expected out of Lynch that he had a slightly disappointing season and still cranked out 1,246 yards, ten touchdowns and averaged 6.4 yards per carry despite missing time and having a few problems with a hand injury. He's a home run threat every time he touches the ball with the size at 223 pounds to power for tough yards. If he can stay healthy he's a Heisman candidate and a legitimate threat to crank out 2,000 yards.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]Tyrell Sutton, Soph. Northwestern[/SIZE] - 250 carries, 1,474 yds, 5.9 ypc, 16 TD, 44 catches, 396 yds, 2 TD
Sutton took over in the first game of his true freshman season and was unbelievable the rest of the way. Not only was he a workhorse for the ground game with three games with more than 30 carries, and one with 29 carries, he was a reliable receiver highlighted by a ten-catch day against Purdue. He's not all that big at 5-9 and 190 pounds, but he's great at flying through the hole with elusive open field speed.
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Garrett Wolfe, Sr., Northern Illinois [/SIZE]- 242 carries, 1,580 yds, 6.5 ypc, 16 TD, 20 catches, 222 yds, 11.1 ypc, 1 TD
The diminutive 5-7, 173-pound senior is quick enough to zip around defenders and strong enough to power his way over bigger ones. He's one of the strongest pound for pound players in the game to go along with phenomenal instincts and a burst of speed when he gets into the clear; he's simply one of the game's most dynamic backs. What gets lost is his workhorse ability. He carried the ball 107 times over the final three games of the year, including the MAC title game against Akron, for 724 yards and nine touchdowns. Had he not suffered a knee injury midway through the season forcing him to miss three games, he likely would've been a lock for 2,000 yards and well over 20 touchdowns. While not used all that often as a receiver, he has nice hands.
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Albert Young, Jr. Iowa[/SIZE] - 249 carries, 1,334 yds, 5.4 ypc, 8 TD, 24 catches, 244 yds, 10.2 ypc
One of the nation's top unsung rushers, Young returned from a leg injury that cost him all of 2004 to run for eight 100-yard games while rushing for 1,002 yards in Iowa's eight Big Ten games. He blends decent power with tremendous speed and great hands. He has the ability to tear off yards in chunks, but his longest run last season was only 36 yards. Expect that to change. The scary part is that he's even faster after being a year removed from the injury.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]cfbnews.WR<TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Receivers
1. [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Dwayne Jarrett, Jr. USC[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2.[SIZE=-1] Sidney Rice, Soph. South Carolina[/SIZE]
3.[SIZE=-1] Calvin Johnson, Jr., Georgia Tech[/SIZE]
4.[SIZE=-1] Jason Hill, Sr. Washington State[/SIZE]
5.[SIZE=-1] Davone Bess, Soph. Hawaii[/SIZE]
6.[SIZE=-1] Ted Ginn Jr., Jr. Ohio State[/SIZE]
7.[SIZE=-1] Jeff Samardzija, Sr. Notre Dame
8. Steve Smith, Sr. USC[/SIZE]
9.[SIZE=-1] Jarrett Hicks, Sr., Texas Tech[/SIZE]
10.[SIZE=-1] Dorien Bryant, Jr. Purdue [/SIZE]
11.[SIZE=-1] Joel Filani, Sr., Texas Tech[/SIZE]
12.[SIZE=-1] Mario Urrutia, Soph. Louisville[/SIZE]
13.[SIZE=-1] Todd Blythe, Jr., Iowa State[/SIZE]
14.[SIZE=-1] DeSean Jackson, Soph. California[/SIZE]
15.[SIZE=-1] Dwayne Bowe, Sr. LSU[/SIZE]
16.[SIZE=-1] James Hardy, Soph. Indiana[/SIZE]
17.[SIZE=-1] Derrick Williams, Soph. Penn State
[/SIZE]18. Evan Moore, Sr. Stanford
19. Aundrae Allison, Sr. East Carolina
20. Mario Manningham, Soph. Michigan
21. Earl Bennett, Soph. Vanderbilt
22. Chansi Stuckey, Sr., Clemson
23. Dallas Baker, Sr. Florida
24. D'Juan Woods, Sr., Oklahoma State
25. Paul Williams, Sr. Fresno State[/SIZE]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[/FONT][/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]2006 CFN All-America
Wide Receivers
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
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This is assuming he’s eligible after getting into trouble with the NCAA for not paying enough rent for his off-campus apartment with Matt Leinart last year. Jarrett spent his freshman season being compared to Mike Williams, and then had scouts thinking he's even better than the current Detroit Lion after a brilliant sophomore season showing off hands, the ability to make the acrobatic grab, and consistency. He had the full trust of Leinart to be the go-to, crunch time receiver coming through with big play after big play leading the team with 31 more catches than the number two receiver, Steve Smith. He has caught passes for 75 yards or more in 15 of the 26 games he has played in with a whopping 29 touchdowns in two years.
The 6-3, 200-pound sophomore still needs some polish, but he's still one of the nation's top receivers and a top-flight pro prospect. He missed the opener with a broken finger, and then blew up as the team's main weapon with five 100-yard games in his final six highlighted by a brilliant 12-catch, 191-yard, one touchdown performance in the Independence Bowl loss to Missouri. The only question is his durability suffering a knee injury in 2004, the broken finger last year, and a thumb injury this season that kept him out of spring ball.
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2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE]Jason Hill, Sr. Washington State - 62 catches, 1,097 yds, 17.7 ypc, 13 TD
In one of the biggest surprises in college football this off-season, Hill decided to return for his senior season when he could've been a first day draft pick. He's has the size at 6-2 and 208 pounds and the deep speed to be this year's star you need to watch. Not just flashy, he's consistent and clutch. Of course, his big performances are what get him noticed with a 240-yard, three touchdown day against Cal and a 190-yard, one score performance against Oregon State. He has only gone six games over the last two seasons without a touchdown.
Calvin Johnson, Jr., Georgia Tech - 54 catches, 888 yds, 16.4 ypc, 6 TD
While his numbers slipped after a record-setting freshman season, the 6-4, 235-pound Johnson became a more complete receiver and stopped relying solely on his ridiculous talents to get by. He figured out how to be more physical and use his strength and size more to his advantage and showed better route running ability. Now he has to be an even more polished route runner and do a better job of being open despite being the focus of every defensive gameplan. If he's the be-all-end-all pro prospect he's supposed to be, he has be a 7-10 catch per game receiver no matter what.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)
Davone Bess, Soph. Hawaii - 89 catches, 1,124 yds, 12.6 ypc, 14 TD
UH head coach June Jones has gone as far as to call Bess the best receiver he has ever coached. Remember, Jones coached in the NFL. Bess spent his senior year in high school as a quarterback, sat out the 2004 season, and then ripped it up as a true freshman with seven 100-yard games highlighted by a two game stretch against Fresno State and Nevada when he caught 26 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns. He's as tough as they come with phenomenal hands and great concentration around the goal line.
Dorien Bryant, Jr. Purdue - 80 catches, 960 yds, 12 ypc, 4 TD
While there have been some tremendously productive receivers in the Joe Tiller era, Bryant was the most heralded recruit and arguably has the most talent. He had a better season than he got credit for considering the shaky play of the quarterbacks, and there wasn't a more dominant receiver in America over a three game stretch when Bryant caught 40 passes for 421 yards and three touchdowns against Notre Dame, Iowa and Northwestern. His production tailed off once Curtis Painter took over, but he was still a producer. While he's not huge, he's too quick to cover one on one.
Jarrett Hicks, Sr., Texas Tech - 65 catches, 1,048 yds, 13.1 ypc, 10 TD
Hicks has been one of the nation's top producing receivers over the last two seasons with moments of explosion and unstoppable stretches. He's great at finding his way in the end zone with 173 career grabs for 2,525 yards and 28 touchdowns. At 6-3 and 208 pounds, he's too physical for most defensive backs. At the X position, he has enough speed to be a solid deep threat.
Ted Ginn, Jr. Ohio State - 51 catches, 803 yds, 15.7 ypc, 4 TD, 12 carries, 83 yds, 6.9 ypc, 1 TD
What was wrong with Ted Ginn? That was the cry early last year when one of college football's top all-around players failed to make any top all-around plays. As it turned out, he just needed a little time to breakout, and then he showed off his skills with some big punt returns while growing into a dangerous receiver finishing with an eight-catch, 167-yard, one touchdown day against Notre Dame. The light has appeared to go on and he should be the All-America, number one target he was expected to blossom into last season.
Jeff Samardzija, Sr. Notre Dame - 77 catches, 1,249 yds, 16.2 ypc, 15 TD
A decent target over his first two seasons, Samardzija exploded into an All-American leading the Irish in receiving as Brady Quinn's top target. He was unstoppable up until the Fiesta Bowl with six 100-yard days and touchdown catches in every game but two: the loss to Ohio State and the win over Navy. The 6-5, 220-pound senior has grown into a first round pro prospect with great speed to go along with reliable hands. Drafted by the Chicago Cubs, he'll also look into trying to become a two-sport athlete at the next level.
Steve Smith, Sr. USC - 60 catches, 957 yds, 15.9 ypc, 5 TD
Smith could've gone pro this year but returned to join Dwayne Jarrett to form the nation's best 1-2 receiving tandem. He showed no problems from the broken leg that knocked him out in 2004 with the same speed and quickness he had before the injury. A decent sized target at 6-0 and 195 pounds, he also has some of the best wheels on the team.
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CFN preseason All-America Tight Ends.
cfbnews.TE
<TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Tight Ends
1. Zach Miller, Jr. Arizona State
2. Greg Olsen, Jr., Miami
3. Matt Spaeth, Sr. Minnesota
4. Chase Coffman, Soph., Missouri
5. Clark Harris, Sr. Rutgers
6. Martin Rucker, Jr., Missouri
7. Matt Herian, Sr., Nebraska
8. Joe Newton, Sr. Oregon State
9. Jonny Harline, Sr. BYU
10. Shawn Nelson, Soph. Southern Miss
11. Brent Celek, Sr. Cincinnati
12. Tyler Ecker, Sr. Michigan
13. Anthony Podewell, Sr. Nevada
14. Tom Santi, Jr., Virginia
15. Scott Chandler, Sr. Iowa
16. Jacob Tamme, Jr. Kentucky
17. Samuel Smith, Sr. FIU
18. Martellus Bennett, Soph. Texas A&M
19. Eric Butler, Jr. Mississippi State
20. Martrez Milner, Sr. Georgia
21. Daniel Coats, Soph. BYU
22. Chad Upshaw, Sr. Buffalo
23. Dan Murray, Sr. Connecticut
24. Chris Hopkins, Sr. Toledo
25. Ryan Kennedy, Sr. SMU</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
2006 CFN All-America
Tight Ends
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
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Zach Miller, Jr. Arizona State - 38 catches, 476 yds, 12.5 ypc, 4 TD
One of the nation's best tight ends, the 6-5, 258-pound junior is a Todd Heap clone who'll set every record for ASU tight ends before his time is done. He gets the headlines for his receiving skills, but he's one of the nation's best blocking tight ends and a possible top 15 pick if he chooses to come out next season. He makes plays like a wide receiver with soft, reliable hands.
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2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Greg Olsen, Jr. Miami - 31 catches, 451 yds, 14.5 ypc, 4 TD
The sky's the limit for the soon to be first round draft choice. Olsen has it all from fantastic hands to good deep speed to good blocking ability in a 6-5, 252-pound frame. There are few better route runners and few tight ends in college football that can match what he can do in the open field. He'll likely be the team's leading receiver and the number one option on third downs. [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Chase Coffman, Soph. Missouri - 47 catches, 503 yds, 10.7 ypc, 4 TD
He'll be a First Team All-American before his career is up. At 6-6 and 230 pounds he has the size to outmuscle most defenders, and he has baby-soft hands that haul in everything thrown his way. He's fast enough to be used as a big wide receiver if needed.
Clark Harris, Sr. Rutgers - 38 catches, 584 yds, 15.4 ypc, 4 TD
The two-time All-Big East performer is back as one of the nation's better receiving tight ends and a should up his already considerable draft stock even more after returning for his senior season. He's 6-6 and 255 pounds with great route-running ability and soft hands catching 109 passes over the last three seasons. He has developed into a dependable blocker.
Matt Herian, Sr., Nebraska
Herian finally appears to be back and ready to contribute after missing almost two years trying to recover from a broken leg that required two surgeries. He's a decent blocker, but he's an NFL caliber target, or at least he was before the injury, and he needs to prove that he can be the fast, 6-5, 245-pound wide-receiver-playing-tight-end that he was before getting hurt. From 2002 to 2004 he caught 53 passes for 1,093 yards and ten touchdowns averaging 20.7 yards per catch.
Jonny Harline, Sr. BYU - 63 catches, 853 yds, 13.5 ypc, 5 TD
A tight-end-not-a-tight-end, Harline is a big wide receiver at the Y position finishing last year as the team's leading pass catcher while showing off the hands and deep speed to make him a good pro prospect. He's a decent blocker with a strong 6-4, 240-pound frame, but he's all about catching the ball with three 100-yard games last year and a ten-catch performance against New Mexico.
Shawn Nelson, Soph. Southern Miss - 35 catches, 540 yds, 15.4 ypc, 5 TD
Nelson led the team in receiving as a freshman and was the New Orleans Bowl MVP catching six passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, he closed the year out hot with 11 grabs for 234 yards and three scores in the final two games. He's a quick 6-5 and 230 pounds with great route running ability and excellent hands. He needs to improve his blocking skills.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Joe Newton, Sr. Oregon State
One of the nation's best tight ends, the 6-7, 252-pound senior is back after missing last year with a leg injury. He caught 56 passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns in 2004 and is now back too 100% and looks like the players of old. Along with being a great receiver, he's a strong blocker. Expect a huge year as the go-to guy in the red zone.
Martin Rucker, Jr. Missouri - 47 catches, 567 yds, 12.1 ypc, 1 TD
A two-year starter, Rucker led the team in receiving yards and earned a few All-Big 12 accolades. He's a big 6-5, 245-pound target who doesn't get enough credit for his blocking skills. He was a bit overshadowed by newcomer Chase Coffman on a national scale, but now he's ready to get his due recognition as he'll be on the Mackey Award short list.
