Naming the Best Player on Every BCS College Football Team

As summer workouts continue, the start to the college football season is drawing closer and closer by the day.

Teams in the BCS conferences, as well as all other teams around the nation, are preparing for a long season that they hope ends with a chance to win the BCS National Championship.

Throughout the season, we will see superstars around the nation looking to step up and lead their team to that final game.

Here is a look at the best player on each BCS team who hopes to help his program achieve that dream.

Boston College: Luke Kuechly

Last year, Luke Kuechly led the nation in tackles and is back for his senior season with some high expectations.

Coming into the season, Kuechley will be a Butkus Award candidate and will have an opportunity to break the NCAA record for tackles.

All in all, it should be a good year for Kiechly.

Clemson: Andre Ellington

Andre Ellington will be the main back for the Clemson Tigers and is looking to follow up his sophomore season, when he rushed for 686 yards and 10 touchdown, with a solid junior year.

If Ellington is given more touches and opportunities this year, he should get over the 1,000-yard mark with ease.

Florida State: Brandon Jenkins

As a sophomore, Brandon Jenkins was an animal who made life difficult on every offense that the Florida State defense went up against.

Last season, Jenkins put up an impressive 13.5 sacks and will be one of the more feared defenders in the 2011 season.

Maryland: Danny O'Brien

Under new coach Randy Edsall, quarterback Danny O'Brien should continue to flourish in his sophomore seasons.

As a freshman, O'Brien threw for 2,400 yards and 22 touchdowns while only throwing eight interceptions.

If his play as a freshman is an indicator of future success, then Maryland is in good hands.

NC State: George Bryan

George Bryan was a huge target for Russell Wilson but will be leaned on even more in 2011 by new quarterback Mike Glennon.

Bryan is an outstanding tight end who has the size and hands to be a real weapon over the middle in the ACC.

Wake Forest: Josh Harris

During a 3-9 season, Josh Harris is a building block towards the future for Wake Forest.

As a freshman, Harris rushed for 720 yards and seven touchdowns.

His major standout performance came on the road against Virginia Tech, when he rushed for 241 yards and two touchdowns.

Duke: Conner Vernon

In 2010, and now going into 2011, Conner Vernon will continue to be the go to receiver for Duke. Last year, Vernon caught 73 passes for 973 yards and four touchdowns.

Despite the overall lack of success by the Blue Devils, Vernon could be the one bright spot in 2011.

Georgia Tech: Roddy Jones

While he didn't have huge numbers in 2010, Roddy Jones showed that he could be a solid option in the triple-option offense run by Paul Johnson.

Last year, Jones almost average seven yards a carry, and with the increased role he should play in 2011, his production will take a huge jump forward.

Miami: Sean Spence

This will be Spence's junior season, and if he is able to make the same kind of leap this year as he did in his previous season, the ACC will have its hands full.

Spence is a solid sideline to sideline defender for Miami Hurricanes last season. He racked up 110 tackles and three sacks in 2010 and looks to do even more in 2011.

North Carolina: Quinton Coples

Coming into his senior season, Quinton Coples is an extremely athletic defender and has a nose for the ball.

In 2010, Coples had 59 tackles and 10 sacks, doubling his previous years' totals.

Virginia: Chase Minnifield

SI.com Honorable Mention All-American Chase Minnifield had a great 2010. He picked off six passes, taking his career total to 10 interceptions.

Minnifield started every game in 2010 and finished second in the ACC and seventh nationally in interceptions.

Virginia Tech: Jayron Hosley

As a sophomore in 2010, Jayron Hosley recorded 39 tackles, seven pass breakups and nation-leading nine interceptions.

His performance as a sophomore earned him first team All-American honors, and he may be one of the front-runners for the defensive player of the year.

Baylor: Robert Griffin III

Robert Griffin had a terrific comeback year in 2010 after losing the majority of his 2009 season to injury. He was named to the second team All-Big 12 squad and has Baylor fans hopeful for a successful 2011.

Between his athletic ability and experience, Griffin will be the key to Baylor's success.

Oklahoma State: Justin Blackmon

Looking for the standout in the Big 12 is not hard to do. Junior receiver Justin Blackmon returns for his third season and has already won the Biletnikoff Award in 2010.

In 2010, Blackmon was a touchdown machine, catching 20 scores and never going a game without a touchdown reception.

