LeGarrette Blount's in there somewhere. Let me take another look.
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We’ve told you about the teams. We’ve told you about the conferences, and the coaches, and the championship games, but any head man worth his weight in Gordon Bombay coaching loafers will tell you that it’s easy to look good when you’ve got the right players. So here they are, the 15 athletes you have to know this season conference-by-conference.
We’ve got the five best each league has to offer. The stars, the frontmen, the cover boys. These are the guys that you’ve already heard of, and they’re likely to wallow in the limelight for at least one final season before rocketing to the NFL.
Then there are the shoe-fillers. The players who might be stepping up into the role of a guy who fit in the first category last season. When one star departs, it’s up to these athletes to stop the gap and keep the wins coming. They may be the most pivotal of the young men listed here. It’s the stars that will get the glory, but these are the players who will create the subtle differences between 9-3 and 12-0.
And finally, just because we’re such seers, we’ve gone ahead and listed five players likely to live on the tongues of every pundit around by the end of the year. The players who either flashed just enough potential as freshman, or are heading into a perfect collegiate situation with a deadly blend of talent and opportunity.
Today, we take a look at the Pac 10’s 15 Players to Know. So go ahead, and you know, know them.
The Best:
1.) Jahvid Best, RB, Cal — With all of the great passers we’ve seen out of the Pac 10 recently, it’s funny to see a running back as the best player in the league, but Best isn’t an ordinary running back. He’s as close to a lock for the Doak Walker Award as you can get, especially considering how many times it’s gone to a guy who was pretty much an unknown before the season started. After a sophomore season that saw him gain 1580 yards on the ground and score 15 TDs while managing an eye-popping 8.1 yards per carry, what can he do for an encore? For starters, he could stay healthy for an entire season. With another year of experience under his belt, and a knack for catching the ball out of the backfield, Best is looking like a cinch for 2000+ total yards and nearly 20 TDs.
2.) Taylor Mays, S, USC — Everyone is clawing over their media guides trying to find something new to say about the 6-04 225 pound safety who surprised us all by returning to SoCal for his senior season. Well, try this: he might be overrated. I’m not talking about his NFL Draft prospects, because he’s an amazing, once in a decade prospect at the safety position. But what has he really done? In three years under Pete Carrol he’s accumulated only four interceptions, and has never recorded more than 65 tackles in a season. Of course, I’m half-kidding here. Mays is a beast, and his effect on the game goes beyond statistics. He’s a monster in the secondary, and his mere presence over the top causes opposing offenses to shy away from the middle of the field. There haven’t been many defenders who can change a game without touching another player, or the ball.
3.) LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon — And squarely on the other side of the fence sits LeGarrette Blount. Blount’s a stat hound, and a guy I’m starting to think should have been ranked higher in my fantasy articles. With a stronger than advertised receiving corps in 2008, Blount still whalloped opposing defensive lines for 17 rushing scores and over 1000 yards (barely, but let’s not split hairs here). More impressive, however, is his amazing 7.3 ypc average. For a 240 pound power back that’s incredible. Blount should thrive with Jeremiah Masoli literally running the show and new head coach Chip Kelly providing some offensive continuity.
4.) Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State — Hey Texas teams. Ha. Ha. Ha. How did you let this guy get out of your state? I know there’s that old, completely not annoying, saying about everything being bigger in Texas, but I had no idea your egos fell under that clause. Rodgers is the definition of a mighty-mite, but you can’t tell me the Longhorns wouldn’t have benefited from his inconspicuous ability to sneak in 100 or so yards a game. I know Colt McCoy would have enjoyed it. But Rodgers escaped to Corvallis, and he held quite a celebration during a freshman season in which he helped the Beavers slay the Trojans while rushing for 1253 yards and 11 TDs. For such a small guy, he played the workhorse role pretty damn well.
5.) Walter Thurmond, CB, Oregon — Here’s a surprise pick for you. Thurmond won’t be mentioned as a top five player in the Pac 1o by too many people, but that’s a mistake. I had the chance to sit down with former Ducks receiver Jaison Williams last winter, and he spoke pretty highly of Thurmond. In fact, he said he was the best corner he’d ever gone up against. Well, he and Jairus Byrd. But Byrd’s gone now, and it’s up to Thurmond to continue the Ducks’ legacy of producing strong defensive backfields. He’s got a graceful style that oozes smoothness and fluidity, and he’s already proven that he can stand in with some pretty impressive passing attacks. With 11 career interceptions, including five in each of the past two seasons, he’ll be thrown away from in 2009, but I still wouldn’t be surprised to see him lead the conference in picks.
The Shoe-Fillers (AKA Guys Who Must Step-Up):
1.) Aaron Corp, QB, USC — Big surprise right? The guy stepping in for top-five NFL Draft pick Mark Sanchez at a school known for producing top-notch passers needs to step up. Of course Corp has to play well for the Trojans’ elite skill players to undergoe total utilization, but it’s how well that landed him in the top spot here. It’s been quite some time since a USC starting quarterback has been replaced midseason due to poor performance, and there’s a target on Corp’s back with uber-recruit Matt Barkley staring down the scope. If the Trojans trip against Ohio State in Columbus, don’t be shocked to see Barkley get the nod. For a team and a coaching staff that’s never had to deal with a revolving door at the most important position, it’s absolutely imperative that Corp plays within himself and takes advantage of the immense skill around him. USC has no interest in discovering what a quarterback derby looks like.
