College Football's 2011 Preseason All-Americans
The start of the college football season is a little less than six months away.
I know we all can't wait for summer to get here, but as always, as soon as June rolls in, we college football fans are going to start counting down the days until kickoff.
Sadly, we had to wave goodbye to a lot of talented players this year as we now get ready to watch them all fulfill their NFL dreams in April.
We do still have some supremely gifted players remaining though, and we've got the whole summer to spend hyping them up.
It may be a little too soon for All-American teams, but I felt like getting an early jump on all the preseason publications.
Here's a look at the players that are most deserving of preseason accolades.
Get those magazine covers ready!
QB Andrew Luck, Stanford
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He's the guy.
Andrew Luck, who made the heavily-scrutinized decision to return to Stanford for one more season, is now the face of college football.
The NFL can wait one more year. Luck, the 2010 Heisman runner-up, has a national championship he's got to chase.
If the Stanford signal caller can duplicate his sensational showing as a sophomore, the Cardinal could certainly run the table and win the whole thing this season.
RB LaMichael James, Oregon
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LaMichael James may only stand 5'8'' with cleats on, but that hasn't stopped him from making an impact that defies measurements.
James has rushed for over 3,200 yards and scored 38 total touchdowns over the last two seasons.
When he's in the open field, there are very few defenders capable of bringing the elusive back down.
James has been the focal point of one of college football's most productive offenses these past two years and that should continue in 2011.
RB Trent Richardson, Alabama
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Mark Ingram, the only Heisman winner in Alabama history, has left Tuscaloosa for the greener pastures of the National Football League. In the process, he's handed over the keys to the backfield to Trent Richardson.
Richardson, a 5'11'', 220 lb. finely crafted ball of muscle, is a strong, powerful and compact runner who should thrive as the main ball carrier for the Tide.
Richardson, who has rushed for over 1,400 yards over the past two years, has had to defer most of the workload and carries to Ingram.
That's about to change though.
Look for Alabama to lean on Richardson heavily as they attempt to break in new QB A.J. McCarron.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
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Where did this guy come from?
That's a question many Big 12 fan bases found themselves asking last year after Justin Blackmon tore their teams to pieces.
Blackmon, who had a fairly pedestrian redshirt freshman season in 2009, exploded onto the scene last year, leading the country with 20 receiving touchdowns.
The 6'1'', 205 lb. junior finished the year with 111 catches for over 1,700 yards and ended up winning the Biletnikoff Award for his efforts.
Blackmon has QB Brandon Weeden back, but his production could slip a little without coordinator Dana Holgorsen calling plays .
WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina
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If Alshon Jeffery played on one of Steve Spurrier's Fun 'n' Gun Florida Gator teams from the 90's, he probably would have rewritten the SEC receiving record book by now.
As it is, Jeffery happens to play for an offense that's been plagued by inconsistency at the quarterback position over the last few years.
Still, the 6'4'' junior was able to haul in 88 passes for over 1,500 yards in 2010.
With A.J. Green and Julio Jones off to the NFL, Jeffery will now be considered the most feared receiver in the SEC.
WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame
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Any time a first-year head coach brings in a new offensive system, there's always an adjustment period to be expected. However, it didn't seem like Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd needed all that much time to adjust to Brian Kelly's spread attack.
Floyd, a 6'3'' senior, flourished in Kelly's offense, finishing with his first 1,000 yard receiving season of his career.
Floyd has every trait you would want in a go-to receiver: size, speed, hands, concentration, playmaking ability. If he can post another big season in his final year in South Bend, Floyd could crack the top 10 in the 2012 NFL Draft.
TE Michael Egnew, Missouri
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Missouri TE Michael Egnew is part of the new breed of tight ends that have invaded football.
Egnew is a receiver/tight end hybrid who specializes in being a weapon in the passing game.
That's not to say that the 6'6'' senior doesn't have blocking chops, it just means that when you catch 90 balls in one season, it's obvious where your specialty is.
Egnew will have to adjust to life without QB Blaine Gabbert, but he should prove to be a great safety option for new QB James Franklin.
OL Barrett Jones, Alabama
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It doesn't take a genius to figure out why Alabama wasn't able to finish undefeated again this past season.
The Tide experienced some tough injuries to key offensive linemen during the course of the season, none more devastating than Barrett Jones' troubles.
Jones, one of the best linemen in the SEC, was hampered by an ankle injury late in the season and it was felt throughout the entire offense, which demonstrated just what an integral part of the team he is.
With Jones healthy, the Tide line should again be one of the best in all of college football.
OL Nate Potter, Boise State
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Nate Potter is one of Boise State's rare homegrown products. Potter, a native of Boise, has certainly made his home city proud during his time on the blue turf.