Matt Spaeth, Sr. Minnesota - 26 catches, 333 yds, 12.8 ypc, 4 TD
An excellent all-around tight end, the 6-6, 270-pound senior is a devastating run blocker and finished third on the team in receiving on his way to First-Team All-Big Ten honors. He wasn't a part of the passing game early on, but he became one of the team's most reliable targets over the second half of the season and should be in the hunt to be the school's all-time leading receiving tight end needing 483 yards.
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<TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Tight Ends
1. Zach Miller, Jr. Arizona State
2. Greg Olsen, Jr., Miami
3. Matt Spaeth, Sr. Minnesota
4. Chase Coffman, Soph., Missouri
5. Clark Harris, Sr. Rutgers
6. Martin Rucker, Jr., Missouri
7. Matt Herian, Sr., Nebraska
8. Joe Newton, Sr. Oregon State
9. Jonny Harline, Sr. BYU
10. Shawn Nelson, Soph. Southern Miss
11. Brent Celek, Sr. Cincinnati
12. Tyler Ecker, Sr. Michigan
13. Anthony Podewell, Sr. Nevada
14. Tom Santi, Jr., Virginia
15. Scott Chandler, Sr. Iowa
16. Jacob Tamme, Jr. Kentucky
17. Samuel Smith, Sr. FIU
18. Martellus Bennett, Soph. Texas A&M
19. Eric Butler, Jr. Mississippi State
20. Martrez Milner, Sr. Georgia
21. Daniel Coats, Soph. BYU
22. Chad Upshaw, Sr. Buffalo
23. Dan Murray, Sr. Connecticut
24. Chris Hopkins, Sr. Toledo
25. Ryan Kennedy, Sr. SMU</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
2006 CFN All-America
Tight Ends
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
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One of the nation's best tight ends, the 6-5, 258-pound junior is a Todd Heap clone who'll set every record for ASU tight ends before his time is done. He gets the headlines for his receiving skills, but he's one of the nation's best blocking tight ends and a possible top 15 pick if he chooses to come out next season. He makes plays like a wide receiver with soft, reliable hands.
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2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Greg Olsen, Jr. Miami - 31 catches, 451 yds, 14.5 ypc, 4 TD
The sky's the limit for the soon to be first round draft choice. Olsen has it all from fantastic hands to good deep speed to good blocking ability in a 6-5, 252-pound frame. There are few better route runners and few tight ends in college football that can match what he can do in the open field. He'll likely be the team's leading receiver and the number one option on third downs. [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
(in alphabetical order)
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Chase Coffman, Soph. Missouri - 47 catches, 503 yds, 10.7 ypc, 4 TD
He'll be a First Team All-American before his career is up. At 6-6 and 230 pounds he has the size to outmuscle most defenders, and he has baby-soft hands that haul in everything thrown his way. He's fast enough to be used as a big wide receiver if needed.
Clark Harris, Sr. Rutgers - 38 catches, 584 yds, 15.4 ypc, 4 TD
The two-time All-Big East performer is back as one of the nation's better receiving tight ends and a should up his already considerable draft stock even more after returning for his senior season. He's 6-6 and 255 pounds with great route-running ability and soft hands catching 109 passes over the last three seasons. He has developed into a dependable blocker.
Matt Herian, Sr., Nebraska
Herian finally appears to be back and ready to contribute after missing almost two years trying to recover from a broken leg that required two surgeries. He's a decent blocker, but he's an NFL caliber target, or at least he was before the injury, and he needs to prove that he can be the fast, 6-5, 245-pound wide-receiver-playing-tight-end that he was before getting hurt. From 2002 to 2004 he caught 53 passes for 1,093 yards and ten touchdowns averaging 20.7 yards per catch.
Jonny Harline, Sr. BYU - 63 catches, 853 yds, 13.5 ypc, 5 TD
A tight-end-not-a-tight-end, Harline is a big wide receiver at the Y position finishing last year as the team's leading pass catcher while showing off the hands and deep speed to make him a good pro prospect. He's a decent blocker with a strong 6-4, 240-pound frame, but he's all about catching the ball with three 100-yard games last year and a ten-catch performance against New Mexico.
Shawn Nelson, Soph. Southern Miss - 35 catches, 540 yds, 15.4 ypc, 5 TD
Nelson led the team in receiving as a freshman and was the New Orleans Bowl MVP catching six passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, he closed the year out hot with 11 grabs for 234 yards and three scores in the final two games. He's a quick 6-5 and 230 pounds with great route running ability and excellent hands. He needs to improve his blocking skills.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Joe Newton, Sr. Oregon State
One of the nation's best tight ends, the 6-7, 252-pound senior is back after missing last year with a leg injury. He caught 56 passes for 687 yards and seven touchdowns in 2004 and is now back too 100% and looks like the players of old. Along with being a great receiver, he's a strong blocker. Expect a huge year as the go-to guy in the red zone.
Martin Rucker, Jr. Missouri - 47 catches, 567 yds, 12.1 ypc, 1 TD
A two-year starter, Rucker led the team in receiving yards and earned a few All-Big 12 accolades. He's a big 6-5, 245-pound target who doesn't get enough credit for his blocking skills. He was a bit overshadowed by newcomer Chase Coffman on a national scale, but now he's ready to get his due recognition as he'll be on the Mackey Award short list.
Matt Spaeth, Sr. Minnesota - 26 catches, 333 yds, 12.8 ypc, 4 TD
An excellent all-around tight end, the 6-6, 270-pound senior is a devastating run blocker and finished third on the team in receiving on his way to First-Team All-Big Ten honors. He wasn't a part of the passing game early on, but he became one of the team's most reliable targets over the second half of the season and should be in the hunt to be the school's all-time leading receiving tight end needing 483 yards.
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CFN's All-American Centers, OG's and OT's.
cfbnews.C
2006 CFN All-America
Centers <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Centers
1. Dan Mozes, Sr. West Virginia
2. Ryan Kalil, Sr. USC
3. Leroy Harris, Sr., NC State
4. Mark Fenton, Sr., Colorado
5. Kyle Young, Sr. Fresno State
6. Enoka Lucas, Sr. Oregon
7. Trevor Rees, Jr. Northwestern
8. Dustin Fry, Sr. Clemson
9. Samson Satele, Sr. Hawaii
10. Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, Sr. UCF
11. Adam Spieker, Jr. Missouri
12. Doug Datish, Sr. Ohio State
13. Kory Lichtensteiger, Jr. Bowling Green
14. Nick Jones, Sr. Georgia
15. Doug Legursky, Jr. Marshall
16. Antoine Caldwell, Soph. Alabama
17. Tanner Jenkins, Sr. Arkansas State
18. Scott Stephenson, Iowa State
19. David Ochoa, Sr. Kansas
20. Tanner Jenkins, Sr. Arkansas State
21. Robbie Krutilla, Jr. Western Michigan
22. Eric Wood, Soph. Louisville
23. Nick Alotta, Jr. Colorado State
24. Robbie Powell, Jr. Purdue
25. Tony Brinkhaus, Jr. Minnesota
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
%20AA.gif)
[/SIZE]Dan Mozes, Sr. West Virginia
The 290-pound veteran is back in the middle for his fourth straight season. He's the perfect leader for the line with the experience of seeing a bit of time at guard along with his duties at center. He has been nicked up from time to time with a shoulder problem a few years ago and an ankle issue for a game last season, but he's hardly injury prone. His motor is always running.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Ryan Kalil, Sr. USC
Kalil brings the attitude to the Trojan line. He bulked up a bit and should be even better than last year as the 285-pound anchor of the line. He doesn't make mistakes.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Mark Fenton, Sr., Colorado
It's Fenton's third season as the starter having grown into one of the nation's best centers and an All-Big 12 performer. He's a dominant pass blocker allowing just one sack in his career and should start to earn All-America status once more recognize his run blocking abilities.
Dustin Fry, Sr. Clemson
The line's most versatile player settled in at left guard where he earned second-team All-ACC honors despite only getting the starting nod over the second half of the season. The 6-4, 300-pound senior is the team's best run blocker and can step in at center and tackle if needed.
Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, Sr. UCF
Gagne-Marcoux is back for his fourth season as the leader on the line. He went from being a good starter who had problems with his consistency to a mistake-free rock and a true anchor up front.
Leroy Harris, Sr., NC State
By far the team's best offensive lineman and in the hunt for All-America honors before he gets a big pay day from the big league next year, the 6-3, 300-pound senior is a perfect anchor for the line with devastating run blocking skills and good durability despite missing four games a few years ago with a shoulder problem. If absolutely needed, he can move back to guard.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Enoka Lucas, Sr. Oregon
The long-time starter will again be in the hunt for all-star honors in the middle of a good Duck line. He had a great season after struggling through 2004 with a thumb injury, and now he's the leader of the line with 20 career starts. After handling the change to the spread offense without a problem, he'll be even better making the line calls.
Trevor Rees, Jr. Northwestern
Rees is back after missing all of last year due to academic issues, and he'll instantly upgrade the already solid line allowing Austin Matthews to move to tackle. Rees started 21 straight games before the off-field issues and should contend for All-Big Ten honors.
Samson Satele, Sr. Hawaii
The versatile 6-3 and 311 pound senior is one of the WAC's best linemen no matter where he plays. After adding weight, he should be even more physical starting at either center or guard. He can be a dominant run blocker and is a next-level caliber pass protector.
Kyle Young, Sr. Fresno State
One of the best centers in America, the 6-6, 330-pound senior has next-level potential at guard if he doesn't end up earning a ton of money at center. He's a smart quarterback for the line who's dominant in all phases. With his size, strength and talent, he's in a salary drive this year and should end up with several All-America honors.
cfbnews.OG
2006 CFN All-America
Offensive Guards <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Guards
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]1. [SIZE=-1]Josh Beekman, Sr. Boston College[/SIZE]
2. Mike Jones, Sr. Iowa
3. Kasey Studdard, Sr. Texas
4.[SIZE=-1] Kurt Quarterman, Sr. Louisville[/SIZE]
5.[SIZE=-1] George Batiste. Sr. Southern Miss[/SIZE]
6. Shannon Tevega, Jr. UCLA
7. Manuel Ramirez, Sr. Texas Tech
8. Tim Duckworth, Sr. Auburn
9.[SIZE=-1] Dallas Reynolds, Soph. BYU[/SIZE]
10. [SIZE=-1]Blake Butler, Sr. Memphis[/SIZE]
11.Roman Fry, Sr. Clemson
12.[SIZE=-1] Barrett Reznick, Sr. Nevada[/SIZE]
13. Will Arnold, Jr. LSU
14. Roy Schuening, Jr. Oregon State
15. Jeremy Sheffey, Sr. West Virginia
16.[SIZE=-1] Tad Miller, Jr. Boise State[/SIZE]
17. Jordan Grimes, Jr. Purdue
18. Dan Santucci, Sr. Notre Dame
19. Derrick Markray, Sr. Bowling Green
20. Brian Anderson, Sr. Mississippi State
21.[SIZE=-1] Cole Popovich, Soph. Fresno State[/SIZE]
22.[SIZE=-1] Dylan Lineberry, Sr. North Texas[/SIZE]
23. Brian Daniels, Sr. Colorado
24. [SIZE=-1]Aaron Schutz, Soph. UL Monroe[/SIZE]
25. Josh Day, Sr. Colorado State[/SIZE]
[/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Josh Beekman, Sr. Boston College
Able to potentially end up at center, the 325-pound senior will likely start out at right guard. He's good enough to earn all-star honors at either position with great athleticism and tackle-like pass protection skills.
Mike Jones, Sr. Iowa
Able to play tackle or guard, the 302-pound senior started last season at both tackle spots before settling in at left guard where he'll stay ... for now. He's an All-Big Ten caliber blocker no matter where he lines up.
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]Kurt Quarterman, Sr. Louisville
The star of the very good Cardinal line, Quarterman is a mauling 6-5 and 336 pounds who is in better shape than last year and should make the All-Big East team. He's fantastic on the move and will be the main blocker for the ground game.
Kasey Studdard, Sr. Texas
One of the rocks on the line over the last three years, the 6-3, 305-pound senior has started 25 straight games seeing time at both guard and center. He has earned All-Big 12 honors over the last two seasons growing into a technically sound blocker. He's a punishing run blocker with a high motor.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]George Batiste. Sr. Southern Miss
The First Team All-Conference USA performer is back on the right side for his fourth season. He's 6-5, 309 pounds, and great in all phases with the power and toughness to be a pounder for the running game and the feet and agility to be a consistent pass blocker. He's the one the team will run behind for the tough yards.
Blake Butler, Sr. Memphis
Butler was one of the only returning Tiger linemen with any starting experience last year, and he came through with a great season leading the line. He's versatile enough to play anywhere on the line starting the first half of last year at center before moving to right guard. He'll be the team's main run blocker on either side.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Tim Duckworth, Sr. Auburn
There was some concern about Duckworth's ability to make the shift from defensive tackle to offensive line, but he came through with an All-SEC season and improved more and more each week. He's expected to be an All-America caliber performer now that he knows what he's doing. The 6-3, 310-pound junior is impossible to move.
Manuel Ramirez, Sr. Texas Tech
Back for his third year as a starter, the 6-4, 339-pound senior is one of the team's best linemen earning second-team All-Big 12 honors. He's next-level strong with a 550-pound bench press and has grown into a dominant run blocker.
Dallas Reynolds, Soph. BYU
Reynolds turned into one of the big surprises last year stepping into a starting role right away at left guard and playing the entire year. He's a huge 6-4, 335-pound presence who turned into a nice run blocker. He made the typical freshman mistakes with a few problems with his consistency in pass protection, but he was hardly a liability.
