Five Names To Know in The Pac-10 In 2008 (Offensive Edition)

With the start of the 2008 College Football season just around the corner, the Bleacher Report is here to fill you in on who you need to know in the Pac-10 this year.  Every year, a new batch of stars and up-and-comers invade the media outlets and SportsCenter Top 10 lists.  This year will be no exception.  Here is the lowdown on five special talents ready to break out on the offensive side of the ball.

Jahvid Best
School: University of California Berkeley
Class: True Sophomore
Position: RB
Measurables: 5/10, 193 lb.
Hometown: Vallejo, CA

With incumbent tailback Justin Forsett off to back up fellow Pac-10 alum Maurice Morris in Seattle, the Bears depth chart is wide open at tailback.  Forsett went for 1,546 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns last year, and someone will have to step up to replace that production.  Enter Jahvid Best.

Last season, Best showed the flashes of brilliance that made him one of the top running back recruits in the country last year.  Coaches like USC’s Pete Carroll and Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis recruited him heavily (even coming to see him play in person), but he spurned their advances and decided to stay close to home.

Best possesses a combination of track-star speed (his 20.65 in the 200 was good for second in the nation his senior year of high school) and better-than-average strength.  His toughness and willingness to run between the tackles were both pleasant surprises.  Though he only caught thirteen balls last year, he has the ability to get open and is exceptionally dangerous in space.

Also, with the departure of WR/PR DeSean Jackson to the Philadelphia Eagles, expect the bay area product to make big plays in the punt return game.

It’s no secret that Cal lost a lot of their most consistent (Forsett, WR Lavelle Hawkins) and explosive (Jackson) offensive weapons last year.  The Bears will need someone to consistently carry the load, while providing the big plays that are necessary to succeed in the Pac-10.  It’s obvious who is the Best man for the job.

(Sorry, I had to.  It was too easy.  Please don’t stop reading.  No more puns, I promise.)


Damian Williams
School: Southern Cal
Position: WR
Class: Sophomore (Transfer)
Measurables: 6-foot-2, 190
Hometown:  Springdale, AR

The biggest flaw in USC’s Rose Bowl winning 2007 was the inconsistency of their wide receiving corps.  While they did not lose any receivers of consequence, the depth chart is wide open at that spot.  Though Williams was forced to watch from the sidelines last year, his performance in practice and on the scout team turned heads on the coaching staff and in the locker room.

The best thing about Williams is his versatility.  He is big enough to go over the middle, fast enough to be a deep threat, and elusive enough to catch screen passes and break them for big gains.  He boasts the extremely good hands, which would be huge for a team who struggled with drops all season.  His versatility and precise route running has drawn him comparisons to USC star and New York Giants wideout Steve Smith.

While his transfer was nationally perceived as an afterthought to his high-school teammate QB Mitch Mustain’s, it looks like D-Will may turn out to be the real star of Springdale High.

LeGarrette Blount
School: University of Oregon
Position: RB
Class: Junior (Transfer)
Measurables:  6-foot-2, 235 lb.
Hometown:  Perry, FL

Before this offseason, not too many people inside or outside of Eugene, OR knew who LeGarrette Blount was.  The bruising Blount made sure that people learned his name during the Ducks’ spring workouts.  Coming from football powerhouse East Mississippi Community College, he passed up offers from Alabama and Florida State to come to play in Mike Bellotti’s spread offense.

He is an old-school power back, who reminds me of a more in-shape LenDale White.  One of the things that made Jonathan Stewart so special is his combination of speed and power.  While he is not as speedy as Stewart, Blount is just as powerful as his predecessor, while still being elusive.

Blount will be in a great spot to succeed because Oregon’s run-happy offense will have to rely on the backs even more this year because of Dennis Dixon’s departure.  Blount figures to be the thunder to Senior Jeremiah Johnson’s lightning.  The diminutive Johnson has not shown the ability to stay healthy for a whole season, so Blount will likely get more touches than the average second-string back.

Expect his blue-collar, SEC-style power running to be a big hit in Eugene this season.
   
Kristoffer O’Dowd
School: Southern Cal
Position: C
Class: True Sophomore
Measurables:  6-foot-5, 315 lb.
Hometown: Tucson, AZ

O’Dowd’s career started earlier than expected, when starting center Matt Spanos tore his triceps in practice.  He was thrust into the starting role, and he did not disappoint.  In the games that the five-star center played in, USC rushed for 214 (at Idaho), 313 (at Nebraska), and 207 yards (vs. Washington State).  In SC’s fourth contest (at Washington), he dislocated his right knee on the same play as star guard Chilo Rachal sprained his knee.

While Rachal made it back on to the field later in the season, O’Dowd was not so lucky. To make matters worse, after the season, the NCAA decided that he had played just enough to be ineligible for a medical redshirt.

In their first game without him, the Trojans lost to Stanford at home, rushing for only 95 yards.  For the rest of the season, the Trojan offensive line had difficulties consistently getting the push up the middle that they enjoyed with O’Dowd in the middle.

While he may still be an underclassman, expect him to be the top center in the Pac-10 this season (save Cal’s road-grading senior center Alex Mack).  If he can stay healthy, he may even be the top lineman on the Trojan front five.

Willie Tuitama
School: University of Arizona
Position: QB
Class: True Senior
Measurables: 6-foot-3, 220 lb.
Hometown: Stockton, CA

While USC’s Mark Sanchez, ASU’s Rudy Carpenter, and Washington’s Jake Locker may get all the press, no quarterback is more poised for a monster year than Arizona’s three-year contributor Tuitama.  He quietly had a fantastic season last year, throwing for 28 TD’s and 3,683 yards, good for first and second in the Pac-10 respectively.

He has improved his numbers every year and is among the preseason candidates for the 2008 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.  While he won’t be mistaken for a pre-Bad Newz Kennels Michael Vick, he is mobile in the pocket and is tough enough to stand upright and take hit.  He has a strong arm, and has shown the ability to make good decisions and look for his third and fourth options.

If he can stay concussion-free, expect Tuitama to have another huge year, and potentially be an early-round draft pick in 2009.

Look for the "Five Names to Know in the Pac-10 in 2008 (Defensive Edition)" next Monday.