The 6'6'', 300 lb. senior has been the team's most consistent linemen since his sophomore season, dominating weaker WAC competition with his strength and tenacity.
Potter will never get the type of recognition as his teammate, QB Kellen Moore, but it's his coaches and teammates who are the ones who really know and appreciate all that Potter's done for the team these past couple of years.
OL Matt Reynolds, BYU
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BYU didn't exactly have the season they were hoping for in 2010, but the Cougars, who will be the first year of independence, look poised to bounce back in 2011.
BYU has a bunch of talented players, but the one guy all the NFL scouts are going to want to take a look at is OT Matt Reynolds.
Reynolds, a 6'6'', 320 lb. junior, has been getting a good amount of publicity around NFL Draft circles for more than a year and it's finally time for him to step up and take his place among the college football elite.
Look for a big year out of Reynolds as BYU attempts to rebound from their mediocre 2010 season.
OL Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State
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Iowa State certainly isn't considered one of the glitzy programs in college football.
In fact, there are a lot of fans who probably couldn't even tell you what the nickname of the team is.
Even though Iowa State will likely find themselves near the bottom of the Big 12 once again this season, there is at least something to get excited about. OT Kelechi Osemele could be just the second first round NFL pick that Iowa State has ever produced.
Osemele, a 6'5'', 295 lb. senior, has the tools and the skills to be a reliable starting linemen at the pro level and he should give Big 12 defensive linemen all they can handle this season.
OL Jonathan Martin, Stanford
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Jonathan Martin will probably be a first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, but before he can cross that bridge, he'll first have to make sure he properly protects fellow first round teammate, QB Andrew Luck.
Martin, a 6'6'', 305 lb. junior, has remarkable athleticism for his size and he's the type of total package tackle prospect that NFL scouts covet.
Look for RB Stepfan Taylor to be running behind Martin an awful lot this year.
DL Jerel Worthy, Michigan State
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College Football lost a lot of great defensive linemen this year. All you have to do is look at some of the names available for the upcoming NFL Draft to figure that out.
While we'll miss guys like Ryan Kerrigan, Da'Quan Bowers and others, there are still plenty of defensive linemen left in college football who are worth getting excited about.
One defensive tackle who should really come into his own this season is Michigan State's Jerel Worthy.
The 6'5'', 305 lb. Worthy is a former Freshman All-American who has evident NFL potential.
DL Jared Crick, Nebraska
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No one said replacing Ndamukong Suh was going to be easy and Jared Crick had to be the one to find that out the hard way last year.
Crick missed Suh sucking up blockers next to him, but the 6'6'', 285 lb. senior still found a way to perform at a high level.
Crick finished the year with 9.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.
Crick, DE Cameron Merideth and DT Blake Steinkuhler will comprise one of college football's strongest defensive lines this season.
DL Quinton Coples, North Carolina
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The loss of star DE Robert Quinn to suspension last season might actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise as it allowed Quinton Coples to break out and really make a name for himself.
Coples ended up leading the Tar Heels with 10 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss last year.
The 6'6'', 245 lb. junior is a versatile player capable of lining up anywhere along the defensive line.
With talented players such as Tydreke Powell and Donte Paige-Moss once again surrounding him, Coples should continue to build on his success from 2010.
DL Brandon Jenkins, Florida State
16 of 29Viscous.
That's the one word that kept popping into my mind any time I would catch a glimpse of DE Brandon Jenkins flying around the field during a Florida State game.
The 6'3'', 240 lb. Jenkins, who finished second in the ACC with 14 sacks last year, makes up for his lack of prototypical size with his extraordinary explosiveness.
It's athletes such as Jenkins who are helping to restore credibility back to the Florida State program.
LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
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Travis Lewis could have decided to leave early for the NFL after this past season, but the 6'2'', 235 lb. senior made the wise choice to return to Norman and play for a title contender.
Lewis finished with 109 total tackles last year and he should once again be one of the centerpiece players on Oklahoma's talented defense.
LB Dont’a Hightower, Alabama
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Dont'a Hightower was given the difficult task of trying to replicate LB Rolando McClain's presence in the middle of the Alabama defense, and the versatile linebacker sure did embrace the challenge.
Hightower was all over the field in 2010 and looked like the same player we saw as a true freshman before a knee injury sidelined the budding star.
The 6'4'', 260 lb. junior finished last season with 69 tackles and he should once again be a force for an Alabama linebacker unit which looks like the most loaded in the country.
LB Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State
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I'm close to going all in on Arizona State this year.
This Sun Devils team looks dangerous and it has a lot of parts that I like.
The one player who catches your eye right away is LB Vontaze Burfict.