Shannon Tevega, Jr. UCLA
The 310-pound junior earned all-conference honors last year and will be the anchor of the line at strong guard. He's the team's best run blocker and is athletic enough to grow into a stronger pass blocker.[/SIZE]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]cfbnews.OT[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]2006 CFN All-America
Offensive Tackles <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Tackles
[/SIZE][/FONT][/FONT][/SIZE]1. Joe Thomas, Sr. Wisconsin
2. Justin Blalock, Sr., Texas
3. Sam Baker, Sr. USC
4. Arron Sears, Sr. Tennessee
5. Levi Brown, Sr. Penn State
6. Doug Free, Sr., Northern Illinois
7. Herbert Taylor, Sr. TCU
8. Ryan Harris, Sr. Notre Dame
9. Corey Hilliard, Sr., Oklahoma St
10. John Greco, Jr., Toledo
11. Daniel Inman, Sr. Georgia
12. Thed Watson, Sr. South Florida
13. Steve Vallos, Sr., Wake Forest
14. Andrew Carnahan, Sr. Arizona St
15. Michael Oher, Soph. Ole Miss
16. Robert Turner, Sr. New Mexico
17. Jon Brost, Soph., Northern Illinois
18. Jake Long, Jr. Michigan
19. Brian Stamper, Sr. Vanderbilt
20. Zac Tubbs, Sr. Arkansas
21. Joe Staley, Sr., Central Michigan
22. Tavo Tupola, Sr. Utah
23. Cornelius Rogers, Sr. UAB
24. Ryan Clady, Soph. Boise State
25. Jeff Perrett, Sr. Tulsa
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]
Justin Blalock, Sr., Texas
If he's not the nation's best offensive lineman, he's not far off. A rock at right tackle over the last three seasons, the 6-4, 335-pound senior could play guard if needed but will make millions as a top 15 draft pick next season on the outside. The 2005 CFN First-Team All-American should've/could've left a year early and have been a first round selection this season after a brilliant season.
Joe Thomas, Sr. Wisconsin
The former defensive end and tight end has grown into a top pro prospect. Used as a part-time defensive lineman in the Capital One Bowl win over Auburn, he tore up his ACL killing and possibility of leaving school a year early. The 6-8, 306-pound senior is expected to be back later this summer and back to his All-America status.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Sam Baker, Sr. USC
Baker has been the team's most consistent linemen over the last few seasons and should be even better now that he's up to 305 pounds. He's strong enough to play guard if needed, but he's too good a pass protector and too athletic not to be put at left tackle.
Arron Sears, Sr. Tennessee
The All-America caliber lineman can play either tackle or guard, but he's best and most useful on the outside. As the only returning starter on the line, he might be moved around where needed, like he was in the win over LSU when he saw time at four different spots. He's a strong and surprisingly mobile 6-4 and 338 pounds with two years of starting experience under his belt.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]Levi Brown, Sr. Penn State
One of the nation's best all-around offensive linemen, the 6-5, 328-pound senior was an All-American last year and now has to be even better as the only returning starter to the line. He's a durable, dominant all-around blocker who'll be the one the offense runs behind.
Doug Free, Sr., Northern Illinois
The rest of the college football world has finally starting to recognize how good the 6-7, 302-pound senior is. Free will be a ten-year NFL cog and an early first day draft pick next year thanks to his freakish combination of tight end speed and defensive tackle strength. The next-level scouts would probably like to see him add another 15 pounds to his relatively lanky frame, but that's nitpicking. It’ll be his quickness and athleticism that gets him the big payday.
John Greco, Jr. Toledo
One of the best blockers in the conference, the All-MAC star made the successful conversion from right tackle to left and should be even better this season. He's 6-5, 318 pounds and very athletic.
Ryan Harris, Sr. Notre Dame
Harris is in his fourth year as a starter and is on the verge of a huge year after living up to his potential last season. He's 6-5 and 292 pounds and can do a little bit of everything well. He has mostly grown as a pass blocker becoming more consistent as last year went on.
Corey Hilliard, Sr. Oklahoma State
A first day NFL prospect at either guard or tackle, the 6-5, 310-pound senior ended up moving to the outside and started every game earning second-team All-Big 12 honors. He's by far the line's best player with improving pass rushing technique to go along with hi s devastating run blocking skills.
Herbert Taylor, Sr. TCU
About to be a four-year starter, the 6-4, 287-pound all-star will be one of the Mountain West's best tackles and the leader of the line. As the only returning starter he needs to be even better this year. There are few better pass protectors allowing just one sack last season.
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cfbnews.C
2006 CFN All-America
Centers <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Centers
1. Dan Mozes, Sr. West Virginia
2. Ryan Kalil, Sr. USC
3. Leroy Harris, Sr., NC State
4. Mark Fenton, Sr., Colorado
5. Kyle Young, Sr. Fresno State
6. Enoka Lucas, Sr. Oregon
7. Trevor Rees, Jr. Northwestern
8. Dustin Fry, Sr. Clemson
9. Samson Satele, Sr. Hawaii
10. Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, Sr. UCF
11. Adam Spieker, Jr. Missouri
12. Doug Datish, Sr. Ohio State
13. Kory Lichtensteiger, Jr. Bowling Green
14. Nick Jones, Sr. Georgia
15. Doug Legursky, Jr. Marshall
16. Antoine Caldwell, Soph. Alabama
17. Tanner Jenkins, Sr. Arkansas State
18. Scott Stephenson, Iowa State
19. David Ochoa, Sr. Kansas
20. Tanner Jenkins, Sr. Arkansas State
21. Robbie Krutilla, Jr. Western Michigan
22. Eric Wood, Soph. Louisville
23. Nick Alotta, Jr. Colorado State
24. Robbie Powell, Jr. Purdue
25. Tony Brinkhaus, Jr. Minnesota
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
The 290-pound veteran is back in the middle for his fourth straight season. He's the perfect leader for the line with the experience of seeing a bit of time at guard along with his duties at center. He has been nicked up from time to time with a shoulder problem a few years ago and an ankle issue for a game last season, but he's hardly injury prone. His motor is always running.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Ryan Kalil, Sr. USC
Kalil brings the attitude to the Trojan line. He bulked up a bit and should be even better than last year as the 285-pound anchor of the line. He doesn't make mistakes.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Mark Fenton, Sr., Colorado
It's Fenton's third season as the starter having grown into one of the nation's best centers and an All-Big 12 performer. He's a dominant pass blocker allowing just one sack in his career and should start to earn All-America status once more recognize his run blocking abilities.
Dustin Fry, Sr. Clemson
The line's most versatile player settled in at left guard where he earned second-team All-ACC honors despite only getting the starting nod over the second half of the season. The 6-4, 300-pound senior is the team's best run blocker and can step in at center and tackle if needed.
Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, Sr. UCF
Gagne-Marcoux is back for his fourth season as the leader on the line. He went from being a good starter who had problems with his consistency to a mistake-free rock and a true anchor up front.
Leroy Harris, Sr., NC State
By far the team's best offensive lineman and in the hunt for All-America honors before he gets a big pay day from the big league next year, the 6-3, 300-pound senior is a perfect anchor for the line with devastating run blocking skills and good durability despite missing four games a few years ago with a shoulder problem. If absolutely needed, he can move back to guard.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Enoka Lucas, Sr. Oregon
The long-time starter will again be in the hunt for all-star honors in the middle of a good Duck line. He had a great season after struggling through 2004 with a thumb injury, and now he's the leader of the line with 20 career starts. After handling the change to the spread offense without a problem, he'll be even better making the line calls.
Trevor Rees, Jr. Northwestern
Rees is back after missing all of last year due to academic issues, and he'll instantly upgrade the already solid line allowing Austin Matthews to move to tackle. Rees started 21 straight games before the off-field issues and should contend for All-Big Ten honors.
Samson Satele, Sr. Hawaii
The versatile 6-3 and 311 pound senior is one of the WAC's best linemen no matter where he plays. After adding weight, he should be even more physical starting at either center or guard. He can be a dominant run blocker and is a next-level caliber pass protector.
Kyle Young, Sr. Fresno State
One of the best centers in America, the 6-6, 330-pound senior has next-level potential at guard if he doesn't end up earning a ton of money at center. He's a smart quarterback for the line who's dominant in all phases. With his size, strength and talent, he's in a salary drive this year and should end up with several All-America honors.
cfbnews.OG
2006 CFN All-America
Offensive Guards <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Guards
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]1. [SIZE=-1]Josh Beekman, Sr. Boston College[/SIZE]
2. Mike Jones, Sr. Iowa
3. Kasey Studdard, Sr. Texas
4.[SIZE=-1] Kurt Quarterman, Sr. Louisville[/SIZE]
5.[SIZE=-1] George Batiste. Sr. Southern Miss[/SIZE]
6. Shannon Tevega, Jr. UCLA
7. Manuel Ramirez, Sr. Texas Tech
8. Tim Duckworth, Sr. Auburn
9.[SIZE=-1] Dallas Reynolds, Soph. BYU[/SIZE]
10. [SIZE=-1]Blake Butler, Sr. Memphis[/SIZE]
11.Roman Fry, Sr. Clemson
12.[SIZE=-1] Barrett Reznick, Sr. Nevada[/SIZE]
13. Will Arnold, Jr. LSU
14. Roy Schuening, Jr. Oregon State
15. Jeremy Sheffey, Sr. West Virginia
16.[SIZE=-1] Tad Miller, Jr. Boise State[/SIZE]
17. Jordan Grimes, Jr. Purdue
18. Dan Santucci, Sr. Notre Dame
19. Derrick Markray, Sr. Bowling Green
20. Brian Anderson, Sr. Mississippi State
21.[SIZE=-1] Cole Popovich, Soph. Fresno State[/SIZE]
22.[SIZE=-1] Dylan Lineberry, Sr. North Texas[/SIZE]
23. Brian Daniels, Sr. Colorado
24. [SIZE=-1]Aaron Schutz, Soph. UL Monroe[/SIZE]
25. Josh Day, Sr. Colorado State[/SIZE]
[/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Josh Beekman, Sr. Boston College
Able to potentially end up at center, the 325-pound senior will likely start out at right guard. He's good enough to earn all-star honors at either position with great athleticism and tackle-like pass protection skills.
Mike Jones, Sr. Iowa
Able to play tackle or guard, the 302-pound senior started last season at both tackle spots before settling in at left guard where he'll stay ... for now. He's an All-Big Ten caliber blocker no matter where he lines up.
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]Kurt Quarterman, Sr. Louisville
The star of the very good Cardinal line, Quarterman is a mauling 6-5 and 336 pounds who is in better shape than last year and should make the All-Big East team. He's fantastic on the move and will be the main blocker for the ground game.
Kasey Studdard, Sr. Texas
One of the rocks on the line over the last three years, the 6-3, 305-pound senior has started 25 straight games seeing time at both guard and center. He has earned All-Big 12 honors over the last two seasons growing into a technically sound blocker. He's a punishing run blocker with a high motor.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]George Batiste. Sr. Southern Miss
The First Team All-Conference USA performer is back on the right side for his fourth season. He's 6-5, 309 pounds, and great in all phases with the power and toughness to be a pounder for the running game and the feet and agility to be a consistent pass blocker. He's the one the team will run behind for the tough yards.
Blake Butler, Sr. Memphis
Butler was one of the only returning Tiger linemen with any starting experience last year, and he came through with a great season leading the line. He's versatile enough to play anywhere on the line starting the first half of last year at center before moving to right guard. He'll be the team's main run blocker on either side.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Tim Duckworth, Sr. Auburn
There was some concern about Duckworth's ability to make the shift from defensive tackle to offensive line, but he came through with an All-SEC season and improved more and more each week. He's expected to be an All-America caliber performer now that he knows what he's doing. The 6-3, 310-pound junior is impossible to move.
Manuel Ramirez, Sr. Texas Tech
Back for his third year as a starter, the 6-4, 339-pound senior is one of the team's best linemen earning second-team All-Big 12 honors. He's next-level strong with a 550-pound bench press and has grown into a dominant run blocker.
Dallas Reynolds, Soph. BYU
Reynolds turned into one of the big surprises last year stepping into a starting role right away at left guard and playing the entire year. He's a huge 6-4, 335-pound presence who turned into a nice run blocker. He made the typical freshman mistakes with a few problems with his consistency in pass protection, but he was hardly a liability.
Shannon Tevega, Jr. UCLA
The 310-pound junior earned all-conference honors last year and will be the anchor of the line at strong guard. He's the team's best run blocker and is athletic enough to grow into a stronger pass blocker.[/SIZE]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]cfbnews.OT[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]2006 CFN All-America
Offensive Tackles <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Tackles
[/SIZE][/FONT][/FONT][/SIZE]1. Joe Thomas, Sr. Wisconsin
2. Justin Blalock, Sr., Texas
3. Sam Baker, Sr. USC
4. Arron Sears, Sr. Tennessee
5. Levi Brown, Sr. Penn State
6. Doug Free, Sr., Northern Illinois
7. Herbert Taylor, Sr. TCU
8. Ryan Harris, Sr. Notre Dame
9. Corey Hilliard, Sr., Oklahoma St
10. John Greco, Jr., Toledo
11. Daniel Inman, Sr. Georgia
12. Thed Watson, Sr. South Florida
13. Steve Vallos, Sr., Wake Forest
14. Andrew Carnahan, Sr. Arizona St
15. Michael Oher, Soph. Ole Miss
16. Robert Turner, Sr. New Mexico
17. Jon Brost, Soph., Northern Illinois
18. Jake Long, Jr. Michigan
19. Brian Stamper, Sr. Vanderbilt
20. Zac Tubbs, Sr. Arkansas
21. Joe Staley, Sr., Central Michigan
22. Tavo Tupola, Sr. Utah
23. Cornelius Rogers, Sr. UAB
24. Ryan Clady, Soph. Boise State
25. Jeff Perrett, Sr. Tulsa
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
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If he's not the nation's best offensive lineman, he's not far off. A rock at right tackle over the last three seasons, the 6-4, 335-pound senior could play guard if needed but will make millions as a top 15 draft pick next season on the outside. The 2005 CFN First-Team All-American should've/could've left a year early and have been a first round selection this season after a brilliant season.
The former defensive end and tight end has grown into a top pro prospect. Used as a part-time defensive lineman in the Capital One Bowl win over Auburn, he tore up his ACL killing and possibility of leaving school a year early. The 6-8, 306-pound senior is expected to be back later this summer and back to his All-America status.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Sam Baker, Sr. USC
Baker has been the team's most consistent linemen over the last few seasons and should be even better now that he's up to 305 pounds. He's strong enough to play guard if needed, but he's too good a pass protector and too athletic not to be put at left tackle.