Much like other players on this list, one of the keys to success in 2011 will include the fact that Blackmon will have the same quarterback, Brandon Weeden, throwing passes to him.

For opposing defenses in the Big 12, be prepared. Blackmon put up monster numbers in only his second year in school and will be even more difficult to cover as a junior.

Iowa State: Jake Knott

Jake Knott is a tenacious defender and a leader on Iowa State's football team.

In 2010, Knott was named to the second team All-Big 12 and was also named the Cyclones defensive MVP. Knott has also been a co-captain for two years running and should make it three in 2011.

Missouri: T.J. Moe

T.J. Moe is an impact player for the Tigers who has the ability to make plays whenever he touches the ball. Moe was one of the main beneficiaries of having Blaine Gabbert at quarterback.

Moe caught 92 passes for over 1,000 yards last year and was named second team All-Big 12.

Kansas State: Ty Zimmerman

In just his first year at Kansas State, Ty Zimmerman was a standout player on the Wildcat defense and caught the eye of teams across the Big 12, as he was named to the second team All-Big 12 squad.

Zimmerman provided Kansas State with solid play in the secondary and three interceptions.

Kansas: James Sims

It was a rough 2010 for Kansas going 3-9 and not making it to a bowl game. A bright spot throughout the season was the play of freshman running back James Sims.

Sims stepped up and rushed for 742 yards and nine touchdowns in his first year. With a year under his belt, Sims has himself set up for a good sophomore season.

Oklahoma: Landry Jones

Coming into 2011, Landry Jones will be leading the preseason No.1 and having to handle the expectations that come with it.

Jones will have a wealth of talent around him, and if Jones is able to play as well as he did last year, the Sooners will be hard to stop in 2011.

Texas: Emmanuel Acho

With the offense still looking for their way down in Austin, Texas will need players like Emmanuel Acho to really step forward and lead this team.

Last year, Acho was named to the second team All-Big 12 squad and is the leader of the Longhorn defense.

Texas A&M: Ryan Tannehill

Ryan Tannehill is a unique player on this list in the sense that he actually played wide receiver and then finished the year at quarterback.

For the first six games on 2010, Tannehill put up decent numbers at receiver, but then made his first start against Texas Tech.

Tannehill finished the year at 5-1 as a starter and will be interesting to watch in 2011.

An argument for Jeff Fuller could be made, but overall Tannehill will have a bigger impact for the Aggies in 2011.

Texas Tech: Eric Stephens

With the loss of senior quarterback Taylor Potts, the Texas Tech offense won't stop attempting to air out the ball but may need to look for some balance in 2011.

Eric Stephens averaged over five yards per carry last year. He finished the year with 668 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

Cincinnati: Zach Collaros

Back for his senior season is Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros. Collaros had a good first season as a starter, throwing for just under 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Coming into his senior season, Callaros will look to cut down on the interceptions and continue to improve on his accuracy as he leads Cincinnati through the Big East schedule.

Connecticut: Sio Moore

Quickly becoming a leader on the defense, Sio Moore was continued to develop every year at Connecticut.

Coming into 2011, the only thing that can stop Moore from being an outstanding force is the perception that he takes plays off. UConn coaches that with the idea that perception is not reality.

Louisville: Jeremy Wright

With the 2010 season behind them, the Louisville Cardinals will have to replace the production of senior running back Bilal Powell.

While seeing some limited action, Jeremy Wright was able to accumulate over 300 yards rushing and four scores.

For the coming season, Wright will have to replace the yardage and scores that Powell provided the team last year.

Rutgers: Mark Harrison

Despite a down year for Rutgers, Mark Harrison was a ray of sunshine during this down season. Going into 2011, Harrison could be playing with a chip on his shoulder and playing with something to prove.

While being in the top five in most major receiving statistics, Harrison was left off of both the first and second team Big East squads.

In 2010, Harrison caught 44 passes and nine touchdowns, and will use the motivation of being snubbed in conference to lead him to an even better 2011.

Pittsburgh: Mike Shanahan

Mike Shanahan is entering his junior season this year and is a playmaker in the Pittsburgh offense.

Last season the Panthers offense sputtered at times with Tino Sunseri at quarterback, so in his second year as starter, Sunseri will lean on players like Shanahan even more.

