2011 College Football Predictions: Top 25 Seniors Looking to Go out with a Bang
The senior season in college football is a very special thing. With injuries and players opting for the NFL Draft early, there are few stars that stick around for four seasons. But there are some spectacular talents sticking around for their senior year and we'll all be the beneficiary.
Some seniors are hoping to win a Heisman Trophy that has eluded them. Others are looking to bring a National Title to their school. Some desire to elevate their profiles and NFL draft statuses.
Who's ready to put a stamp on their college career in their senior season? Here are 25 seniors who have big plans for 2011.
25. Mike Martin, DT, Michigan Wolverines
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Michigan could use a huge boost on defense. New coach, Brady Hoke, needs to improve a unit that finished 110th in the country in total defense. Only two BCS conference teams played worse defense in 2011, Texas Tech and Washington State.
For starters, Hoke needs to get Mighty Mike Martin to step his game up. It's going to be tough to do since he's already one of the most beastly defensive tackles in the country.
Martin has suffered through one of the worst four-year periods in Michigan football history. The best season that Martin and his fellow seniors have experienced was last year's 7-6 campaign that ended in the first bowl game since 2007. The only problem was that the bowl game was an embarrassing shellacking at the hands of Mississippi State.
Martin is looking to end his time as a Wolverine with something better than the Gator Bowl.
24. Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Alfonzo Dennard is the latest Cornhusker—and there are more than one this season—that stuck around an extra year to help out the Blackshirt defense, despite immediate NFL potential.
Tutored by likely top 10 pick Prince Amukamara, Dennard is ready to be one of the nation's next elite corners.
Much like Amukamara, Dennard is aggressive and fundamentally sound. And he's willingly sticks his nose into run defense. He still wants to work on his technique before taking his game to the next level.
The Big Ten will have to deal with a top corner this season.
23. Case Keenum, QB, Houston Cougars
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Watch out Timmy Chang, here comes Case Keenum. The Cougar's quarterback received a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA, after injury kept him out for most of 2010. Now, the player that is already fifth all-time in career passing yards in college football will get his chance to become the most prolific the game has ever seen.
He's currently at 13,586 yards. Timmy Chang threw for 17,072 from 200-2004. Considering that Keenum threw for more than 5,000 yards in both of his previous full seasons, it shouldn't take even a full season for Keenum to break the record.
Houston uses an air raid offense that racks up the offensive statistics. But there is more to this team. It has the makings of a Conference USA champion and could push for a special bowl bid.
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22. Sean Spence, LB, Miami Hurricanes
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Sean Spence has been a large contributor to Miami's defense for three seasons and is looking to step it up another notch in 2011 as a senior.
After racking up 110 tackles in 2010, Spence established himself as one of the top linebackers in the ACC. Spence could have opted for the NBA draft despite being slightly undersized at 6'0".
He has eight sacks in his career. Increasing productivity in that department could make Spence a household name nationwide.
21. Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M Aggies
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1,000-yard seasons are the criteria most used to grade running backs, and Texas A&M's Cyrus Gray has one of those to his name. After rushing for more than 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2010, Gray is ready to bust out with a monster year in 2011.
The crazy thing is that Gray racked up those yards while only amassing 11 carries in a three-game stretch from Sept. 30-Oct. 16. Gray followed that lull in production with seven straight 100-yard games, including a 223-yard performance against rival Texas in the regular season finale.
Those three games in which Gray didn't touch the ball much? The only three regular season losses for the Aggies.
20. Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State Spartans
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Michigan State is in search of an outright Big Ten title. They got a share of one in 2010, but that's not an option anymore with the Big Ten Conference title game.
The Spartans will need an encore performance from Kirk Cousins. Cousins threw for more than 2,800 yards while completing 66.9 percent of his passes. That makes for two straight season of Cousins adequately managing the Spartan offense.
But if Michigan State is going to do more than share a Big Ten title, Cousins is going to need to do more than manage the offense. 3,000 yards has to be the minimum for him in 2011.
19. Brandon Bolden, RB, Ole Miss Rebels
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Why is it that a running back that averages 6.0 yards per carry only carried the ball at least 20 times once last year?
Houston Nutt does some great recruiting and he can pull off a tremendous upset from time to time, but he needs to take a look at running back Brandon Bolden's contributions. 2011 has to bring a lot more Bolden for the Rebels to do better than 4-8 like they did in 2010.
Ole Miss needs to use Bolden and get him his first 1,000-yard season. He scored 14 rushing touchdowns three more receiving.
18. Tank Carder, LB, TCU Horned Frogs
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The TCU Horned Frogs have trotted out one of the nation's top defenses for years, and plan to again in 2011. The center point of that defense will be Tank Carder.