Arron Sears, Sr. Tennessee
The All-America caliber lineman can play either tackle or guard, but he's best and most useful on the outside. As the only returning starter on the line, he might be moved around where needed, like he was in the win over LSU when he saw time at four different spots. He's a strong and surprisingly mobile 6-4 and 338 pounds with two years of starting experience under his belt.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]Levi Brown, Sr. Penn State
One of the nation's best all-around offensive linemen, the 6-5, 328-pound senior was an All-American last year and now has to be even better as the only returning starter to the line. He's a durable, dominant all-around blocker who'll be the one the offense runs behind.
Doug Free, Sr., Northern Illinois
The rest of the college football world has finally starting to recognize how good the 6-7, 302-pound senior is. Free will be a ten-year NFL cog and an early first day draft pick next year thanks to his freakish combination of tight end speed and defensive tackle strength. The next-level scouts would probably like to see him add another 15 pounds to his relatively lanky frame, but that's nitpicking. It’ll be his quickness and athleticism that gets him the big payday.
John Greco, Jr. Toledo
One of the best blockers in the conference, the All-MAC star made the successful conversion from right tackle to left and should be even better this season. He's 6-5, 318 pounds and very athletic.
Ryan Harris, Sr. Notre Dame
Harris is in his fourth year as a starter and is on the verge of a huge year after living up to his potential last season. He's 6-5 and 292 pounds and can do a little bit of everything well. He has mostly grown as a pass blocker becoming more consistent as last year went on.
Corey Hilliard, Sr. Oklahoma State
A first day NFL prospect at either guard or tackle, the 6-5, 310-pound senior ended up moving to the outside and started every game earning second-team All-Big 12 honors. He's by far the line's best player with improving pass rushing technique to go along with hi s devastating run blocking skills.
Herbert Taylor, Sr. TCU
About to be a four-year starter, the 6-4, 287-pound all-star will be one of the Mountain West's best tackles and the leader of the line. As the only returning starter he needs to be even better this year. There are few better pass protectors allowing just one sack last season.
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CFN's pre-season All-American DTs and DEs:
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cfbnews.DT
2006 CFN All-America
Defensive Tackles <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Tackles
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]1. [SIZE=-1]Brandon Mebane, Sr. California[/SIZE]
2.[SIZE=-1] Quinn Pitcock, Sr. Ohio State[/SIZE]
3.[SIZE=-1] Marcus Thomas, Sr. Florida[/SIZE]
4.[SIZE=-1] Jay Alford, Sr. Penn State[/SIZE]
5.[SIZE=-1] Andre Fluellen, Jr., Florida State[/SIZE]
6.[SIZE=-1] Sedrick Ellis, Jr. USC[/SIZE]
7.[SIZE=-1] Red Bryant, Jr. Texas A&M[/SIZE]
8. Justin Harrell, Sr. Tennessee
9.[SIZE=-1] Frank Okam, Jr., Texas[/SIZE]
10. Kevin Brown, Jr. UCLA
11. Jeremy Clark, Sr. Alabama
12.[SIZE=-1] Derek Landri, Sr. Notre Dame[/SIZE]
13. Turk McBride, Jr. Tennessee
14. Jordan Hill, Sr. Arizona State
15.[SIZE=-1] Howie Fuimaono, Sr. UNLV[/SIZE]
16.[SIZE=-1] Clifton Ryan, Sr Michigan State[/SIZE]
17. Conrad Boiston, Sr. Maryland
18. Breny Curvey, Sr. Iowa State
19. Joe Anoai, Sr. Georgia Tech
20. [SIZE=-1]Adrian Haywood, Sr. SMU[/SIZE]
21. Nick Hayden, Jr. Wisconsin
22. Chris Norwell, Jr. Illinois
23.[SIZE=-1] Colin Ferrell, Jr., Kent State[/SIZE]
24. [SIZE=-1]Andrew Browning, Sr. Boise St[/SIZE]
25. Tank Tyler, Sr. NC State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
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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.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]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.
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2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order)
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]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.[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]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.
cfbnews.DE
2006 CFN All-America
Defensive Ends <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Ends
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]1. [SIZE=-1]Quentin Moses, Sr. Georgia[/SIZE]
2.[SIZE=-1] Gaines Adams, Sr. Clemson[/SIZE]
3.[SIZE=-1] Lawrence Jackson, Jr. USC[/SIZE]
4.[SIZE=-1] Adam Carriker, Sr., Nebraska[/SIZE]
5.[SIZE=-1] Dan Bazuin, Sr., Central Michigan[/SIZE]
6.[SIZE=-1] Mkristo Bruce, Sr. Washington State[/SIZE]
7.[SIZE=-1] Victor Abiamiri, Sr. Notre Dame
8. Baraka Atkins, Sr., Miami
[/SIZE]9.[SIZE=-1] Tommy Blake, Jr. TCU
10. Brian Smith, Sr., Missouri[/SIZE]
11.[SIZE=-1] Tim Crowder, Sr., Texas[/SIZE]
12.[SIZE=-1] Larry McSwain, Sr., UAB[/SIZE]
13.[SIZE=-1] LaMarr Woodley, Sr. Michigan[/SIZE]
14.[SIZE=-1] Larry Birdine, Sr., Oklahoma[/SIZE]
15.[SIZE=-1] Chris Ellis, Jr., Virginia Tech[/SIZE]
16.[SIZE=-1] Ken Iwebema, Jr. Iowa[/SIZE]
17.[SIZE=-1] Jarvis Moss, Jr. Florida[/SIZE]
18.[SIZE=-1] Jay Moore, Sr., Nebraska[/SIZE]
19.[SIZE=-1] Chris Long, Jr., Virginia[/SIZE]
20. [SIZE=-1]Calvin Thibodeaux, Sr., Oklahoma[/SIZE]
21.[SIZE=-1] Brian Robison, Sr., Texas[/SIZE]
22. C.J. Ah You, Sr. Oklahoma
23.[SIZE=-1] Marquies Gunn, Sr. Auburn[/SIZE]
24.[SIZE=-1] [/SIZE]Ray McDonald, Sr. Florida
25. Loren Howard, Sr. Arizona State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Gaines Adams, Sr. Clemson - 55 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 15 TFL, 9 broken up passes, 29 quarterback pressures
He should probably be off to the NFL. The starter at the Bandit end plays a little bit of defensive end and a little bit of linebacker with the size at 265 pounds to be a top run stopper and the speed and quickness to be a great pass defender. He does a little of everything very well with a great talent for getting into the backfield on a regular basis.
Quentin Moses, Sr. Georgia - 44 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 20.5 TFL, 38 quarterback hurries
The hope was for Moses to go from being a solid situational pass rusher to an All-SEC terror. 11.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss later, he's going to be on the short list of top NFL end prospects as the leader of the potentially great Dawg line. He's not huge at 250 pounds and he's not the best run stopper, but there are few better at consistently getting to the quarterback. He's also smart being named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll over the last few years.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Adam Carriker, Sr. Nebraska - 43 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 17 TFL, 3 broken up passes, 19 quarterback hurries
After an average 2004 thanks to an ankle injury, the 6-6, 294-pound Carriker blossomed into an unstoppable pass rushing force. He wasn't just great at getting to the quarterback, he was rock-solid against the run and made play after player when he wasn't double teamed. He's looking stronger and quicker this season and should be a lock for All-America honors.
Lawrence Jackson, Jr. USC - 46 tackles, 10 sacks, 13 TFL, 6 broken up passes, 4 forced fumbles
The star of the USC D line, Jackson became a pass rushing terror last year with too much quickness for most tackles and enough size and strength to handle himself against the maulers. He has the speed of a linebacker in a 6-5, 265-pound frame. Expect him to be a high draft pick next year.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
[SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order)
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Victor Abiamiri, Sr. Notre Dame - 48 tackles, 8 sacks, 15 TFL, 7 quarterback hurries
Abiamiri did a great job of taking over for Justin Tuck turning into the team's best pass rusher. Now he has to be more consistent and use his experience to be a game-in-and-game-out dominator once he returns from a knee surgery that limited him at times this spring. He was decent all season with his stats pumped up by a ten tackle, four sack performance against Stanford, and now he appears on the verge of exploding after being the focus of the coaching staff all off-season. 15 sacks won't be out of the question.
Baraka Atkins, Sr. Miami - 50 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 5 TFL, 4 broken up passes, 6 quarterback hurries
Able to be used as a small, quick tackle or a big, run stopping end, the 6-4, 264-pound senior is a versatile player with 35 games of starting experience. Tough as nails. he fought through a knee injury to have a great season. While not a pure pass rusher, he's effective at getting into the backfield on a regular basis with 13 career sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss and 41 quarterback hurries.
Dan Bazuin, Sr. Central Michigan - 74 tackles, 16 sacks, 26.5 TFL, 3 broken up passes, 5 forced fumbles
The best defensive player in the MAC last season, the 6-3, 269-pound senior is a pass rushing terror leading the nation in tackles for loss while finishing second on the team in tackles. He's a big run stopper and impossible to stop once he gets off the line. He bulked up enough to start to attract the NFL scouts and become an early round pick.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Tommy Blake, Jr. TCU - 59 tackles, 7 sacks, 13.5 TFL
Blake grew from a tremendous pass rushing specialist to a strong all-around end and the best player in the Mountain West last season. The former running back is a blur in the backfield and more than holds his own against the run despite only being 250 pounds. With next level athleticism and moves, and with Chase Ortiz on the other side garnering attention, he'll be a near-lock for another big sack total.
Mkristo Bruce, Sr. Washington State - 67 tackles, 10 sacks, 15 TFL, 3 broken up passes, 4 quarterback hurries, 3 forced fumbles
A top all-around end for the last few years, the 6-6, 250-pound senior can do it all. He's an unstoppable pass rusher when he sees one-on-one blocking, but he's also solid against the run finishing fourth on the team in tackles. There are few better at getting around the corner and closing on the quarterback.
Brian Smith, Sr. Missouri - 66 tackles, 9 sacks, 17 TFL, 5 broken up passes, 12 quarterback hurries
The school's greatest sacker returns with 24 for his career and should be a lock for All-Big 12 honors yet again. He's not huge at 6-4 and 230 pounds, but he has a nose for getting into the backfield and for making big plays happen. He's not just a pass rushing specialist having grown into a great run defender as well.
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cfbnews.DT
2006 CFN All-America
Defensive Tackles <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Tackles
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]1. [SIZE=-1]Brandon Mebane, Sr. California[/SIZE]
2.[SIZE=-1] Quinn Pitcock, Sr. Ohio State[/SIZE]
3.[SIZE=-1] Marcus Thomas, Sr. Florida[/SIZE]
4.[SIZE=-1] Jay Alford, Sr. Penn State[/SIZE]
5.[SIZE=-1] Andre Fluellen, Jr., Florida State[/SIZE]
6.[SIZE=-1] Sedrick Ellis, Jr. USC[/SIZE]
7.[SIZE=-1] Red Bryant, Jr. Texas A&M[/SIZE]
8. Justin Harrell, Sr. Tennessee
9.[SIZE=-1] Frank Okam, Jr., Texas[/SIZE]
10. Kevin Brown, Jr. UCLA
11. Jeremy Clark, Sr. Alabama
12.[SIZE=-1] Derek Landri, Sr. Notre Dame[/SIZE]
13. Turk McBride, Jr. Tennessee
14. Jordan Hill, Sr. Arizona State
15.[SIZE=-1] Howie Fuimaono, Sr. UNLV[/SIZE]
16.[SIZE=-1] Clifton Ryan, Sr Michigan State[/SIZE]
17. Conrad Boiston, Sr. Maryland
18. Breny Curvey, Sr. Iowa State
19. Joe Anoai, Sr. Georgia Tech
20. [SIZE=-1]Adrian Haywood, Sr. SMU[/SIZE]
21. Nick Hayden, Jr. Wisconsin
22. Chris Norwell, Jr. Illinois
23.[SIZE=-1] Colin Ferrell, Jr., Kent State[/SIZE]
24. [SIZE=-1]Andrew Browning, Sr. Boise St[/SIZE]
25. Tank Tyler, Sr. NC State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
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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.
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.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]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.
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2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order)
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]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.[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]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.
cfbnews.DE
2006 CFN All-America
Defensive Ends <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Ends
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]1. [SIZE=-1]Quentin Moses, Sr. Georgia[/SIZE]
2.[SIZE=-1] Gaines Adams, Sr. Clemson[/SIZE]
3.[SIZE=-1] Lawrence Jackson, Jr. USC[/SIZE]
4.[SIZE=-1] Adam Carriker, Sr., Nebraska[/SIZE]
5.[SIZE=-1] Dan Bazuin, Sr., Central Michigan[/SIZE]
6.[SIZE=-1] Mkristo Bruce, Sr. Washington State[/SIZE]
7.[SIZE=-1] Victor Abiamiri, Sr. Notre Dame
8. Baraka Atkins, Sr., Miami
[/SIZE]9.[SIZE=-1] Tommy Blake, Jr. TCU
10. Brian Smith, Sr., Missouri[/SIZE]
11.[SIZE=-1] Tim Crowder, Sr., Texas[/SIZE]
12.[SIZE=-1] Larry McSwain, Sr., UAB[/SIZE]
13.[SIZE=-1] LaMarr Woodley, Sr. Michigan[/SIZE]
14.[SIZE=-1] Larry Birdine, Sr., Oklahoma[/SIZE]
15.[SIZE=-1] Chris Ellis, Jr., Virginia Tech[/SIZE]
16.[SIZE=-1] Ken Iwebema, Jr. Iowa[/SIZE]
17.[SIZE=-1] Jarvis Moss, Jr. Florida[/SIZE]
18.[SIZE=-1] Jay Moore, Sr., Nebraska[/SIZE]
19.[SIZE=-1] Chris Long, Jr., Virginia[/SIZE]
20. [SIZE=-1]Calvin Thibodeaux, Sr., Oklahoma[/SIZE]
21.[SIZE=-1] Brian Robison, Sr., Texas[/SIZE]
22. C.J. Ah You, Sr. Oklahoma
23.[SIZE=-1] Marquies Gunn, Sr. Auburn[/SIZE]
24.[SIZE=-1] [/SIZE]Ray McDonald, Sr. Florida
25. Loren Howard, Sr. Arizona State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Gaines Adams, Sr. Clemson - 55 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 15 TFL, 9 broken up passes, 29 quarterback pressures
Quentin Moses, Sr. Georgia - 44 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 20.5 TFL, 38 quarterback hurries
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Adam Carriker, Sr. Nebraska - 43 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 17 TFL, 3 broken up passes, 19 quarterback hurries
After an average 2004 thanks to an ankle injury, the 6-6, 294-pound Carriker blossomed into an unstoppable pass rushing force. He wasn't just great at getting to the quarterback, he was rock-solid against the run and made play after player when he wasn't double teamed. He's looking stronger and quicker this season and should be a lock for All-America honors.