South Florida: B.J. Daniels

B.J. Daniels had an impressive sophomore season with South Florida and led them to a bowl victory at the end of the season.

As the 2011 season gets underway, Daniels is a solid run-pass threat that has South Florida in contention to win the Big East.

Syracuse: Ryan Nassib

In a bounce back year for Syracuse, quarterback Ryan Nassib led them back to a bowl game and helped them lock up a victory over Kansas State in the Pinstripe Bowl.

Nassib threw for 2,334 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2010, which was also his first full season as starter.

West Virginia: Geno Smith

Geno Smith will be entering his junior season at West Virginia in 2011 and will be coming off of a impressive season in 2010. Smith threw for 24 touchdowns and over 2,500 yards passing.

Smith has a good arm and is mobile enough when he needs to be. If Smith can give them a repeat performance in 2011, it will be a good start for West Virginia.

Illinois: Nathan Scheelhaase

Nathan Scheelhaase stepped in as a freshman last year and was steady through most of the year. Scheelhaase threw for 1,825 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2010.

In 2011, Illinois will be looking for development out of Scheelhaase entering his second year and hoping that translates to more wins.

Iowa: Marvin McNutt

Marvin McNutt is the one pick that will be hit or miss to lead the Big 10 in touchdown receptions.

McNutt has the talent that is needed to pull this off, but unlike other top receivers, he will be playing with a young quarterback who may need time to get up to speed.

For the past two seasons, McNutt has caught eight scores and last year was named second team all Big Ten.

When looking at Iowa's offense, it is clear that Marvin McNutt is the No. 1 option in the passing game; the only question in 2011 will be whether James Vandenberg get him the ball and let McNutt do the rest.

Indiana: Damario Belcher

With Ben Chappell out of the picture this season, Indiana is turning over the offense to Dusty Kiel. Kiel will look to Damarlo Belcher early and often in the season and for good reason.

With Belcher's size and speed, he could be a huge help in getting Kiel comfortable in the starting role.

Ohio State: Michael Brewster

With the state of change that the Ohio State program is currently in, they will need solid play out of both lines, and the offensive line is led by Michael Brewster.

Brewster is an outstanding center that has NFL talent. In the 2011 season, the line will be leaned on to help whoever takes over at quarterback for the Buckeyes.

Penn State: Derek Moye

Another player who named as a honorable mention for the All-Big 10 team was Penn State receiver Derek Moye.

Moye has shown steady improvement since his freshman year and had his best season to date as a junior.

Moye caught 53 passes and scored eight touchdown for Penn State and will be looking to cap off his career at PSU with an even better senior season.

Purdue: Ricardo Allen

Despite it being a down year for Purdue, they do have to look forward to the continued development of cornerback Ricardo Allen.

Last year, Allen received honorable mention for the All-Big 10 team and also had back-to-back weeks with a pick-six.

Wisconsin: Russell Wilson

While the Wisconsin Badgers have talent on both sides of the ball, Russell Wilson is coming in and make them an instant contender in the Big 10 and national championship race.

With his ability to make plays with his legs and arm, Wilson should be able to take the Badgers far.

Michigan: Denard Robinson

The only bright spot that came out of the Rich Rod era at Michigan was Denard Robinson.

Robinson is an explosive playmaker who has the ability to turn a broken play into a touchdown. Despite having average accuracy, Robinson is a constant threat that defenses must continually keep their eyes on.

Michigan State: Kirk Cousins

In 2010, Kirk Cousins led the Michigan State Spartans to a share of the Big 10 title and has hopes of doing it again.

If Michigan State hopes to challenge for the conference crown again, they will not only need Cousins to bring the effort and leadership he brought in 2010; he will need to find that next level of production.

Minnesota: Da'Jon McKnight

Despite sitting towards the bottom of the Big 10, Minnesota hopes with a new year comes big things.

The Golden Gophers will look to senior wide receiver Da'Jon McKnight to help lead them in 2011 and improve on his 750 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Nebraska: Jared Crick

Jared Crick had a terrific year in 2010. He was named to Rivals All-American team and then was named to AP, SI and CBSSports second team. On top of that, Crick was an unanimous choice for the first team All-Big 12.

Over the past two seasons, Crick was totaled up 18.5 sacks and is eying up a monster senior season as Nebraska moves to the Big 10.