He's a solid inside linebacker that can general the Horned Frogs' defense. Carder made 61 tackles last season but is looking to get back to the level of production he enjoyed as a sophomore when he tallied 89 stops.
Carder is dependable in pass defense and aids the pass rush. He's primed for a breakout year in 2011.
17. Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas Razorbacks
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It's reasonable for a wide receiver to expect a decrease in production when a quarterback the caliber of Ryan Mallett moves on to the NFL. But Arkansas' Jarius Wright will see an increase in his numbers in 2011.
Combine his growing acumen of playing wide receiver with the breakout potential of Razorback quarterback Tyler Wilson, and Wright is set to be one of the top wideouts in the country.
Arkansas boasts returning its three top wide receivers from last season, Joe Adams having caught a team-high 50 balls in 2010. But Wright's speed makes him a game-breaking threat every time he touches the ball.
He averaged 18.8 yards per catch last season and was recently clocked at 4.27 seconds in the 40-yard dash, tied for second on the team. Plenty of defensive backs are going to be able to ready the name on the back of his jersey this season.
16. Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Read and react: it's the golden rule of playing linebacker. There are few that did it better than Nebraska's Lavonte David in 2010. Wherever the ball was, so was No. 4 in a Cornhusker uniform.
He racked up 153 tackles—that's more than 10 per game—for Nebraska last season in his first year as a contributor to the defense. The Huskers are glad to have their cog back in the middle.
What's in store for David in 2010? It's hard to improve on a 150+ tackle season. He also had six sacks. It's going to take a Herculean effort for David to produce more, and he might just be up for the task.
15. Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma Sooners
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Travis Lewis earned second team All-Big 12 honors in 2010 for his versatile play. Not only did he come up with 109 tackles, but he earned two sacks and three interceptions as well.
Being able to not only stop the run but play pass defense is what makes Lewis such a valuable commodity to the Sooners. Oklahoma has an NFL prospect playing for it next season.
Lewis was a starter for the team that lost in the BCS National Championship two seasons ago to Florida. Claiming one of those crystal football trophies is certainly high on his to-do list.
14. John Brantley, QB, Florida Gators
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Scratch your head and try to think of a player more disappointing in the SEC in 2010 than John Brantley. There are few contenders for that dubious crown. Brantley really hopes to get his chance to redeem himself in 2011.
His job isn't even safe, but it did recently get safer when both Trey Burton and Jordan Reed moved from the quarterback depth chart. Brantley will have to hold off Tyler Murphy and true freshman Jeff Driskel to keep his job.
If Brantley is successful in doing so, he'll be mentored by quarterback guru Charlie Weis. The offense will look different and should better suit Brantley's abilities. It could be a big year for the Gator gunslinger.
13. QuInton Coples, DE, North Carolina Tarheels
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No Robert Quinn, almost no problem for North Carolina in 2010. QuInton Coples stepped up in his junior year to provide the Tar Heels with a dangerous pass rusher after Quinn was dismissed from the team.
Coples tallied 10 sacks last season and turned himself into a top-flight defensive end with legitimate NFL potential.
The question now for Coples is whether or not he can continue to produce with the ACC paying a mindful eye to him. He's got the athleticism, now he just needs to show the polish.
12. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M Aggies
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Texas A&M played six games and a quarter before coach Mike Sherman gave Ryan Tannehill his shot as the Aggies quarterback. He didn't relinquish the duty.
Tannehill led the Aggies to six straight wins before losing the Cotton Bowl to LSU. In those seven games, Tannehill passed for nearly 1,700 yards and 13 touchdowns and made Texas A&M relevant nationally for the first time in several years.
Now the Aggies are a team with expectation. Big things could be coming, and it hinges largely on Tannehill.
11. Doug Martin, RB, Boise State Broncos
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All Boise State does is toss the ball around on offense and run trick plays, right? They're that cute little team from the middle of nowhere anyone goes by choice that makes up for average recruiting with smoke and mirrors.
Not anymore.
The Broncos can play ball because they bring in solid talent and play traditionally sound football. Running back Doug Martin proved exactly that with his 1,200-yard, 12-touchdown season in 2010. Boise State will come right at you.
Martin will need to do the same in 2011 if the Broncos are going to reach another BCS bowl.
10. Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State Bulldogs
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10.2 percent of the time that Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard touched the ball in 2010, he scored a touchdown. That's explosive.
He missed a game in 2010 and still rushed for 968 yards, but expect Ballard to surpass 1,000 yards easily in 2011. The Bulldogs should feed Ballard no less than 15 carries per game.
Mississippi State will likely enjoy a preseason ranking. They have returned as a player in the SEC West are upset minded with the likes of Alabama, LSU and Auburn ruling roost in recent years.