Lawrence Jackson, Jr. USC - 46 tackles, 10 sacks, 13 TFL, 6 broken up passes, 4 forced fumbles
The star of the USC D line, Jackson became a pass rushing terror last year with too much quickness for most tackles and enough size and strength to handle himself against the maulers. He has the speed of a linebacker in a 6-5, 265-pound frame. Expect him to be a high draft pick next year.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans
[SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order)
[/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Victor Abiamiri, Sr. Notre Dame - 48 tackles, 8 sacks, 15 TFL, 7 quarterback hurries
Abiamiri did a great job of taking over for Justin Tuck turning into the team's best pass rusher. Now he has to be more consistent and use his experience to be a game-in-and-game-out dominator once he returns from a knee surgery that limited him at times this spring. He was decent all season with his stats pumped up by a ten tackle, four sack performance against Stanford, and now he appears on the verge of exploding after being the focus of the coaching staff all off-season. 15 sacks won't be out of the question.
Baraka Atkins, Sr. Miami - 50 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 5 TFL, 4 broken up passes, 6 quarterback hurries
Able to be used as a small, quick tackle or a big, run stopping end, the 6-4, 264-pound senior is a versatile player with 35 games of starting experience. Tough as nails. he fought through a knee injury to have a great season. While not a pure pass rusher, he's effective at getting into the backfield on a regular basis with 13 career sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss and 41 quarterback hurries.
Dan Bazuin, Sr. Central Michigan - 74 tackles, 16 sacks, 26.5 TFL, 3 broken up passes, 5 forced fumbles
The best defensive player in the MAC last season, the 6-3, 269-pound senior is a pass rushing terror leading the nation in tackles for loss while finishing second on the team in tackles. He's a big run stopper and impossible to stop once he gets off the line. He bulked up enough to start to attract the NFL scouts and become an early round pick.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Tommy Blake, Jr. TCU - 59 tackles, 7 sacks, 13.5 TFL
Blake grew from a tremendous pass rushing specialist to a strong all-around end and the best player in the Mountain West last season. The former running back is a blur in the backfield and more than holds his own against the run despite only being 250 pounds. With next level athleticism and moves, and with Chase Ortiz on the other side garnering attention, he'll be a near-lock for another big sack total.
Mkristo Bruce, Sr. Washington State - 67 tackles, 10 sacks, 15 TFL, 3 broken up passes, 4 quarterback hurries, 3 forced fumbles
A top all-around end for the last few years, the 6-6, 250-pound senior can do it all. He's an unstoppable pass rusher when he sees one-on-one blocking, but he's also solid against the run finishing fourth on the team in tackles. There are few better at getting around the corner and closing on the quarterback.
Brian Smith, Sr. Missouri - 66 tackles, 9 sacks, 17 TFL, 5 broken up passes, 12 quarterback hurries
The school's greatest sacker returns with 24 for his career and should be a lock for All-Big 12 honors yet again. He's not huge at 6-4 and 230 pounds, but he has a nose for getting into the backfield and for making big plays happen. He's not just a pass rushing specialist having grown into a great run defender as well.
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cfbnews.LB
2006 CFN All-America
Linebackers <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 30 Best Linebackers
1. Patrick Willis, Sr. Ole Miss
2. Paul Posluszny, Sr. Penn State
3. Rufus Alexander, Sr., Oklahoma
4. Sam Oljabutu, Sr. Arkansas
5. Buster Davis, Sr. Florida State
6. Brandon Siler, Jr. Florida
7. Justin Warren, Sr. Texas A&M
8. Stephen Nicholas, Sr. South Florida
9. H.B. Blades, Sr. Pitt
10. Mark Zalewski, Sr. Wisconsin
11. Keith Rivers, Jr. USC
12. Vince Hall, Jr., Virginia Tech
13. Kelvin Smith, Sr. Syracuse
14. KaMichael Hall, Sr., Georgia Tech
15. Anthony Waters, Sr. Clemson
16. Kevin McLee, Sr. West Virginia
17. Rey Maualuga, Soph USC
18. Xavier Adibi, Jr, Virginia Tech
19. Dan Connor, Jr. Penn State
20. Keyonvis Bouie, Sr. FIU
21. Philip Wheeler, Soph. Georgia Tech
22. Earl Everett, Sr. Florida
23. Josh Williams, Jr. Arkansas State
24. Korey Hall, Sr. Boise State
25. Ali Highsmith, Jr. LSU
26. Dwayne Andrews, Sr. Fresno State
27. Quinton Culberson, Sr. Mississippi State
28. Matt Couch, Sr. Marshall
29. Beau Bell, Jr. UNLV
30. Matt Muncy, Sr., Ohio</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]Paul Posluszny, Sr. Penn State - 116 tackles, 3 sacks, 11 TFL, 3 broken up passes
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The Butkus Award winner as the nation's best linebacker last season, Posluszny has 256 career tackles and should finish his great career with well over 350 if he can return 100% from a knee injury suffered in the Orange Bowl. Considered a likely first round draft pick if he had come out early, even with the knee injury, he's a smart, tough tackler who's always in the right position and is always around the ball. He had 22 stops against Northwestern and 14 against Ohio State.
Patrick Willis, Sr. Ole Miss - 128 tackles, 3 sacks, 9.5 TFL, 4 broken up passes, 1 interception
Willis will no longer be the hidden gem that only SEC fans know about. He's a fast 6-2 and 230 pounds who was good enough to have been no worse than a second round NFL draft pick had he decided to leave early after dominating last season with five games of double-digit solo tackles (leading the nation in solo stops) and with double-digit stops in every game he was healthy except one; he made nine stops against Arkansas. Not just a run stopper, he has the range to be adequate in pass coverage to go along with the timing to be a solid pass rusher. He was out this spring recovering from surgery on his foot, but he's expected to be more than fine by the time fall practices start.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Rufus Alexander, Sr. Oklahoma - 102 tackles, 5 sacks, 17 TFL, 1 interception, 9 broken up passes
One of the nation's best linebackers, Alexander returns after making 176 tackles over the last two seasons and leading the Sooners last year. He's big on the weakside with fantastic speed and instincts able to get into the backfield. He got bigger over the last two years and became even better against the run.
Sam Oljabutu, Sr. Arkansas - 118 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 14.5 TFL, 3 broken up passes, 10 quarterback hurries
While he's not big at an undersized 5-9 and 229 pounds, he has unlimited range and is a sure-thing open field tackler and pass rusher. He's a teeth-rattling hitter who plays with an attitude because of his size. Driven to prove that last year wasn't a fluke, he should be a certain all-star again if he can stay healthy.
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]H.B. Blades, Sr. Pitt - 121 tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack, 3.5 TFL, 6 broken up passes
One of the nation's best linebackers, the two-time All-Big East performer led the Big East with 121 tackles and was excellent in pass coverage moving over from the strongside to the middle. The son of former Miami Hurricane star Bennie Blades has 286 career tackles with the range to always be around the ball and the size to provide a big pop when he gets there.
Buster Davis, Sr. Florida State - 81 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 broken up passes
Strong enough to play in the middle and fast enough to start on the weakside, Davis is one of the team's most experienced players and will move around where needed in the linebacking corps. He hasn't received anywhere near the acclaim of other Seminole linebackers, but he has been just as productive as the other stars over the last few seasons with 141 tackles and 18 tackles for loss. He's a fierce tackler who'll be the intimidator of the FSU D.
Brandon Siler, Jr. Florida - 64 tackles, 4 sacks, 9 TFL, 4 broken up passes, 7 quarterback hurries
While he didn't dominate like he did as a freshman, Siler still had a strong sophomore season finishing second on the team in tackles for 141 in his first two seasons. He's a great pass rusher and more than strong in pass coverage. If he can be a bit more physical against power running teams, he'll be an All-SEC star.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Stephen Nicholas, Sr. South Florida - 79 tackles, 7 sacks, 15.5 TFL, 3 broken up passes
Nicholas has seen time at both outside positions and has been dominant at each spot with 224 career tackles, with 12.5 sacks and 38.5 tackles for loss. While he's not huge at 6-3 and 226 pounds, he hits like a Mack truck and has phenomenal range. Despite his lack of size, he would've been around an early round draft pick had he left early. On the Butkus Award watch list for each of the past two seasons, he'll receive his share of national recognition.
Justin Warren, Sr. Texas A&M - 95 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 TFL, 3 broken up passes
Warren has lived up to his recruiting hype and then some after leading the team in tackles last season. He's a 245-pound guided missile who's always around the ball and always cleaning things up. A first team All-Big 12 selection last season, his numbers should skyrocket with more room to roam in the 4-2-5 alignment.
Mark Zalewski, Sr. Wisconsin - 83 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 12.5 TFL
One of the team's best tacklers over the last two seasons with 138 stops, he's able to play either on the strongside or in the middle. He's the leader of the defense and should hover around the 100-stop mark in his second year on the inside. At 236 pounds, he’s the biggest Badger linebacker in the mix and is expected to grow into an All-Big Ten superstar.
cfbnews.S
2006 CFN All-America
Safeties <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Safeties
[/SIZE]1. LaRon Landry, Sr. LSU
2. Brandon Meriweather, Sr., Miami
3. Michael Griffin, Sr., Texas
4. Eric Weddle, Sr. Utah
5. Kenny Phillips, Soph., Miami
6. Wesley Smith, Sr. Memphis
7. Tom Zbikowski, Sr. Notre Dame
8. Aaron Rouse, Sr., Virginia Tech
9. Joe Stellmacher, Sr. Wisconsin
10. Marcus Paschal, Sr. Iowa
11. Tyrell Johnson, Jr. Arkansas State
12. Reggie Nelson, Jr. Florida
13. Josh Gattis, Sr. Wake Forest
14. Eric Wicks, Sr. West Virginia
15. David Overstreet, Sr. Missouri
16. Sabby Piscitelli, Sr. Oregon State
17. J.D. Nelson, Sr. Oregon
18. C.J. Wallace, Sr. Washington
19. J.J. Billingsley, Sr. Colorado
20. Curtis Keyes, Sr. Marshall
21. Caleb Campbell, Jr. Army
22. Jonathan Hefney, Jr. Tennessee
23, Jamie Silva, Jr. Boston College
24. John Wendling. Sr. Wyoming
25. Kevin Payne, Sr. UL Monroe</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]LaRon Landry, Sr. LSU - 69 tackles, 1 sack, 4 TFL, 3 interceptions, 8 broken up passes
One of the nation's best free safeties over the last few seasons and a sure early round draft pick next year, he has the 6-2, 204 size, the 4.4 speed, and the résumé with 241 career tackles. He's a proven playmaker against the pass and a light-him-up highlight reel hitter. It'll be a shock if he's not in the hunt for SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Brandon Meriweather, Sr. Miami - 115 tackles, 13 TFL, 2 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions, 7 broken up passes
Meriweather is a big enough hitter to play strong safety and fast enough to be a major playmaker at free safety. He's one of the team's most experienced players with 40 career games of experience and 202 tackles, and now he should be on everyone's All-America list with the range to be a major factor against the pass and the speed to be a disruptive force in the backfield. [FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Michael Griffin, Sr. Texas - 124 tackles, 4 interceptions, 8 broken up passes, 5 quarterback pressures, 3 fumble recoveries, 4 blocked kicks
238 career tackles isn't bad for a former running back. Michael Huff won the Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back last season, but it could be argued that Griffin had the better year. He's one of the nation's best defensive backs with next level playmaking ability and unlimited range. He's a master at blocking punts and is great at forcing turnovers. A sure tackler, he came up with 23 stops against Texas A&M and 14 against Baylor.
Eric Weddle, Sr. Utah - 78 tackles, 4 sacks, 11 TFL, 3 interceptions, 12 broken up passes, 3 forced fumbles
One of the nation's best defensive backs over the last few seasons, Weddle has 213 career tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and nine sacks to go along with a boatload of big plays against the pass. He's a phenomenal all-around athlete who has seen time almost everywhere throughout his career from safety to cornerback to quarterback to punter to punt returner. A more natural corner who helped erase Georgia Tech star receiver Calvin Johnson from the gameplan in the Emerald Bowl, he'll start out at strong safety.
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Marcus Paschal, Sr. Iowa - 62 tackles, 6 broken up passes
Paschal made a tremendous return from a torn ACL to become an honorable mention All-Big Ten playmaker finishing fifth on the team in tackles. He's a great hitter and a smart leader of the defensive secondary. Now that he's more than a year removed from the injury, he should show even more range and be an even bigger all-around playmaker.
Kenny Phillips, Soph. Miami - 88 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 interception, 4 broken up passes
He was as good as advertised. One of 2005's top recruits stepped and starred from the start showing off the 4.4 speed to be in on seemingly every play and the smarts of a long-time veteran. He's a good-sized hitter at 6-2 and 200 pounds with moves like a cornerback.
Aaron Rouse, Sr. Virginia Tech - 77 tackles, 5 broken up passes, 4.5 TFL
Part linebacker and part safety, Rouse found a home last season in the defensive backfield finishing third on the team in tackles. He's a big 6-4 and 221 pounds who hits like a ton of bricks to go along with excellent speed and range. It'll be a shock if he's not one of the ACC’s best defenders.[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Wesley Smith, Sr. Memphis - 82 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, 3 broken up passes, 2 forced fumbles
One of the nation's best defensive backs over the last few seasons, the 6-3 Smith hits like a linebacker and covers like a corner. He's the unquestioned leader of the defense earning three straight first team All-Conference USA honors with 269 career tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks and five interceptions.
