Aug 22nd, 2010
Cal's Cameron Jordan may lead the Pac-10 in sacks
Anybody can pick the best players in a conference after the season, but it takes some courage (or stupidity) to select the top players before the season.
So we present our top 20 Pac-10 players for the 2010 season. Note that we did not say most important players or best pro prospects. Rather, this is designed to be a ranking of the best college players in the conference, based on past performance and a projection for this season. One other important note. We did not include UCLA kicker Kai Forbath, even though he was named to more preseason All-American teams than any other Pac-10 player. That’s partly because he’s on the field for only a half dozen plays a game, but also because kickers are so flaky, it’s impossible to predict how they will do in the coming season.
You may recall that the Washington Redskins Mark Moseley, the only kicker to be named NFL MVP, went straight into the toilet after winning the MVP award in 1982, missing a bunch of short field goals that postseason after going 20-for-21 during the regular season while establishing an NFL record by making 23 straight field goals. He was the last fulltime NFL place-kicker who approached the ball straight on, using that weird square-toe shoe they had back in the day. Ah, it seems like just yesterday that Pete Gogolak came over from Hungary and kicked the first soccer-style field goal — a 41-yarder for Cornell in 1961. And then his brother, Charlie, came over and . . .
We got off on that nostalgia tangent again. We’ll try to avoid it for now on, but we make no promises.
Back to the matter at hand.
We present our rankings in reverse order to build the anticipation. We should add than any one of our top three players could be No. 1. Their roles are so different they are difficult to compare. You may notice some significant names that are not listed at all, such as USC quarterback Matt Barkley, Washington receiver Jermaine Kearse and Arizona center Colin Baxter. They may do something remarkable to embarrass us. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time. We just try to offer the truth as we see it — maybe you can handle it, maybe not, right, Jack?
So on we go, starting with No. 20.
20. (tie) Mason Foster, linebacker, Washington/Shayne Skov, linebacker, Stanford – OK, it’s a copout to have a tie for the last spot, but these two are the same kind of player – young, improving linebackers capable of emerging into stardom this season. Foster forced six fumbles and had three interceptions; that’s the definition of a game-changer. Admittedly, Skov is coming out of left field in these rankings, since the guy started only seven games as a freshman last season. But he is just so impressive you know he’s going to be special.
19. Nick Foles, quarterback, Arizona — Foles was not even a starter when the 2009 season began, but when he became the Wildcats’ quarterback, Arizona became a Pac-10 contenfer. He seldom gets sacked, thanks in large part to the Wildcats’ short-passing game. But the departure of offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes may hurt Foles. His numbers began to slip late last season, and we nearly dropped Foles from our top 20.
18. Kenny Rowe, defensive end, Oregon – We’re not completely sold on Rowe, who made his name in large part by getting three sacks in last season’s Rose Bowl (see video; just ignore the first play). But he led the conference in sacks (11.5), and we had to have somebody from the Ducks’ strong defense in our rankings.
17. Ricky Elmore, Arizona, defensive end – He had 10.5 sacks last season, and should do at least as well this year. However, he may have to share the glory with fellow defensive end Brooks Reed. As a package, they rate as the best defensive-end tandem in the conference.
16. Cameron Jordan, defensive end, Cal – Jordan leads all active Pa-10 players with 21.5 tackles for loss, and he is a big-play guy. We wanted to put Jordan higher because we expect his potential to surface this season as he bids to improve his NFL Draft status, but he has not been consistent enough to warrant more.
15. Chris Owusu, wide receiver, Stanford – He’s a pretty good wide receiver, but pairing that with his standout ability as a kick returner is what gets him this high on our list. He returned three kickoffs for touchdowns last season, and teams stopped kicking to him after that, which gave the Cardinal good field position most times. Being a weapon by your mere existence is worth a few ranking points.
14. Shane Vereen, running back, Cal – He was impressive in his four games as a starter after Jahvid Best’s injury, and he fell just shy of a 1,000-yard season (952). He also has caught 52 passes in his careeer. His 42 carries against Stanford was an iron-man performance, but he did wear down after that. His endurance over a season will be the test.
13. Trevin Wade, cornerback, Arizona – He’s the best corner in the conference and has nine interceptions in his first two seasons. He is also good in run support, and is only going to get better. If you wanted to put him in the top 10, we would not complain.
12. Jurrell Casey, defensive tackle, USC – The nine tackles for loss he had last season are a lot for an interior linemen, and he may get more than that this year. We made a point of not including pro potential in our assessments, but the fact that this guy could be a first-round draft pick suggests he must be pretty good.