9. Stephen Garcia, QB, South Carolina Gamecocks
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Is it just me or is Stephen Garcia in his ninth year of eligibility at South Carolina? It seems like it. That's what happens when you're Steve Spurrier's quarterback and the magnifying glass is on you. Garcia finally came into his own in 2010 and established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC.
South Carolina got a taste of the big time with its first SEC championship game last season. But the Gamecocks want more than that. They want a conference championship.
Garcia—and running back Marcus Lattimore—have the firepower to keep South Carolina in every game this season. Could Garcia vault himself into the Heisman Trophy discussion? He has to overcome his spring practice suspension first.
8. Damaris Johnson, WR, Tulsa Golden Hurricane
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Is Damaris Johnson a wide receiver? Yeah, most of the time. But he's also a dangerous running back. It's best to just describe him as a offensive football player.
Johnson had 872 receiving yards and 560 rushing yards last season for the Golden Hurricane. He's been incredibly versatile in Tulsa's fast-paced, spread option offense. He's ready for more big things in 2011.
While Johnson may play on a smaller stage in Conference USA, he puts up big numbers. He has 24 career total touchdowns and will add plentifully to that this coming season.
7. Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma Sooners
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Oklahoma's Ryan Broyles has made himself into one of the best wide receivers in college football. He caught 131 passes to lead the nation last season, accumulating more than 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns. He would have been in the conversation for a first-round NFL draft pick.
Nevertheless, Broyles decided that he has unfinished business to take care of in his fourth year of eligibility.
Quarterback Landry Jones and Broyles should put together a ridiculously prolific season in their second full year working together.
6. Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia Mountaineers
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There was only one player that recorded more sacks in 2010 than West Virginia's Bruce Irvin, and that player, Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers, could be the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. Irvin harassed Big East quarterbacks to the tune of 14 sacks in 13 games.
Irvin needs to put on some weight for the next level and may be seen as a linebacker, but he'll continue to tear up the college game as a defensive end.
West Virginia wants to climb back on top of the Big East. Having a game-changing pass rusher can help that cause. Irvin is set to destroy any offensive tackle that gets in his way.
5. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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He could have been a first-round NFL draft pick, but Notre Dame's Michael Floyd returned to school instead. He busted out in 2010 with a 1,000-yard season and 12 touchdowns.
The return of Notre Dame to the elite in college football, however, finally seems on the verge of happening. Floyd wants to be a part of it.
It's still unclear who Floyd's quarterback will be as both Tommy Rees and Dayne Crist proved capable last year. Whoever claims the job will have fun slinging the ball Floyd's direction.
4. Janoris Jenkins, CB, Florida Gators
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An 8-5 season and an Outback Bowl win are not the way that Janoris Jenkins wants to leave Florida. Of course, his marijuana-related arrest, impending trial and shoulder injury helped make up his mind to stay in Gainesville, Fla.
No matter the reason, new Florida coach, Will Muschamp, is happy to have one of the most skilled corners in the country remaining on the roster. Jenkins could have easily been a first-round pick in this year's NFL Draft, rated by many as the third best defensive back prospect.
He'll take next year to continue leaving his mark on the college game and give SEC receivers a rough go in their matchups with him.
3. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State Buckeyes
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Terrelle Pryor's recruitment four years ago was drawn out, over-reported and just plain annoying by the time it was finished. He entered the college game with insane expectations that included national championships, Heisman Trophies and a future in the NFL.
Despite the intense pressure and scrutiny, Pryor has been extremely productive in college. But his inconsistency—and suspension for the first five games of 2011—have slowed him down.
Nobody has more doubters that he wants to prove wrong than Pryor. He'll have less games to do it in with the suspension for receiving improper benefits. He's looking for an outright Big Ten title and an increase in his draft stock.
2. Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska Cornhuskers
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Ndamukong Suh 2.0 is Jared Crick. The Cornhusker enjoyed freedom in 2009 while much attention was paid to his defensive tackle mate and future NFL defensive rookie of the year, Suh. 2010, however, showed that Crick's nine sacks and disruptive play in 2009 was no fluke.
Crick racked up 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss. He disposes of blockers with ease and makes his presence felt in the opponent's backfield.
Crick will take his wrecking talents to the Big Ten this season and then to the NFL.
1. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State Broncos
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Efficient. It's the best word to describe the play of Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore. As a freshman in 2008, he finished the season 11th in the country in passing efficiency. In 2009, he finished second. Last year he led the country.
Moore has passed for more than 10,000 yards and 99 touchdowns, is 38-2 as a starter and still has more to prove.
Boise State wants its shot at a national championship, whether the public or the BCS computers agree with its argument for one. The Broncos will get chances against Georgia, Nevada and TCU to prove its merit.
Moore will be instrumental in any success that the Broncos have.
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