Joe Stellmacher, Sr. Wisconsin - 90 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 broken up passes
The Academic All-Big Ten performer should start to make more All-Big Ten noise on the field after earning honorable mention honors. He's a big 222-pound hitter who finished second on the team in tackles and isn't that bad against the pass. At his size, he's bigger than most of the team's linebackers.
Tom Zbikowski, Sr. Notre Dame - 71 tackles, 5 interceptions, 4 broken up passes, 1 sack
Easily one of the toughest players in America, the part-time boxer and full-time leader of the Irish defense has grown into a whale of a playmaker with 134 tackles over the last two years with six interceptions. He's also an elite punt returner averaging 14 yards per attempt with two touchdowns last season. He brings the attitude to the Irish defense.
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cfbnews.LB
2006 CFN All-America
Linebackers <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 30 Best Linebackers
1. Patrick Willis, Sr. Ole Miss
2. Paul Posluszny, Sr. Penn State
3. Rufus Alexander, Sr., Oklahoma
4. Sam Oljabutu, Sr. Arkansas
5. Buster Davis, Sr. Florida State
6. Brandon Siler, Jr. Florida
7. Justin Warren, Sr. Texas A&M
8. Stephen Nicholas, Sr. South Florida
9. H.B. Blades, Sr. Pitt
10. Mark Zalewski, Sr. Wisconsin
11. Keith Rivers, Jr. USC
12. Vince Hall, Jr., Virginia Tech
13. Kelvin Smith, Sr. Syracuse
14. KaMichael Hall, Sr., Georgia Tech
15. Anthony Waters, Sr. Clemson
16. Kevin McLee, Sr. West Virginia
17. Rey Maualuga, Soph USC
18. Xavier Adibi, Jr, Virginia Tech
19. Dan Connor, Jr. Penn State
20. Keyonvis Bouie, Sr. FIU
21. Philip Wheeler, Soph. Georgia Tech
22. Earl Everett, Sr. Florida
23. Josh Williams, Jr. Arkansas State
24. Korey Hall, Sr. Boise State
25. Ali Highsmith, Jr. LSU
26. Dwayne Andrews, Sr. Fresno State
27. Quinton Culberson, Sr. Mississippi State
28. Matt Couch, Sr. Marshall
29. Beau Bell, Jr. UNLV
30. Matt Muncy, Sr., Ohio</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]Paul Posluszny, Sr. Penn State - 116 tackles, 3 sacks, 11 TFL, 3 broken up passes
Patrick Willis, Sr. Ole Miss - 128 tackles, 3 sacks, 9.5 TFL, 4 broken up passes, 1 interception
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Rufus Alexander, Sr. Oklahoma - 102 tackles, 5 sacks, 17 TFL, 1 interception, 9 broken up passes
One of the nation's best linebackers, Alexander returns after making 176 tackles over the last two seasons and leading the Sooners last year. He's big on the weakside with fantastic speed and instincts able to get into the backfield. He got bigger over the last two years and became even better against the run.
Sam Oljabutu, Sr. Arkansas - 118 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 14.5 TFL, 3 broken up passes, 10 quarterback hurries
While he's not big at an undersized 5-9 and 229 pounds, he has unlimited range and is a sure-thing open field tackler and pass rusher. He's a teeth-rattling hitter who plays with an attitude because of his size. Driven to prove that last year wasn't a fluke, he should be a certain all-star again if he can stay healthy.
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]H.B. Blades, Sr. Pitt - 121 tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack, 3.5 TFL, 6 broken up passes
One of the nation's best linebackers, the two-time All-Big East performer led the Big East with 121 tackles and was excellent in pass coverage moving over from the strongside to the middle. The son of former Miami Hurricane star Bennie Blades has 286 career tackles with the range to always be around the ball and the size to provide a big pop when he gets there.
Buster Davis, Sr. Florida State - 81 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 broken up passes
Strong enough to play in the middle and fast enough to start on the weakside, Davis is one of the team's most experienced players and will move around where needed in the linebacking corps. He hasn't received anywhere near the acclaim of other Seminole linebackers, but he has been just as productive as the other stars over the last few seasons with 141 tackles and 18 tackles for loss. He's a fierce tackler who'll be the intimidator of the FSU D.
Brandon Siler, Jr. Florida - 64 tackles, 4 sacks, 9 TFL, 4 broken up passes, 7 quarterback hurries
While he didn't dominate like he did as a freshman, Siler still had a strong sophomore season finishing second on the team in tackles for 141 in his first two seasons. He's a great pass rusher and more than strong in pass coverage. If he can be a bit more physical against power running teams, he'll be an All-SEC star.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Stephen Nicholas, Sr. South Florida - 79 tackles, 7 sacks, 15.5 TFL, 3 broken up passes
Nicholas has seen time at both outside positions and has been dominant at each spot with 224 career tackles, with 12.5 sacks and 38.5 tackles for loss. While he's not huge at 6-3 and 226 pounds, he hits like a Mack truck and has phenomenal range. Despite his lack of size, he would've been around an early round draft pick had he left early. On the Butkus Award watch list for each of the past two seasons, he'll receive his share of national recognition.
Justin Warren, Sr. Texas A&M - 95 tackles, 3 sacks, 6 TFL, 3 broken up passes
Warren has lived up to his recruiting hype and then some after leading the team in tackles last season. He's a 245-pound guided missile who's always around the ball and always cleaning things up. A first team All-Big 12 selection last season, his numbers should skyrocket with more room to roam in the 4-2-5 alignment.
Mark Zalewski, Sr. Wisconsin - 83 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 12.5 TFL
One of the team's best tacklers over the last two seasons with 138 stops, he's able to play either on the strongside or in the middle. He's the leader of the defense and should hover around the 100-stop mark in his second year on the inside. At 236 pounds, he’s the biggest Badger linebacker in the mix and is expected to grow into an All-Big Ten superstar.
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2006 CFN All-America
Safeties <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Safeties
[/SIZE]1. LaRon Landry, Sr. LSU
2. Brandon Meriweather, Sr., Miami
3. Michael Griffin, Sr., Texas
4. Eric Weddle, Sr. Utah
5. Kenny Phillips, Soph., Miami
6. Wesley Smith, Sr. Memphis
7. Tom Zbikowski, Sr. Notre Dame
8. Aaron Rouse, Sr., Virginia Tech
9. Joe Stellmacher, Sr. Wisconsin
10. Marcus Paschal, Sr. Iowa
11. Tyrell Johnson, Jr. Arkansas State
12. Reggie Nelson, Jr. Florida
13. Josh Gattis, Sr. Wake Forest
14. Eric Wicks, Sr. West Virginia
15. David Overstreet, Sr. Missouri
16. Sabby Piscitelli, Sr. Oregon State
17. J.D. Nelson, Sr. Oregon
18. C.J. Wallace, Sr. Washington
19. J.J. Billingsley, Sr. Colorado
20. Curtis Keyes, Sr. Marshall
21. Caleb Campbell, Jr. Army
22. Jonathan Hefney, Jr. Tennessee
23, Jamie Silva, Jr. Boston College
24. John Wendling. Sr. Wyoming
25. Kevin Payne, Sr. UL Monroe</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]LaRon Landry, Sr. LSU - 69 tackles, 1 sack, 4 TFL, 3 interceptions, 8 broken up passes
Brandon Meriweather, Sr. Miami - 115 tackles, 13 TFL, 2 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions, 7 broken up passes
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Michael Griffin, Sr. Texas - 124 tackles, 4 interceptions, 8 broken up passes, 5 quarterback pressures, 3 fumble recoveries, 4 blocked kicks
238 career tackles isn't bad for a former running back. Michael Huff won the Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back last season, but it could be argued that Griffin had the better year. He's one of the nation's best defensive backs with next level playmaking ability and unlimited range. He's a master at blocking punts and is great at forcing turnovers. A sure tackler, he came up with 23 stops against Texas A&M and 14 against Baylor.
Eric Weddle, Sr. Utah - 78 tackles, 4 sacks, 11 TFL, 3 interceptions, 12 broken up passes, 3 forced fumbles
One of the nation's best defensive backs over the last few seasons, Weddle has 213 career tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and nine sacks to go along with a boatload of big plays against the pass. He's a phenomenal all-around athlete who has seen time almost everywhere throughout his career from safety to cornerback to quarterback to punter to punt returner. A more natural corner who helped erase Georgia Tech star receiver Calvin Johnson from the gameplan in the Emerald Bowl, he'll start out at strong safety.
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Marcus Paschal, Sr. Iowa - 62 tackles, 6 broken up passes
Paschal made a tremendous return from a torn ACL to become an honorable mention All-Big Ten playmaker finishing fifth on the team in tackles. He's a great hitter and a smart leader of the defensive secondary. Now that he's more than a year removed from the injury, he should show even more range and be an even bigger all-around playmaker.
Kenny Phillips, Soph. Miami - 88 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 interception, 4 broken up passes
He was as good as advertised. One of 2005's top recruits stepped and starred from the start showing off the 4.4 speed to be in on seemingly every play and the smarts of a long-time veteran. He's a good-sized hitter at 6-2 and 200 pounds with moves like a cornerback.
Aaron Rouse, Sr. Virginia Tech - 77 tackles, 5 broken up passes, 4.5 TFL
Part linebacker and part safety, Rouse found a home last season in the defensive backfield finishing third on the team in tackles. He's a big 6-4 and 221 pounds who hits like a ton of bricks to go along with excellent speed and range. It'll be a shock if he's not one of the ACC’s best defenders.[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Wesley Smith, Sr. Memphis - 82 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, 3 broken up passes, 2 forced fumbles
One of the nation's best defensive backs over the last few seasons, the 6-3 Smith hits like a linebacker and covers like a corner. He's the unquestioned leader of the defense earning three straight first team All-Conference USA honors with 269 career tackles, nine tackles for loss, two sacks and five interceptions.
Joe Stellmacher, Sr. Wisconsin - 90 tackles, 2 interceptions, 3 broken up passes
The Academic All-Big Ten performer should start to make more All-Big Ten noise on the field after earning honorable mention honors. He's a big 222-pound hitter who finished second on the team in tackles and isn't that bad against the pass. At his size, he's bigger than most of the team's linebackers.
Tom Zbikowski, Sr. Notre Dame - 71 tackles, 5 interceptions, 4 broken up passes, 1 sack
Easily one of the toughest players in America, the part-time boxer and full-time leader of the Irish defense has grown into a whale of a playmaker with 134 tackles over the last two years with six interceptions. He's also an elite punt returner averaging 14 yards per attempt with two touchdowns last season. He brings the attitude to the Irish defense.
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Based on what? He's hardly played at LB...almost all his time has been on special teams. He'll be on the list next year...
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CFBNews's CBs, Kickers, Punters, and Returners.
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<!--body text -->[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1] <TABLE id=table1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>2006 CFN All-America
Cornerbacks <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Cornerbacks
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]1. Fred Bennett, Sr. South Carolina
2. Daymeion Hughes, Sr. California
3. Antoine Cason, Jr. Arizona
4. DeAndre Jackson, Sr. Iowa State
5. Tarell Brown, Sr. Texas
6. John Talley, Sr., Duke
7. Kenny Scott, Sr., Georgia Tech
8. Darrelle Revis, Jr. Pitt
9. Justin King, Soph. Penn State
10. David Irons, Sr. Auburn
11. Marquice Cole, Sr. Northwestern
12. Marcus Hamilton, Sr., Virginia
13. Leon Hall, Sr. Michigan
14. Robert Herbert, Sr. Colorado St
15. Eric Wright, Jr. UNLV
16. Josh Wilson, Sr. Maryland
17. Tanard Jackson, Sr. Syracuse
18. Mike Mickens, Soph. Cincinnati
19. Terrell Maze, Sr. San Diego St
20. Mike Jenkins, Jr. South Florida
21. Chaz Williams, Jr. UL Monroe
22. Joe Burnett, Soph. UCF
23. William Gay, Sr. Louisville
24. Bradley Robinson, Jr. MTSU
25. Jack Williams, Jr., Kent State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]
Fred Bennett, Sr. South Carolina - 31 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, 10 broken up passes
At 6-1 and 199 pounds with lights-out speed, Bennett will emerge as one of the SEC's best corners this year and is the next top NFL prospect from the USC defensive backfield. He has been steady over the last two seasons with good open-field tackling ability, seven interceptions and 13 broken up passes.
Daymeion Hughes, Sr. California - 62 tackles, 5 interceptions, 12 broken up passes, 1.5 TFL
The first-team All-Pac 10 star of last year should be blossom into a superstar this season. He's an experienced defender with 118 tackles and seven career interceptions, and he put it all together with a fantastic 2005 turning into the lock-down corner the defense was looking for. At 6-2 and 188 pounds he's a great-sized corner with the speed to stay with just about any receiver in the conference.
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[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Antoine Cason, Jr. Arizona - 50 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 3 interceptions, 5 broken up passes
One of the Pac 10's best all-around defenders from his first snap as a freshman, Cason has made 120 tackles and picked off seven interceptions in his first two seasons. He's a fantastic open-field, safety-like tackler with more than enough speed to make big plays all over the field and be a lockdown, number one corner on the strongside.
DeAndre Jackson, Sr. Iowa State - 55 tackles, 5 interception, 8 broken up passes, 1 TFL, 4 forced fumbles
One of the best defensive backs in the Big 12, the 6-0, 192-pound senior hits like a safety and covers like a corner. He'll get beat taking a lot of chances, but it's worth it with all the big plays he makes both against the run and when the ball is in the air. He's simply a tremendous all-around playmaker.
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order)
[/SIZE]
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Tarell Brown, Sr. Texas - 70 tackles, 1 interception, 8 broken up passes, 2 TFL
Arguably the best unsung cornerback in the Big 12, Brown has 24 career starts as one of the team's top cover-corner over the last few seasons. He saved his best game for last cranking out ten tackles against USC showing off the hitting ability that could eventually make him an NFL safety.
David Irons, Sr. Auburn - 48 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 11 broken up passes
The former JUCO transfer got another year of eligibility thanks to missing 2004 with a knee injury. He recovered to be one of the SEC's best corners last season becoming a solid lock-down coverman to go along while growing into sure tackler highlighted by an 11-stop day against Wisconsin. He's not huge, but he hits like a bigger player and is fast enough to handle any SEC receiver. He's the brother of Auburn star RB Kenny Irons.