Crick will end up being one of the top defensive players in the Big 10 this year.

Northwestern: Dan Persa

For the most part, Dan Persa is the reason that Northwestern is able to stay in most games that they play.

Persa does a great job extending the play and helping keep them alive. The Wildcats will need him to stay healthy in 2011 to have a shot at another bowl game.

Arizona: Juron Criner

Since beginning his career at Arizona, Juron Criner has been getting better and better, and it is all pointing towards a monster senior season.

Over the past two seasons, Criner and quarterback Nick Foles have developed a great relationship and have now been able to play together for long enough where they know each other's thoughts on the field.

In 2009, Criner hauled in nine touchdown catches, but was able to trump that in 2010 by catching 11 scores.

When looking forward towards the 2011 season, this first-team All-Pac-10 receiver has himself set for a standout season that will put him on top of the conference in touchdown receptions.

Arizona State: Vontaze Burfict

Vontaze Burfict had an impressive second year at Arizona State and is ready to lead the defense in his third.

Burfict was named by some the defensive MVP of the Pac-10 last year and also landed on the Pac-10's second team.

Colorado: Rodney Stewart

While the Pac-12 is deep with running talent, Rodney Stewart will be sure to stand out.

Coming from Big 12, Rodney was able to put up over 1,300 yards and 10 scores. With a shift to the Pac-12, Rodney will be in a conference that is a bit more wide open and should give him an opportunity to shine.

UCLA: Jonathan Franklin

Very quietly, Jonathan Franklin posted 1,127 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in his sophomore season and will only get better as a junior.

To go along with a good sophomore season, Bruin fans should take notice that for the most part, Franklin had his best games in the bigger games that UCLA played in 2010.

USC: Matt Barkley

Going into his third season as starter, USC fans have to be encouraged from the growth and rise in play they saw from Matt Barkley last year.

Barkely was able to go from 15 to 26 touchdowns and saw his interceptions drop from 14 to 12.

If Barkley can continue to develop, he can help lead USC back to challenging for the conference title.

Utah: Jordan Wynn

Jordan Wynn had a good sophomore season and will be the quarterback who leads the Utah Utes into the Pac-12 in 2011.

With a solid receiving corps and three returning offensive linemen, Wynn has the pieces around him but it will be interesting to see how the team as a whole reacts to playing in the Pac-12.

California: Mychal Kendricks

During the 2010 season, many defenses left the field with their heads down after playing the Oregon Ducks. Late in the year, Cal's defense stepped up and held the Oregon offense way below their season average.

Mychal Kendricks was a key piece in that defense and will look to step up again in 2011. Last year, Kendricks had one interceptions and also nine sacks. He ended the year by being named to the second team All-Pac-10 defense.

Oregon: LaMichael James

One of the early frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy is back for his junior season at Oregon. LaMichael James has started for the past two years and has set the mark for most rushing yards in Pac-10 history by a freshman and sophomore.

If James is able to help the Ducks earn a victory in Dallas over LSU, he will put himself on top of early Heisman ballots across the nation.

Oregon State: James Rodgers

James Rodgers was ready for a huge senior season and was putting up good numbers through four games of the 2010 season.

After missing a game against Arizona State, Rodgers returned against Arizona only to injure himself for the season on a freak injury in the end zone.

If Rodgers is able to come back anything close to form before his injury, he will be the Beavers' biggest weapon in 2011.

Stanford: Andrew Luck

Right now, many see the Hesiman Trophy race as a two-man race. On one side is LaMichael James, but on the other is Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

Luck is good enough that many believed he would leave early for the NFL and would be the first overall pick. Instead, Luck has returned and will have Stanford in contention for a Pac-12 crown or even a national championship.

Washington: Chris Polk

Another team that saw a first-round quarterback leave was Washington. Jake Locker is now gone, which means the offense will turn to Chris Polk.

Polk was just shy of 1,500 yards last year, and if he is able to get help from the offensive line, he could challenge LaMichael James for the Pac-10 rushing leader.

Washington State: Jeff Tuel

As the 2010 season went on, objective fans would have to admit that it appeared that Washington State was starting to turn things around. A large part of the improvement was the play of quarterback Jeff Tuel.

If Tuel is able to continue to grow and understand the offense even better, he will help lead the Cougars to another step forward.