2.) Jeremiah Masoli, QB, Oregon — This might actually cause a double-take or two here. Masoli ended the 2008 season on a tear, helping the Ducks shred a dangerous Oklahoma State team in the Holiday Bowl. So why is he a member of this club? Because despite all of his success, he still took some time to win the starting job outright, and no one knows how he’ll respond with lofty expectations and an entire offense to run for an entire season. Oregon is receiving loads of preseason love, and it’s all resting on Masoli’s shoulders. We’ve all seen quarterbacks flop in the limelight after enjoying success as the unknown. If the Ducks want to earn their top ten status, they’ll need to Masoli to improve as a passer while still maintaining his ability to wreck the pride of would-be tacklers. It’s not as easy as he made it look last year.
3.) USC Linebackers, LB, USC — Count with me here. Rey Maualuga — gone. Brian Cushing — gone. Clay Matthews — gone. Kaluka Maiava — gone. That’s a pretty impressive list of linebackers removed from the USC campus, and it’s more impressive still when you realize that two of them went in the first round of the NFL draft, and none were picked later than the fourth. So what to do when one are of your defense is raided so completely? Tell the next crop of four and five star recruits to step up. Word on the street is that the latest edition of the Trojan ‘backer corps is faster, quicker, and more athletic. But while they may be long on talent, they’re short on experience, and that’s an invaluable asset. I’m talking to you Michael Morgan, Chris Galippo, and Malcolm Smith.
4.) Joe McKnight, RB, USC — Strange to see such a giant of the BCS era with so many holes to fill, but when you produce at an almost unparalleled level you’re bound to lose a few athletes. Of course, it seems like USC has had the same overflowing stable of running backs for about a decade now, though none have asserted themselves as the next coming of Reggie Bush. Or LenDale White for that matter. Enter McKnight. All-world recruit, slips through LSU’s grasp and out of Louisiana to a school that was salivating over his potential. And the mouth-watering only got worse after his insane Rose Bowl performance in 2008. But since that time, McKnight has been a bit of a disappointment. With a new quarterback leading the legions of Garnet and Gold, now might be a decent time to realize that sick skill set. Just saying.
5.) Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona — Gronkowski can’t be faulted for what he’s accomplished so far, and I know some hardcore Arizona fans might balk to see him listed in this section, but cut me some slack. He’s all the way down at fifth, and I have a good reason. Gronko doesn’t need to step up because of personal shortcomings; he needs to step up to help the Wildcats break in a new quarterback. And possibly to help coach Mike Stoops hold onto his job. There’s nothing a new QB would like to see more than a 6-06 265 pound tight end who caught 10 TDs a year ago crossing middle.
The Next Superstars:
1.) Kevin Riley, QB, Cal — I’ve been high on Riley all offseason if you’ve been paying attention, and I think that he’s in for a big year. First of all, he’s entering his third year under quarterbacks guru and head coach Jeff Tedford. He’s the guy that developed Kyle Boller and Aaron Rodgers. He’s got a great running back in Jahvid Best to take heat off the passing game. He’s got some big skilled targets in Florida transfer Nyan Boateng and Marvin Jones. And finally he didn’t have that awful a season last year. 14 TDs compared to only six INTS ain’t that bad. Of course, his completion percentage (50.1) needs to rise, but I fully expect Riley to take the next step and lead Cal to a surprisingly successful season.
2.) Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon — Lost in the scintillating shuffle of Oregon’s powerful ground game was the decent season of senior tight end Ed Dickson. Oregon’s produced some decent players at the position in the past, but Dickson is one of the most underrated guys in the league at his spot. At 6-05 243 pounds, he’s got the same advantages that Gronkowski’s got, and he’s also going to be relied on by a relatively green passer (or yellow, or black, or white, or whatever uniform the Ducks go with on any given Saturday). He wasn’t targeted as much in the red zone last season as you’d expect from a guy his size (3 TDs), but he did haul in 508 receiving yards, and with Jaison Williams off to the NFL, he should become the new go-to guy inside the ten if LeGarrette Blount is for some reason not handed the rock.
3.) Jake Locker, QB, Washington — Locker’s not much of an unknown. But he did miss nearly all of last season with an injury, and he hasn’t put up a truly efficient year to date. That’s going to change in a big way in 2009. Gone are Tyrone Willingham and his conservative approach, and in are Steve Sarkisian and his explosive offensive resume’. Locker is a better athlete than any QB Sark ever had at USC, and his skill set should really open the box for one of the brightest young offensive minds around. With a fully healthy Locker looking to secure his spot in NFL Draft analyst’s graces, and a coach who will work tirelessly to fully utilize his abilities, this should be a banner year for the junior passer. If he can put up over 2000 yards through the air and almost 100o on the ground as a freshman, imagine what he’ll do as a somewhat seasoned junior with a more diverse playbook.
4.) Dexter Davis, DE, Arizona State — Davis is another guy who won’t seem like an accolades underdog if you live in the great state of Arizona somwhere around Tempe. But he is flying under the radar more than he should. In three years in the desert he’s racked up 27 sacks, including double-digit totals the last two seasons. With an offense that might not be on the field all too often in 2009, Davis should get plenty of opportunities to perform his best Terrell Suggs impersonation on his way to challenging for the NCAA sack crown this fall. He’ll be moved all over the field from defensive end to outside linebacker in an effort to get the best out of one of the Pac 10′s most underrated defenders.
5.) Everson Griffen, DE, USC — We’ve already been over the losses at linebacker, and we’ve talked about how vicious the secondary should be with Taylor Mays roaming centerfield, but the reason the Trojans defense could be nearly as good as the ’08 version starts with the defensive line. Griffen was a highly-touted recruit coming out of high school, and while he hasn’t been much of a stat hound during his first two seasons in Los Angeles, that should change during his junior campaign. He’s got a beastly tackle tandem lining up alongside him in Christian Tupuo and Averell Spicer, and while opposing O lines are occupied with those two, Griffen could top his career total of nine sacks in one fell swoop this fall. He’s already making some noise in the draft community at 6-03 280.