Justin King, Soph. Penn State - 11 tackles, 2 broken up passes, 10 catches, 126 yds, 2 TD
One of last year's top recruits turned into a nice backup corner and a dangerous receiver spending most of his time on offense over the second half of last season. He's a fantastic all-around athlete with next level speed and enough size to handle himself well against the bigger receivers. While he wasn't able to crack the starting lineup last season. He'll be expected to become the team's best cover-corner taking over for Anwar Phillips on the right side.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Darrelle Revis, Jr. Pitt - 41 tackles, 4 interceptions, 9 broken up passes
One of the best corners in the Big East, Revis did a little of everything well last season including return punts. He's a ball-hawker both against the pass and the run with the size to be a sure tackler and the speed to be a shut down defender. He should go from being an All-Big East performer to earning a bigger national profile.
Kenny Scott, Sr. Georgia Tech - 56 tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 broken up passes, 1 TFL
Scott needs to be a rock with all the movement going on in the Tech secondary. A steady starter for the last two seasons with a great combination of 6-2, 185-pound size and good speed, he can hit like a safety with an impressive ten tackle game to his credit against Virginia.
John Talley, Sr. Duke - 50 tackles, 5 interceptions, 8 broken up passes
Probably the best cornerback you haven't seen, Talley is an extraordinary ball-hawker with 11 career interceptions and 22 broken up passes over the last two seasons. He's a tough tackler who's always around the ball, and he has to make sure he can hold up after having problems with his shoulder last year requiring off-season surgery. He's way too valuable to be gone for any stretch of time.
cfbnews.P
2006 CFN All-America
Punters <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 20 Best Punters
[/SIZE][/SIZE]1. Daniel Sepulveda, Sr. Baylor
2. Ken DeBauche, Jr. Wisconsin
3. Eric Wilbur, Sr. Florida
4. Adam Graessle, Sr. Pitt
5. Kody Bliss, Sr. Auburn
6. Adam Podlesh, Sr. Maryland
7. Nic Schmitt, Sr. Virginia Tech
8. Jimmie Kaylor, Jr. Colorado State
9. Kyle Tucker,. Jr. Kansas
10. Brandon Fields, Sr. Michigan State
11. Michael Gibson, Sr. Memphis
12. Brendan Carney, Sr. Syracuse
13. Sean Douglas, Sr. Washington
14. Jeremy Kapinos, Sr. Penn State
15. Colby Smith, Sr. MTSU
16. Jared Scruggs, Sr. RIce
17. Jay Ottovegio, Soph. Stanford
18. Blake McAdams, Soph. Mississippi State
19. Ryan Dougherty, Sr. East Carolina
20. Britton Colquitt, Soph. Tennessee</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Daniel Sepulveda, Sr. - 62 punts, 2,863 yards, 46.2 yards per kick, 13 inside the 20
Named the nation's best punter last year winning the Ray Guy Award, Sepulveda has to come back healthy after injuring his knee playing basketball. He's a big bomber with a career average of 44.85 yards per kick on a whopping 211 boots, and he has put 62 inside the 20. As long as his knee is fine, which it's supposed to be, he'll be one of the nation's best.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Ken DeBauche, Jr. - 57 kicks, 2,555 yds, 44.8 yards per kick, 22 inside the 20
DeBauche is a big 6-2 and 221 pounds with a consistently big leg. He has averaged 43.3 yards per kick over the last two years while putting 39 kicks inside the 20.
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Kody Bliss, Sr. - 44 punts, 1,975 yards, 44.9 average, 7 FC, 14 inside the 20
[SIZE=-1]Bliss will be in the hunt for many preseason All-America honors after leading the SEC in punting. He's not all that big, but he gets a ton of blast on his kicks while also showing good accuracy and consistency averaging 43.3 yards per boot in his three years putting 52 kicks inside the 20.
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Brandon Fields, Sr. - 40 punts, 1,664 yds, 41.6 yards per kick, 11 inside the 20
At some point, Fields is going to put it all together. He was one of the nation's best punters as a sophomore, but he often outkicked his coverage. Last year he lost some of the blast on his kicks in an inconsistent season. Even so, he has NFL potential and could easily bounce back and be a threat for the Ray Guy Award.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Adam Graessle, Sr. - 60 kicks, 2,532 yds, 42.4 ypc, 18 inside the 20
Graessle bombed the ball and was great at pinning teams inside the 20. Now he has to work more with the return team that allowed a ridiculous 17.1 yards per return.
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[SIZE=-1]Jimmie Kaylor, Jr. - 52 kicks for 2,400 yds, 45.3 average, 12 inside the 20
One of the best in the Mountain West earning first-team all-conference honors, Kaylor averaged 45 yards or more per punt in six games. He has a big leg, but it might be too good with 11 touchbacks. To nitpick, he'll occasionally outkick the coverage, but the Rams will take that if he'll keep blasting the ball like he does. [/SIZE]
Adam Podlesh, Sr. - 44 punts, 1,918 yds, 43.6 yards per kick, 17 inside the 20
Podlesh has been tremendous over the last three seasons averaging 43.2 yards per kick with 60 put inside the 20. He's consistent and can do it all from deep bombs to putting it away deep.
Nic Schmitt, Sr. - 52 kicks, 2,244 yds, 43.2 yards per kick, 15 inside the 20
Schmitt bombed away last year with one of the best punting seasons in the program's history. It would help if he worked a little better with the coverage unit to improve the overall net, but that's nitpicking.
Kyle Tucker, Jr. - 66 punts, 2,832 yds, 42.9 yards per kick, 19 inside the 20
Tucker should once again be one of the nation's best punters with range, accuracy, and the leg to bomb it when he needs to. He was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, but he'll have a hard time getting first team All-Big 12 honors in a conference with Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda.
Eric Wilbur, Sr. - 59 punts, 2,459 yds, 41.7 yards per kick, 22 inside the 20
Arguably the best punter in the school's history, Wilbur will be on the short list for the Ray Guy Award after a brilliant freshman season. He can do it all from blasting the ball to pinning teams deep. He worked extremely well with the coverage team helping the Gators finish ninth in the nation in net punting.
cfbnews.PK - Jad Dean is the infamous Clemson uniform model.
2006 CFN All-America
Kickers <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 20 Best Kickers
1. Mason Crosby, Sr. Colorado
2. Brandon Coutu, Jr. Georgia
3. Darren McCaleb, Sr. Southern Miss
4. Alexis Serna, Jr. Oregon State
5. Kyle Schlicher, Sr. Iowa
6. Jad Dean, Sr. Clemson
7. Justin Medlock, Sr. UCLA
8. Arthur Carmody, Jr. Louisville
9. Kenny Byrd, Sr. New Mexico
10. Garrett Rivas, Sr. Michigan
11. Chris Manfredini, Jr. TCU
12. Andrew Wellock, Sr. Eastern Michigan
13. Robert Lee, Sr. Memphis
14. Brandon Pace, Sr. Virginia Tech
15. Sergio Aguayo, Jr. UNLV
16. Mike Barrow, Sr. Idaho
17. Alex Trlica, Jr. Texas Tech
18. Jordon Congdon, Soph. Nebraska
19. Jeremy Ito, Jr. Rutgers
20. Chris Nendick, Jr. Northern Illinois</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Mason Crosby, Sr. - 21-28 FGs, 31-31 extra points
Crosby has one of the biggest legs in college football blasting 13 of 19 field goals from beyond 40 yards with a 58-yard bomb last season. He's an All-American who's not just a bomber, he's also clutch. Dan Hawkins has already said he'll allow Crosby to try a 70-yard shot this season. Crosby will also take over the punting duties from John Torp, who was one of the best in the nation averaging 44.6 yards per kick.
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[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Brandon Coutu, Jr. - 23-28 FGs, 45-45 PATs
Coutu is a big-time weapon, He led the SEC in scoring last year with 114 points and showed off a cannon of a leg hitting ten of his 14 field goal attempts from beyond 40 yards including a 58-yard bomb against UL Monroe. He has to be more consistent inside the 40, but he should be one of the best in the nation.
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]Kenny Byrd, Sr. - 13-15 FGs, 33-38 extra points
A Lou Groza Award semifinalist last year, Byrd is once against expected to be among the best in America. He was automatic from 45 yards with his two misses coming from beyond 40 yards. He has a solid deep leg who now knows what he's doing after only playing soccer in high school.[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Arthur Carmody, Jr. - 14-16 FGs, 63-65 extra points
Carmody is one of the nation's best kickers with range and consistency nailing his final 13 field goal attempts of the year going without a miss after the third game of the season. He hit nine of ten attempts from behind 30 yards and all five from beyond 40 topping out with a 47-yard kick against Pitt. He'll also handle kickoffs.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]Jad Dean, Sr. - 24-31 FGs, 34-35 extra points
Dean was one of the nation's most clutch kickers highlighted by a 6-for-6 performance to beat Texas A&M. He doesn't have a huge leg with his range topping out at 50 yards, but he hit five of his eight kicks between 40 and 49 yards.
Darren McCaleb, Sr. - 23-28 FGs, 38-39 extra points
Connecting from short range hasn't been a problem hitting all 13 of his field goal attempts from inside 40 last season. Being effective from deep has been a little bit of an issue missing from 45, 48, 40, 50 and 44 in 2005. His focus was on increasing his range, so if he can be rock-solid from 45 and in, he'll be a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.
Justin Medlock, Sr. - 13-17 FGs, 50-50 extra points
Medlock is back on the team after getting arrested for drunk driving. He's one of the best kickers in America hitting ten of his last 11 field goal attempts last year. He has a big leg nailing 7 of 11 shots from beyond 40 yards.[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Garrett Rivas, Sr. - 19-26 FGs, 33-35 extra points
He's not going to hit any bombs, but he's a steady kicker from inside 40 yards. Four of his misses came from beyond 39, but he also missed some key short kicks in games against Nebraska and Michigan State. Even so, he should be in the mix for All-Big Ten honors if he can connect on a 50 yarder or two.
Kyle Schlicher, Sr. - 17-21 FGs, 43-44 extra points
One of the best kickers in America returns after being all but automatic inside 40 yards. While he has a good leg with a 52-yard shot against Ohio State to his credit, his consistency tops out at the 40 missing two kicks from 41 and one from 47. His only miss inside the 40 came in the bowl game.
Alexis Serna, Jr. - 23-28 FGs, 32-32 extra points
Serna won the Lou Groza Award as the nation' s top placekicker even though he missed five kicks and showing little range. He nailed six field goals in the Washington game as part of a huge second half of the season. He'll be a lock for preseason All-America honors.
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cfbnews.return
2006 CFN All-America
Returners <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 20 Best Returners
[/SIZE][/FONT]1. KR/PR Steve Breaston, Sr. Michigan
2. KR/PR Ted Ginn, Jr. Ohio State
3. KR Felix Jones, Soph. Arkansas
4. PR Rafael Little, Jr. Kentucky
5. PR Quinton Jones, Sr. Boise State
6. PR Aaron Ross, Sr. Texas
7. KR/PR Terry Richardson, Sr. Arizona State
8. KR Tony Pennyman, Sr. Utah State
9. KR Darrell Blackman, Jr. NC State
10. PR Ryne Robinson, Sr. Miami Univ.
11. PR Joe Burnett, Soph. UCF
12.PR Tom Zbikowski, Sr. Notre Dame
13. KR Jessie Henderson, Soph. SMU
14. KR/PR Leodis McKelvin, Jr. Troy
15. KR Brandon Tate, Soph. North Carolina
16. PR Darrelle Revis, Soph. Pitt
17. PR Tim Mixon, Sr. California
18. PR Eddie Royal, Jr. Virginia Tech
19. PR Thomas Flowers, Jr. Georgia
20. KR/PR Hoost Marsh, Jr. Wyoming</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
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[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]KR/PR Steve Breaston, Sr. Michigan
Can Breaston finally put together a full season? When he's on, he's the best all-around returner in the nation. He averaged 12.3 yards per punt return and 28.1 yards per kickoff return last year.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]KR/PR Ted Ginn, Jr. Ohio State
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]KR Darrell Blackman, Jr. NC State
KR Felix Jones, Soph. Arkansas
PR Quinton Jones, Sr. Boise State
PR Rafael Little, Jr. Kentucky
KR Tony Pennyman, Sr. Utah State
KR/PR Terry Richardson, Sr. Arizona State
PR Ryne Robinson, Sr. Miami Univ.
PR Aaron Ross, Sr. Texas[/SIZE][/FONT]
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cfbnews.CB
<!--body text -->[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1] <TABLE id=table1 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>2006 CFN All-America
Cornerbacks <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 25 Best Cornerbacks
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]1. Fred Bennett, Sr. South Carolina
2. Daymeion Hughes, Sr. California
3. Antoine Cason, Jr. Arizona
4. DeAndre Jackson, Sr. Iowa State
5. Tarell Brown, Sr. Texas
6. John Talley, Sr., Duke
7. Kenny Scott, Sr., Georgia Tech
8. Darrelle Revis, Jr. Pitt
9. Justin King, Soph. Penn State
10. David Irons, Sr. Auburn
11. Marquice Cole, Sr. Northwestern
12. Marcus Hamilton, Sr., Virginia
13. Leon Hall, Sr. Michigan
14. Robert Herbert, Sr. Colorado St
15. Eric Wright, Jr. UNLV
16. Josh Wilson, Sr. Maryland
17. Tanard Jackson, Sr. Syracuse
18. Mike Mickens, Soph. Cincinnati
19. Terrell Maze, Sr. San Diego St
20. Mike Jenkins, Jr. South Florida
21. Chaz Williams, Jr. UL Monroe
22. Joe Burnett, Soph. UCF
23. William Gay, Sr. Louisville
24. Bradley Robinson, Jr. MTSU
25. Jack Williams, Jr., Kent State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]
At 6-1 and 199 pounds with lights-out speed, Bennett will emerge as one of the SEC's best corners this year and is the next top NFL prospect from the USC defensive backfield. He has been steady over the last two seasons with good open-field tackling ability, seven interceptions and 13 broken up passes.
