Pre-season B10 Offensive and Defensive Breakout POY

We have breakout players every year in College Football.  Here's the top two breakout players for the BigTen in 2010.  Neither player was ranked amongst the top 150 overall out of high school.

These two players are the definition of hard-work. They have many things in common: strength, intelligence, and determination. 

One man could be the most important player on a National Championship contender.  The other could be the difference between a losing season, and a 10 win season.

These are two of the most valuable first-year starters in all of college football.

Let's take a look.

Offensive Breakout Player of the Year—Dan Persa/Northwestern

Alright.  Picture an Air Force type quarterback.  Add to that a strong arm,  an incredible coach in his ear, and what do you have?  Dan Persa.

This fiery pinball of fun is like the chicken in the original Rocky film. He is going to literally wear-out some of the great defenders in the conference. Persa has speed to burn, and he doesn't know any better than to just take off and outrun your star linebacker. 

If he has time he might hit one of many viable targets like Drake Dunsmore(6'4" 235).   If he doesn't, he'll just scamper for 5 yards faster than you can take a drop step.  Persa is capable of some sick numbers.  How sick?

If Persa stays healthy he could throw up numbers in the 2200/500 range.  

Calling that pre-season could make me look like an idiot, or like the reincarnation of the Zoltar machine from the movie 'Big'

I like this kid. I like his coach.  I like his chances at BigTen honorable mention as a frosh - you heard it here first. 

Northwestern will cover the 3 points at Vandy in the opener,  That should be at the top of your parlay.  Dan Persa is a safe bet.

Other players considered: Jake Stoneburner(TE/OSU), and Robert Marve(Qb/Purdue).

Defensive Breakout Player of the Year—John Simon/Ohio State

He's the guy in the background.  Former ESPN recruiting analyst Bill Conley admitted to me that he and his ESPN recruiting board had under-rated this prospect.  John Simon was a 260 pound DT out of HS.  Seantrel Henderson he was not.

Simon had attributes that didn't translate onto videotape.  He wasn't huge, he wasn't lightning quick, but he was fast, strong, and relentless. 

Now, take a close up picture of DT John Simon and you'll see the first thing that makes him special.  He's a monster.  Some Ohio State fans remember Mike Kudla who benched 555 at Ohio State.  Simon will break that record.  He can do 48 reps at 225.  He is as strong as the day is long, and that's not his best asset.  

He plays whistle to whistle.  He runs well, and he is as determined as any player I have ever seen.  You can get the best of him, you can knock him down, but somehow, he still makes the play. 

John Simon will instantly become one of the best DT's in the league.

Keep your eyes on #54 in the Scarley and Gray.