Dispelling Big Ten Speed Myth: 25 Players Fast Enough To Start in the SEC
For years, the Big Ten has been criticized for being a slow, plodding conference compared to the SEC which has been the class of college football since the BCS "plus one" model began in 2006.
But the difference between the two conferences is not individual speed, it's scheme speed and being fast at a particular position.
Teams in the SEC play more downhill and aggressive, whereas most Big Ten teams have a very conservative style with big physical defenses.
SEC teams usually will sacrifice a little strength for faster guys who use momentum and athleticism to make plays.
But in the Big Ten, there are players that could succeed on SEC rosters.
Here are 25 of those players in no particular order.
John Simon, DT, Ohio State
1 of 25
The OSU junior has a tremendous amount of quickness at a position where teams will usually put some of the biggest people they can find.
Simon is very athletic and tough with a high-intensity motor and already showed he can play at SEC-level by playing great against Arkansas' offensive linemen in the Sugar Bowl.
He is the type of player with his ability to disrupt plays with his athleticism and motor that would excel in any league, including the SEC.
Expect him to excel in 2011 on a Buckeye defense that has enough skill to go toe-to-toe with some of the best SEC defenses.
Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan
2 of 25
When you're the first QB in history to rush for over 1,500 yards, that means you have some speed to burn.
In the case of Denard "Shoelaces" Robinson, his speed made him such a deadly and elusive open-field runner.
It's unclear how well Robinson will play in Brady Hoke's pro-style offense this upcoming season, but he will have to find a way to get Shoelaces in the open field.
If he has space in front of him, he is one of the few home run threats in the country.
James White, RB, Wisconsin
3 of 25
He may have just been a freshman, but St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) product James White was the speed back Wisconsin had never had in a very long time.
His speed made him the perfect lightning to John Clay's thunder, as it helped him lead the team in rushing in his freshman season.
To be able to run like that as a freshman against some big, talented defense, including OSU's defense, means that White would be an excellent SEC back.
Most running games down south rely on powerful lines and backs that can make cuts, and White fits that mold to a T.
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Corey Brown, WR, Ohio State
4 of 25
Ohio State has two Corey Browns, which is two more than basically any other team in the country. And the 2010 model came with incredible speed, as YouTube videos about his track career in Philadelphia can attest to.
Although Brown had a case of drops his freshman year, he showed the ability to get behind the coverage which earned him comparisons to DeSean Jackson.
He will be featured heavily in OSU's offense in 2011 with the suspension of top WR DeVier Posey for the first five games.
If he can make catches in the open field with his combination of speed and agility, it will be tough for anyone to slow him down.
Aaron Green, RB, Nebraska
5 of 25
Although this is the only freshman that is on this list in the Big Ten, there is no doubt that Green has skyhigh potential.
He was one of the most highly-touted backs in the country recruited by almost everyone before signing with Nebraska.
Green hits into top speed quickly and is incredibly dangerous in the open field, which will be a benefit to Nebraska's zone read with Taylor Martinez.
This kid has the ability to step in and play right away almost anywhere in America and will be a great fit in Nebraska.
Devon Smith, WR, Penn State
6 of 25
Don't let his small 5'7" size fool you because if you overlook him, Devon Smith will blow right by you.
He reportedly ran a sub-4.3 40-yard time in practices for Penn State last season and had 363 yards receiving on just 27 receptions. That equates to about a 13.4 yards per catch average.
Expect this firefly to be more active in Penn State's offense without Evan Royster and Derek Moye in Happy Valley this year.
If Penn State uses him properly, he can be a home run threat that could blow by many defenses.
Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin
7 of 25
Although not overly fast for a LB, Chris Borland is one of those players that has deceptive speed that only enhances his large frame.
At 5'11", 242 lbs, Borland flies around the field like a tank and will be an integral part of the Badgers' 2011 defense after missing all but two games in 2010 with shoulder injuries.
If he gets rolling downhill, it will be tough for anyone to slow Borland down.
Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska
8 of 25
Lavonte David was undoubtedly one of the breakout players in the Big 12 last season racking up 145 tackles in the regular season for the Blackshirts.
David is not overly big at only 210 lbs, but he is extremely quick and flies to the football.
This speed allows him to be involved in the play frequently and make tackles in space, which makes him a very talented LB.
He could start for a very large amount of teams and could be a sleeper for All-American honors.
Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
9 of 25
Pryor might be one of the more obvious choices to put on this list because there aren't too many players with his combination of size and speed.
He is close to 240 lbs and runs near a 4.3 in the 40 which makes him an incredible weapon in the running attack when healthy.
His only problem is he lacks elusiveness in the open field, and it allows opponents to focus on narrowing his running lanes.
Still, Pryor has the ability to start for basically every team, and he showed what he could do against an SEC defense in the Sugar Bowl.
Roy Roundtree, WR, Michigan
10 of 25
What makes Roy Roundtree an effective receiver is his ability to find open seams in the defense and be able to run into open space and turn small receptions into big plays.
He had 72 receptions for 935 yards as mostly a slot receiver and was one of the better WRs in the Big Ten in making yards after the catch.
That ability is what makes a receiver dangerous when he gets the ball in the offense, getting yards after the catch.
Roundtree could be a big impact receiver in any passing attack, although his future is best as a slot receiver at the next level.
Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
11 of 25
It won't take too long for Big Ten defenses to learn that Jared Crick is one of the quickest and most disruptive DTs in the country.
Like John Simon, Crick has great quickness and burst which gets him to high gear quickly and allows him to make plays.
Although his 40-time is only a shade under five seconds, that is still very fast for a DT in a 4-3 scheme.
And being fast for your position is what makes the difference in football. Crick has that and much more which makes him one of the best linemen in America.
Tyler Moeller, S/LB, Ohio State
12 of 25
The image of the Ohio State defense in the past two seasons has been a fast, downhill unit that unloads big hits at will.
Ironically, one player who personifies the playing style of the Silver Bullets defense, Tyler Moeller, has only played four games in the past two seasons due to injuries.
Moeller is around 220 lbs but runs south of a 4.5 40-time and is just a nasty player.
With the injuries, Moeller was given a sixth year of eligibility, and he knows this is his last chance to make a big impact at the college level before moving on to the NFL.
And with his size and tremendous speed combined with pure hitting ability, Moeller could make a living as an undersized but deadly LB or SS in the future.
Vincent Smith, RB, Michigan
13 of 25
Like Devon Smith, Vincent Smith at Michigan is another player that has more than enough speed to make up for a smallish stature.
In his sophomore season, Smith rushed for 601 yards and five TDs, as well as having 130 receiving yards on 15 catches and another TD.
A Pahokee native, Smith has the ability to kick himself into another gear and be just uncatchable in the open field.
His role might change drastically in Brady Hoke's offense, but they will need to find ways to get No. 2 the ball and use him like Ole Miss did with Dexter McCluster, who has a similar build to Smith.
Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska
14 of 25
The things that made Taylor Martinez a special player in the majority of his first season were his speed and elusiveness in the open field as well as deception.
Martinez was excellent in space at blowing by defenders with open-field moves, but injuries slowed him down to a crawl by the end of 2010.
He should be 100% before the start of 2011 and Big Ten play, which is a whole new set of opponents for No. 3.
But his elusiveness and acceleration can give almost any defense headaches.
Jaamal Berry, RB/KR, Ohio State
15 of 25
While OSU's Jaamal Berry has been buried on the depth chart in favor of more experienced backs, that hasn't stopped him from being an impact player in the return game.
The Miami native has incredible speed which helped him to average more than 25 yards per return and helped put the Buckeyes' kick return team into the top five in yards per return in the country.
Berry showed what he can do in spot duty in 2010, rushing for 266 yards on 32 carries including a 67-yard TD run.
He will get his chance with Dan Herron suspended like Pryor and Posey.
Berry hasn't played a ton, but in the time he has played, he's shown flashes of pure speed that makes him extremely tough to catch in a footrace.
Craig Roh, LB/DE, Michigan
16 of 25
Roh has not been overly successful at Michigan yet, but he does have the athletic ability to be a dangerous player off the edge.
At about 250 lbs, Roh has a 40-time around 4.6 and can be a handle to deal with due to his quickness off the edge.
He will most likely be a featured pass rusher in Greg Mattison's defense heading into his junior season.
Once he improves his on-field presence with his pure athleticism, he can be a problem for opposing defenses to handle.
Da'Jon McKnight, WR, Minnesota
17 of 25
Although Minnesota suffered through a terrible 2010 season, one of the few bright spots on the team was stud WR Da'Jon McKnight.
McKnight has a 6'3", 209 lb. frame which gives him a good combination of size and speed to go up and make big plays.