The first-team All-Pac 10 star of last year should be blossom into a superstar this season. He's an experienced defender with 118 tackles and seven career interceptions, and he put it all together with a fantastic 2005 turning into the lock-down corner the defense was looking for. At 6-2 and 188 pounds he's a great-sized corner with the speed to stay with just about any receiver in the conference.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-Americans[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Antoine Cason, Jr. Arizona - 50 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 3 interceptions, 5 broken up passes
One of the Pac 10's best all-around defenders from his first snap as a freshman, Cason has made 120 tackles and picked off seven interceptions in his first two seasons. He's a fantastic open-field, safety-like tackler with more than enough speed to make big plays all over the field and be a lockdown, number one corner on the strongside.
DeAndre Jackson, Sr. Iowa State - 55 tackles, 5 interception, 8 broken up passes, 1 TFL, 4 forced fumbles
One of the best defensive backs in the Big 12, the 6-0, 192-pound senior hits like a safety and covers like a corner. He'll get beat taking a lot of chances, but it's worth it with all the big plays he makes both against the run and when the ball is in the air. He's simply a tremendous all-around playmaker.
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order)
[/SIZE]
[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Tarell Brown, Sr. Texas - 70 tackles, 1 interception, 8 broken up passes, 2 TFL
Arguably the best unsung cornerback in the Big 12, Brown has 24 career starts as one of the team's top cover-corner over the last few seasons. He saved his best game for last cranking out ten tackles against USC showing off the hitting ability that could eventually make him an NFL safety.
David Irons, Sr. Auburn - 48 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 11 broken up passes
The former JUCO transfer got another year of eligibility thanks to missing 2004 with a knee injury. He recovered to be one of the SEC's best corners last season becoming a solid lock-down coverman to go along while growing into sure tackler highlighted by an 11-stop day against Wisconsin. He's not huge, but he hits like a bigger player and is fast enough to handle any SEC receiver. He's the brother of Auburn star RB Kenny Irons.
Justin King, Soph. Penn State - 11 tackles, 2 broken up passes, 10 catches, 126 yds, 2 TD
One of last year's top recruits turned into a nice backup corner and a dangerous receiver spending most of his time on offense over the second half of last season. He's a fantastic all-around athlete with next level speed and enough size to handle himself well against the bigger receivers. While he wasn't able to crack the starting lineup last season. He'll be expected to become the team's best cover-corner taking over for Anwar Phillips on the right side.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Darrelle Revis, Jr. Pitt - 41 tackles, 4 interceptions, 9 broken up passes
One of the best corners in the Big East, Revis did a little of everything well last season including return punts. He's a ball-hawker both against the pass and the run with the size to be a sure tackler and the speed to be a shut down defender. He should go from being an All-Big East performer to earning a bigger national profile.
Kenny Scott, Sr. Georgia Tech - 56 tackles, 2 interceptions, 5 broken up passes, 1 TFL
Scott needs to be a rock with all the movement going on in the Tech secondary. A steady starter for the last two seasons with a great combination of 6-2, 185-pound size and good speed, he can hit like a safety with an impressive ten tackle game to his credit against Virginia.
John Talley, Sr. Duke - 50 tackles, 5 interceptions, 8 broken up passes
Probably the best cornerback you haven't seen, Talley is an extraordinary ball-hawker with 11 career interceptions and 22 broken up passes over the last two seasons. He's a tough tackler who's always around the ball, and he has to make sure he can hold up after having problems with his shoulder last year requiring off-season surgery. He's way too valuable to be gone for any stretch of time.
cfbnews.P
2006 CFN All-America
Punters <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 20 Best Punters
[/SIZE][/SIZE]1. Daniel Sepulveda, Sr. Baylor
2. Ken DeBauche, Jr. Wisconsin
3. Eric Wilbur, Sr. Florida
4. Adam Graessle, Sr. Pitt
5. Kody Bliss, Sr. Auburn
6. Adam Podlesh, Sr. Maryland
7. Nic Schmitt, Sr. Virginia Tech
8. Jimmie Kaylor, Jr. Colorado State
9. Kyle Tucker,. Jr. Kansas
10. Brandon Fields, Sr. Michigan State
11. Michael Gibson, Sr. Memphis
12. Brendan Carney, Sr. Syracuse
13. Sean Douglas, Sr. Washington
14. Jeremy Kapinos, Sr. Penn State
15. Colby Smith, Sr. MTSU
16. Jared Scruggs, Sr. RIce
17. Jay Ottovegio, Soph. Stanford
18. Blake McAdams, Soph. Mississippi State
19. Ryan Dougherty, Sr. East Carolina
20. Britton Colquitt, Soph. Tennessee</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Daniel Sepulveda, Sr. - 62 punts, 2,863 yards, 46.2 yards per kick, 13 inside the 20
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Ken DeBauche, Jr. - 57 kicks, 2,555 yds, 44.8 yards per kick, 22 inside the 20
DeBauche is a big 6-2 and 221 pounds with a consistently big leg. He has averaged 43.3 yards per kick over the last two years while putting 39 kicks inside the 20.
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Kody Bliss, Sr. - 44 punts, 1,975 yards, 44.9 average, 7 FC, 14 inside the 20
[SIZE=-1]Bliss will be in the hunt for many preseason All-America honors after leading the SEC in punting. He's not all that big, but he gets a ton of blast on his kicks while also showing good accuracy and consistency averaging 43.3 yards per boot in his three years putting 52 kicks inside the 20.
[/SIZE][/SIZE][/FONT]
Brandon Fields, Sr. - 40 punts, 1,664 yds, 41.6 yards per kick, 11 inside the 20
At some point, Fields is going to put it all together. He was one of the nation's best punters as a sophomore, but he often outkicked his coverage. Last year he lost some of the blast on his kicks in an inconsistent season. Even so, he has NFL potential and could easily bounce back and be a threat for the Ray Guy Award.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]Adam Graessle, Sr. - 60 kicks, 2,532 yds, 42.4 ypc, 18 inside the 20
Graessle bombed the ball and was great at pinning teams inside the 20. Now he has to work more with the return team that allowed a ridiculous 17.1 yards per return.
[/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=-1]Jimmie Kaylor, Jr. - 52 kicks for 2,400 yds, 45.3 average, 12 inside the 20
One of the best in the Mountain West earning first-team all-conference honors, Kaylor averaged 45 yards or more per punt in six games. He has a big leg, but it might be too good with 11 touchbacks. To nitpick, he'll occasionally outkick the coverage, but the Rams will take that if he'll keep blasting the ball like he does. [/SIZE]
Adam Podlesh, Sr. - 44 punts, 1,918 yds, 43.6 yards per kick, 17 inside the 20
Podlesh has been tremendous over the last three seasons averaging 43.2 yards per kick with 60 put inside the 20. He's consistent and can do it all from deep bombs to putting it away deep.
Nic Schmitt, Sr. - 52 kicks, 2,244 yds, 43.2 yards per kick, 15 inside the 20
Schmitt bombed away last year with one of the best punting seasons in the program's history. It would help if he worked a little better with the coverage unit to improve the overall net, but that's nitpicking.
Kyle Tucker, Jr. - 66 punts, 2,832 yds, 42.9 yards per kick, 19 inside the 20
Tucker should once again be one of the nation's best punters with range, accuracy, and the leg to bomb it when he needs to. He was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, but he'll have a hard time getting first team All-Big 12 honors in a conference with Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda.
Eric Wilbur, Sr. - 59 punts, 2,459 yds, 41.7 yards per kick, 22 inside the 20
Arguably the best punter in the school's history, Wilbur will be on the short list for the Ray Guy Award after a brilliant freshman season. He can do it all from blasting the ball to pinning teams deep. He worked extremely well with the coverage team helping the Gators finish ninth in the nation in net punting.
cfbnews.PK - Jad Dean is the infamous Clemson uniform model.
2006 CFN All-America
Kickers <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 20 Best Kickers
1. Mason Crosby, Sr. Colorado
2. Brandon Coutu, Jr. Georgia
3. Darren McCaleb, Sr. Southern Miss
4. Alexis Serna, Jr. Oregon State
5. Kyle Schlicher, Sr. Iowa
6. Jad Dean, Sr. Clemson
7. Justin Medlock, Sr. UCLA
8. Arthur Carmody, Jr. Louisville
9. Kenny Byrd, Sr. New Mexico
10. Garrett Rivas, Sr. Michigan
11. Chris Manfredini, Jr. TCU
12. Andrew Wellock, Sr. Eastern Michigan
13. Robert Lee, Sr. Memphis
14. Brandon Pace, Sr. Virginia Tech
15. Sergio Aguayo, Jr. UNLV
16. Mike Barrow, Sr. Idaho
17. Alex Trlica, Jr. Texas Tech
18. Jordon Congdon, Soph. Nebraska
19. Jeremy Ito, Jr. Rutgers
20. Chris Nendick, Jr. Northern Illinois</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
2006 CFN Preseason First Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Mason Crosby, Sr. - 21-28 FGs, 31-31 extra points
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Brandon Coutu, Jr. - 23-28 FGs, 45-45 PATs
Coutu is a big-time weapon, He led the SEC in scoring last year with 114 points and showed off a cannon of a leg hitting ten of his 14 field goal attempts from beyond 40 yards including a 58-yard bomb against UL Monroe. He has to be more consistent inside the 40, but he should be one of the best in the nation.
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]Kenny Byrd, Sr. - 13-15 FGs, 33-38 extra points
A Lou Groza Award semifinalist last year, Byrd is once against expected to be among the best in America. He was automatic from 45 yards with his two misses coming from beyond 40 yards. He has a solid deep leg who now knows what he's doing after only playing soccer in high school.[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Arthur Carmody, Jr. - 14-16 FGs, 63-65 extra points
Carmody is one of the nation's best kickers with range and consistency nailing his final 13 field goal attempts of the year going without a miss after the third game of the season. He hit nine of ten attempts from behind 30 yards and all five from beyond 40 topping out with a 47-yard kick against Pitt. He'll also handle kickoffs.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]Jad Dean, Sr. - 24-31 FGs, 34-35 extra points
Dean was one of the nation's most clutch kickers highlighted by a 6-for-6 performance to beat Texas A&M. He doesn't have a huge leg with his range topping out at 50 yards, but he hit five of his eight kicks between 40 and 49 yards.
Darren McCaleb, Sr. - 23-28 FGs, 38-39 extra points
Connecting from short range hasn't been a problem hitting all 13 of his field goal attempts from inside 40 last season. Being effective from deep has been a little bit of an issue missing from 45, 48, 40, 50 and 44 in 2005. His focus was on increasing his range, so if he can be rock-solid from 45 and in, he'll be a finalist for the Lou Groza Award.
Justin Medlock, Sr. - 13-17 FGs, 50-50 extra points
Medlock is back on the team after getting arrested for drunk driving. He's one of the best kickers in America hitting ten of his last 11 field goal attempts last year. He has a big leg nailing 7 of 11 shots from beyond 40 yards.[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]Garrett Rivas, Sr. - 19-26 FGs, 33-35 extra points
He's not going to hit any bombs, but he's a steady kicker from inside 40 yards. Four of his misses came from beyond 39, but he also missed some key short kicks in games against Nebraska and Michigan State. Even so, he should be in the mix for All-Big Ten honors if he can connect on a 50 yarder or two.
Kyle Schlicher, Sr. - 17-21 FGs, 43-44 extra points
One of the best kickers in America returns after being all but automatic inside 40 yards. While he has a good leg with a 52-yard shot against Ohio State to his credit, his consistency tops out at the 40 missing two kicks from 41 and one from 47. His only miss inside the 40 came in the bowl game.
Alexis Serna, Jr. - 23-28 FGs, 32-32 extra points
Serna won the Lou Groza Award as the nation' s top placekicker even though he missed five kicks and showing little range. He nailed six field goals in the Washington game as part of a huge second half of the season. He'll be a lock for preseason All-America honors.
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cfbnews.return
2006 CFN All-America
Returners <TABLE id=table3 cellSpacing=4 width=220 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#ffffcc>Preseason 20 Best Returners
[/SIZE][/FONT]1. KR/PR Steve Breaston, Sr. Michigan
2. KR/PR Ted Ginn, Jr. Ohio State
3. KR Felix Jones, Soph. Arkansas
4. PR Rafael Little, Jr. Kentucky
5. PR Quinton Jones, Sr. Boise State
6. PR Aaron Ross, Sr. Texas
7. KR/PR Terry Richardson, Sr. Arizona State
8. KR Tony Pennyman, Sr. Utah State
9. KR Darrell Blackman, Jr. NC State
10. PR Ryne Robinson, Sr. Miami Univ.
11. PR Joe Burnett, Soph. UCF
12.PR Tom Zbikowski, Sr. Notre Dame
13. KR Jessie Henderson, Soph. SMU
14. KR/PR Leodis McKelvin, Jr. Troy
15. KR Brandon Tate, Soph. North Carolina
16. PR Darrelle Revis, Soph. Pitt
17. PR Tim Mixon, Sr. California
18. PR Eddie Royal, Jr. Virginia Tech
19. PR Thomas Flowers, Jr. Georgia
20. KR/PR Hoost Marsh, Jr. Wyoming</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]KR/PR Steve Breaston, Sr. Michigan
Can Breaston finally put together a full season? When he's on, he's the best all-around returner in the nation. He averaged 12.3 yards per punt return and 28.1 yards per kickoff return last year.
[FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT]2006 CFN Preseason Second Team All-American[SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE]KR/PR Ted Ginn, Jr. Ohio State
2006 CFN Honorable Mention All-Americans[/SIZE][/FONT][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1](in alphabetical order) [/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]
[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][FONT=verdana, arial, sans serif][SIZE=-1]KR Darrell Blackman, Jr. NC State
KR Felix Jones, Soph. Arkansas
PR Quinton Jones, Sr. Boise State
PR Rafael Little, Jr. Kentucky
KR Tony Pennyman, Sr. Utah State
KR/PR Terry Richardson, Sr. Arizona State
PR Ryne Robinson, Sr. Miami Univ.
PR Aaron Ross, Sr. Texas[/SIZE][/FONT]
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Upvote
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txbuckeye1983
We are the innovators, they are the imitators
Breaston over Ginn? No Traspasso in the top 25 punters? When will they all learn?
Upvote
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you've got to be shitting me