Burfict waltzed in as a freshman and became the man of the defense right from his first day in the desert.
The 6'3'', 245 lb. junior has accumulated 159 tackles in his first two years and he'll be looking to add to that total in 2011.
LB Manti Te’o, Notre Dame
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If I had to choose one player in college football who I absolutely would not want to get tackled by, it's Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o.
Why?
Because Teo's got those linebacker eyes. He has the type of pre-snap gaze that just leads you to believe he enjoys inflicting pain on whoever gets in his way.
Opposing ball carriers had to endure Teo's wrath on 129 different occasions last year.
DB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina
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Steve Spurrier was saying it for a long time. He knew that once he got true SEC-caliber players on defense that South Carolina would contend for a conference championship.
It all came together in 2010. The Gamecocks defense finally got in gear.
That same defense should be even better this year and last season's weak spot, the secondary, should be more stout with the return of both CB Stephon Gilmore and S DeVonte Holloman.
Gilmore, a 2010 All-SEC performer, is one of the premier players in the country.
DB Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska
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I just came up with a good college football trivia question.
How many times in the last decade has one school produced back-to-back first round cornerbacks?
I'm too lazy to look up the answer, but I have a hunch that the number isn't very high.
One school that will eventually be a part of that answer is Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers sent Prince Amukamara off to the pros this year, and the same thing will take place after next season when Alfonzo Dennard makes the jump.
Dennard is a freakish athlete who outplayed his counterpart, Amukamara, on more than a few occasions in 2010.
DB Janoris Jenkins, Florida
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Just a few days after Janoris Jenkins made the big announcement that he was returning to Florida for his senior season, the highly regarded cornerback ran into a little trouble with the law and got saddled with a marijuana possession charge.
A Florida player smoking weed?
I know, who could have guessed.
It will hurt his draft stock a tad in 2012 but Jenkins is a proven first round player.
If Jenkins goes into this season with the right mentality, he should shut down every receiver who lines up in front of him.
DB Mark Barron, Alabama
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Mark Barron had to step up and become the leader of an inexperienced Alabama defense last year, and while Barron struggled at times in coverage, he did his job when it came to being an overall difference maker in the back end.
Barron led the Tide with 75 tackles and helped serve as the backbone for the developing defense.
The 6'2'', 210 lb. senior will once again team up with Robert Lester to form one of the fiercest safety tandems in America.
MVP Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
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I wanted to save a special spot for my favorite player this year, Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles.
I could go on and on about what a great offensive weapon Broyles is and how he's really the most dangerous player out there basically any time he steps on the field. But all I really have to say is this, Ryan Broyles is the best player in college football.
There, it's been said.
Broyles, who led the country with 131 catches in 2010, isn't going to win the Heisman trophy, but he could be the deciding factor when it comes to Oklahoma winning a national championship.
Second Team Offense
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QB: Landry Jones, Oklahoma
RB: Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina
RB: Ronnie Hillman, San Diego State
WR: Juron Criner, Arizona
WR: Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M
WR: Greg Childs, Arkansas
TE: Ladarius Green, Louisiana
OL: Brandon Washington, Miami
OL: Cordy Glenn, Georgia
OL: Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State
OL: David DeCastro, Stanford
OL: Mike Adams, Ohio State
Second Team Defense
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DL: Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
DL: Devin Taylor, South Carolina
DL: Kendall Reyes, UCONN
DL: Vinny Curry, Marshall
LB: Tank Carder, TCU
LB: Luke Kuechly, Boston College
LB: Lavonte David, Nebraska
LB: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
DB: Kenny Tate, Maryland
DB: Chase Minnifield, Virginia
DB: Cliff Harris, Oregon
DB: T.J. McDonald, USC
Third Team Offense
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QB: Kellen Moore, Boise State
RB: Knile Davis, Arkansas
RB: Montel Harris, Boston College
WR: Damaris Johnson, Tulsa
WR: Tavon Austin, West Virginia
WR: Marquess Wilson, Washington State
TE: David Paulson, Oregon
OL: Blake DeChristopher, Virginia Tech
OL: D.J. Fluker, Alabama
OL: Riley Reiff, Iowa
OL: Morgan Moses, Virginia
OL: Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M
Third Team Defense
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DL: Billy Winn, Boise State
DL: Jonathan Massaquoi, Troy State
DL: Kawann Short, Purdue
DL: Kheeston Randall, Texas
LB: Sean Spence, Miami
LB: Danny Trevathan, Kentucky
LB: Nigel Bradham, Florida State
LB: Jelani Jenkins, Florida
DB: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
DB: Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech
DB: Delano Howell, Stanford
DB: Omar Bolden, Arizona State
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