11. Andrew Luck, quarterback, Stanford – This is below where most would place Luck, who clearly has pro talent and might be among the first several picks if he enters the NFL Draft after this season. But we want to see what he can do without the running threat Toby Gerhart provided. It’s a lot easier to lead the conference in passing efficiency, which Luck did as a redshirt freshman, when the opponent is stacking its defense to stop Gerhart.
10. Akeem Ayers, linebacker, UCLA – This guy is big play personified. He scored three touchdowns on defense (two interception returns, one fumble return) and had 14.5 tackles for loss last season. He’s one of those defensive players who’s fun to watch, because his athleticism and instinct allow him to make spectacular plays. The most remarkable aspect of the play on this video is that Ayers had the presence to get his feet down inbounds.
9. Mike Mohamed, linebacker, Cal – He won’t get drafted high by the NFL, because he’s not flashy on film. But he does everything well, makes game-changing plays and piles up tackles. Some NFL team will get a steal. Our opinion of Mohamed changes almost daily. One day, he seems overrated, and the day you’ll swear he’s underrated. He is clearly an acquired taste. Sort of like that 1963 Cabernet from southern France we sampled last night — fruity, almost whimsical, but not overbearing or pretentious, nicely complementing the tannin qualities of a grape apparently picked a few days too early to create an amusing hint of sweetness on the palate.
8. Kristofer O’Dowd, center, USC – He was not great last season, but that was because of injuries. We expect him to return to 2008 form, when he was outstanding. I’d like to say more, but how else can you describe a good center? ( “Boy, he sure did snap the ball crisply in the third quarter, giving it just the right zip to send the quarterback easily into his drop.”) O’Dowd is good, just take our word for it.
7. LaMichael James, running back, Oregon – He had fabulous numbers as a freshman, averaging 118.9 yards a game and 6.7 yards a carry. He might not have been playing were it not for the LeGarrette Blount fiasco at Boise State that led to Blount’s suspension. James’ style works well in the Ducks’ spread-option offense, but he had Jeremiah Masoli at quarterback leading the way last season, which relieved a lot of pressure from James. We expect things to be a little tougher for James this season.
6. Jake Locker, quarterback, Washington – Nearly everyone considers Locker the conference’s best player, and we admit he is probably the Pac-10’s most important player. But we don’t care that he might be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and is an amazing athlete. Look at the facts: He ranked 55th in the country in pass efficiency in 2009, has never been named first-team or second-team all-Pac-10, he’s 11-21 as a starter. If you saw his stats on a piece paper without a name beside it, you would say the guy is a meciocre quarterback. That’s not the case, of course, but the only reason he’s this high is we expect him to make Washington a contender this season.
5. James Rodgers, wide receiver, Oregon State – Rodgers, the older half of the brother combination, contributes in nearly every way possible. He has over 1,200 rushing and over 1,800 yards receiving in his career, was 13th in the nation and first in the Pac-10 in receptions last season, and ranked fourth in the conference in punt returns. He is the guy who made the fly sweep fly.
4. Vontaze Burfict, linebacker, Arizona State – No, this is not a joke to see if you were paying attention. If he can avoid getting penalized for late hits, this guy has the makings of a super player in the mold of a Ray Lewis. Burfict is the closest thing the Pac-10 has to a scary defender. You expect some helmets to fly off when Burfict is involved. This may be the last you hear of him for a while, though, because the Sun Devils stink.
3. Stephen Paea, defensive tackle, Oregon State – All we know is that whenever we see the Beavers play, Paea is throwing linemen out of the way and making life miserable for quarterbacks and running backs. He’s 311 pounds with speed, power and a high-revving motor. He had 19.5 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, and he’s an interior lineman. If you’re starting a team tomorrow (and can’t get a quarterback), this is the guy to get.
2. Rahim Moore, safety, UCLA – Don’t give us any lip about his run-support shortcomings, because this guy is sensational when the ball is in the air. His 10 interceptions last season were the most for a Division I-A player since 1993. He won’t get that many this year, but he’ll get his share, and interceptions may be the most underrated statistic in football.
1. Jacquizz Rodgers, running back, Oregon State – The pros won’t draft him high because he’s too small, but check out what he’s accomplished in his first two years: He was the Pac-10 offensive player of the year as a true freshman, and was a first-team pick again last season along with Toby Gerhart. Rodgers rushed for 1,440 yards in 2009 and was second in the conference in pass receptions, with 78. And he never fumbles. In 630 carries, he’s been credited with one lost fumble, and that was on a lateral that wasn’t his fault. He will have his work cut out for him this season, though, because defenses will be geared to stop him with the Beavers featuring an inexperienced quarterback.
Check out this classic ‘Quiz Show against Penn State:
There’s our list, but you’ll forget all of it by mid-September.