Florida: Jelani Jenkins

Jelani Jenkins is entering his second year as a starter for the Florida Gators and will be more important then ever.

Last year, Jenkins led the team in tackles with 76 and could come up with 100 tackles in 2011.

Georgia: Aaron Murray

With the departure of dynamic receive A.J. Green, Aaron Murray's role will become even more important in 2011.

Murray had a solid 2010, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns, but Georgia will need him to continue to take steps forward for them to have a successful 2011.

South Carolina: Alshon Jeffery

While the both Alshon Jeffery and Marcus Lattimore are outstanding players, I will give a slight edge to Jeffery going into 2011.

Last year, Alshon Jeffery was named a first team All-American and was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, an award given to the nation's top receiver.

From 2009 to 2010, Jeffery saw his receptions and yards almost double and then also saw an increase in his touchdown numbers.

In 2011, Jeffery will have senior quarterback Stephen Garcia returning and ready to put up big numbers. For South Carolina to be competitive in the SEC, they will need to target Jeffery early and often.

Kentucky: Winston Guy

Winston Guy does it all for the Wildcats on defense. Throughout a game, Guy will play in the secondary, but it is not uncommon to see him come up in the formation and play a linebacker's role.

With his speed and play reading ability, Guy a terrific player but is often lost in the shuffle of how poor Kentucky has been.

Tennessee: Tauren Poole

Last year was a good season for Tauren Poole, as he rushed for over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. While the Vols were going through some growing pains with a young team, 2011 will be even better for Poole as he looks to lead Tennessee through SEC play.

Vanderbilt: Casey Hayward

Named second team All-SEC DB by both the league coaches and Associated Press writers, Casey Hayward started every game in 2010. By most standards, Hayward is one of the most talented corners in the nation.

In 2010, Hayward forced a fumble but picked off six passes.

Alabama: Trent Richardson

Despite playing with Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson was not lost in the backfield down in Alabama. Richardson is a big play threat when he touches the ball and was used more in the passing game last year than in 2009.

Now that Mark Ingram has moved to the NFL, look for Richardson to take another step in his development.

Arkansas: Greg Childs

The Arkansas Razorbacks are in a different spot right now then they thought they would be. After losing Ryan Mallett to the draft, Tyler Wilson was going to fill in nicely and lean on Knile Davis as he got comfortable.

Early this offseason Davis was lost for the year, so now the offense will turn to Greg Childs to help out with the growing pains of a new quarterback.

Childs has the skills to be an impact player, now we will see if Wilson can get the ball to him consistently.

Auburn: Michael Dyer

As a freshman, Michael Dyer had over 1,000 yards, but truly saved his best for last by putting on a terrific performance in the national championship game.

With Cam Newton gone, Dyer and the running game will be leaned on heavily. It will be interesting to see how Dyer does when the defense no longer has to worry about Newton.

If not for Marcus Lattimore last year, Dyer would have been the toast of the SEC and should help the Tigers transition to life without Newton.

LSU: Morris Claiborne

The LSU Tigers have a ton of talent on their depth chart this year, and they will be both offensively and defensively explosive.

On defense, Morris Claiborne is entering his junior season and is one of the best defensive backs in the conference.

While the offense and Jordan Jefferson get up to speed, Claiborne and the defense will keep opponents locked down.

Ole Miss: Brandon Bolden

After a season that showed him come up just shy of 1,000 yards but also scoring 14 touchdowns, Brandon Bolden is back for his senior year.

During the offseason this year, Bolden received an award at Ole Miss for being the most outstanding offensive player during spring drills.

Ole Miss had a down year at 4-8 in 2010 and hope to ride Bolden to an improved record in 2011.

Mississippi State: Vick Ballard

Vick Ballard played a huge role in the success last year of Mississippi State and was a touchdown machine.

In his first year as a starter, Ballard was just shy of 1,000 yards rushing but found the end zone 19 times are only failed to score in two games.

Notre Dame: Michael Floyd

Michael Floyd may be one of the best receivers in the nation and has the ability to consistently make plays.

With the raised expectations at Notre Dame this year, if Floyd is able to continue to improve, he may find himself as a dark horse for the Heisman Trophy.

It will be interesting to see how Floyd rebounds after a troublesome offseason.