His size and athleticism helped him to snag 46 receptions for 705 yards and 10 TDs for the Gophers.
He is just a pure playmaker—one of the few the Gophers have. But he does have the ability to be a very good wideout and can certainly excel in any passing attack.
Alfonzo Dennard, DB, Nebraska
18 of 25
Alfonzo Dennard has big shoes to fill in 2011 with the departure of Prince Amukamara to the NFL. But he has enough quickness and speed to do just fine.
The Georgia native runs in the mid-4.4s and was one of the big reasons why Nebraska had another fantastic passing defense in 2010.
He has good makeup speed and an underrated amount of physicality that can lock down most receivers.
Dennard will be the main go-to guy in the Nebraska secondary this season.
Gerald Gooden, DE, Purdue
19 of 25
With the departure of superstar DE Ryan Kerrigan, the main focus of the Boilermaker pass rush falls to Gerald Gooden, who came to Purdue after being a linebacker in high school.
Gooden has great speed off the edge as an undersized DE, running close to a 4.6 at just under 240 lbs, which makes him a dangerous rusher.
He has a quick first step which makes him tough for tackles to handle due to his speed.
Gooden is a senior and will be expected to be a big-time player to replace Kerrigan's production.
But his athleticism will still tough for opponents to slow down.
MarQueis Gray, QB/WR, Minnesota
20 of 25
Like McKnight, MarQueis could be a gem for new Minnesota coach Jerry Kill to harvest as part of his hopes to turn the program around.
Gray was a promising recruit at QB, but he was converted to wideout before the 2010 season and had 587 receiving yards with four TDs.
Gray has good open-field speed and the physicality to get into space and make some tough catches, especially as he continues to polish his skills as a wideout.
Whether or not he will start at QB or WR next year, Gray will be a dangerous playmaker for the Gophers this season.
Marcus Coker, RB, Iowa
21 of 25
A massive deluge of personnel at the RB position for Iowa thrust big Marcus Coker into the picture.
And the big 230 lb. freshman responded big time and rushed for 622 yards and three TDs as a freshman.
Coker is definitely a big back, but he has deceptive speed for his size, which makes him a very intriguing player for their future.
His deceptive speed will make him a huge weapon for the Hawkeyes as they look to reload after a disappointing 2010 season.
Keshawn Martin, WR, Michigan State
22 of 25
Although Keshawn Martin didn't put up the type of numbers that teammates Mark Dell and B.J. Cunningham had in 2010, his impact on the field may have been just as huge.
Martin only had 29 receptions for 353 yards and one TD, but he led the Big Ten in punt return average with 14.2 yards a return and one return for a TD.
His pure speed and elusiveness makes him a dangerous weapon in not only the passing game, but the return and the running game as well, where he has an 84-yard TD run to his credit.
With Dell gone, Martin will be featured more heavily in the Spartan offense this season and may be their best home run threat.
Darryl Stonum, WR/KR, Michigan
23 of 25
Like teammate Roy Roundtree, Darryl Stonum is a player that has good speed and the ability to find open spots on the field.
In 2010, Stonum caught 49 passes for 633 yards and four TDs but has been their main kickoff return man for the Wolverines in the past two seasons, including 1,000 yards in returns in 2009 and one TD.
Stonum has good speed and excellent vision for a WR which makes him a a good returnman for the Wolverines.
His multi-dimensionality makes him a very solid all-around player.
Darius Millines, WR, Illinois
24 of 25
Although Darius Millines only had two receptions in his freshman season for Illinois, the young receiver showed some potential to be a good college player.
A native of Delray Beach, Florida, Millines, like Brown, showed the ability to get open deep down the field, but was not able to have a true impact.
His speed helped him get on the field early, and has a chance to improve greatly heading into his sophomore season with the Illini.
Edwin Baker, RB, Michigan State
25 of 25
Edwin Baker may have been one of the biggest surprises in the Big Ten last season, as he rushed for 1,201 yards and 13 TDs as a true sophomore for the Spartans.
Baker has a tremendous amount of quickness and vision combined with good speed that makes him a dangerous back.
And his performance on the ground was a great complement to Kirk Cousins' having a great season passing the football.
It will be tough for Baker to surpass his breakout season, but he certainly has become one of the better backs in the Big Ten and is a player to watch.
He has the potential to be one of the best backs in the country due to his combination of great speed and vision.
For the latest college football news and information, visit The BCS Blitz and follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim.
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