Rick Figurin
pigskinpress.com

OFFENSE:

QB: Brock Osweiler-Arizona State-Perhaps 109 passes is a small sample to base future success on, but Osweiler was spectacular throwing 5 td’s and no picks in 2010! Combine with his mobility with the best supporting cast ASU has had in a while and Osweiler has an eye-opening year in the desert.

RB: DJ Shoemate-UConn-The USC transfer will have big shoes to fill with the departure of Jordan Todman, but HC Paul Pasqualoni won’t veer too much from Randy Edsall’s plan of run, run, run!  Shoemate will top 1,000 yards in his final season.

WR: Chris Givens-Wake Forest-Wake will be better than their 3-9, 2010 campaign, especially at the QB position. QB Tanner Price will have four returning starters on the o-line, and WR Chris Givens will greatly benefit from the improvement. Givens led the team with 514 yds and 4 td’s as a sophomore; he could double those numbers in 2010.

WR: Martel Moore-Northern Illinois-If you watched this kid the last ¼ of last year, it was like watching spider-man in pads! Moore turned in a great performance in the Huskies’ Humanitarian Bowl win over Fresno, and with an experienced QB in Chandler Harnish at the helm, Moore will have double digit td’s and 60 receptions.

WR: Lamaar Thomas-New Mexico-This kid is going to scorch a few teams this year if UNM can throw the deep ball. The Ohio State transfer has blazing speed and could be playing from behind quite a bit, especially the first half of the season. 750 yds, 7 td’s sounds about right.

TE: Jamal Mosley-Ole Miss-While Georgia’s Orson Charles gets most of the love from the media, Mosley could land as a 1st team all-SEC performer this year. Mosley has good hands and a new QB who can hit his targets. 45 catches is not out of the question.

LT: James Martin-UTEP-He’s strong and surprisingly fast! The junior year is usually the make-or-break year for lineman and Martin was good as a JUCO sophomore. We expect that to carry over to UTEP next year. Martin will not be first team all-conference, but Miner’s fans will be shocked at how strong and effective Martin is in pass protection.

RT: Brey Cook-Arkansas-Cook is a highly touted lineman, and he will have his work cut out for him in 2010. The freshman will be in charge of protecting Ryan Mallett’s replacement (Tyler Wilson) and Arkansas will pass more than they did in 2010 putting Cook square in the spotlight. If you’ve seen video on this kid, you know he can handle it.

RG: Brandon Bender-Louisiana-Bender is 6’-3”, 285 lbs and is still growing! Bender flew under the radar as a recruit garnering offers from the likes of La. Tech, Tulsa and Tulane, but his toughness and size won over the Louisiana coaches. The Cajuns have a talented trio of running backs, and the JuCo transfer will play a large role in the resurgence of the Louisiana running attack.

LG: Travis Frederick-Wisconsin-Frederick is strong, and was impressive enough as a freshman that he was chosen to start in last season’s opener against UNLV. Frederick was the first frosh to start since 1991, and 2011 will be his breakout year! Frederick weighs in at 338 lbs making him the second biggest projected starting lineman in the conference. Look for the sophomore’s good instincts to lead him to a big season.

C: David Snow-Texas-Snow is one of those players who has improved every year, and his final act in 2011 will be his best. The versatile Snow gets little consideration for all-conference, and while he may not be able to top Oklahoma’s Ben Habern as the first teamer, don’t be surprised if he lands second or third team in 2011.

Defense:
DE: Darius Johnson-Indiana-Johnson did very little in his first two seasons in Bloomington, but when he finally earned significant playing time in 2010 he took full advantage. Johnson recorded 4.5 sacks to go along with 65 tackles last season. As Johnson goes in 2011, so goes the Hoosier pass rush. We feel Johnson will exceed expectations with 8-10 sacks in his final act.

DE: Jamie Blatnick-Oklahoma State-Like Johnson, Blatnick was given a bump in playing time last season, and took full advantage. Blatnick recorded 5.5 sacks and showed better than average speed on the edge. We fully expect Blatnick to lead the Cowboys in sacks in 2011 and possibly land third team all Big-12 honors.

DT: Anthony La Lota-Rutgers-The Garden State native was highly recruited out of high school before deciding on Michigan. After sitting the bench for a season at Michigan, La Lota returns home with a chip on his shoulder. The sophomore has worked hard in the weight room, and will play a big part in a much improved Rutgers front four.

DT: Kelvin King-Houston-It’s odd having a Houston player on the defensive list, but the fact is Kelvin King can flat-out play! King plays DE in a 3-4-4, but still makes his presence felt all over the field. King finished strong in 2010 and with a stronger supporting cast, the junior will build on last year’s 36 tackles and 4 sacks.

LB: LaRoy Reynolds-Virginia-While Chase Minnifield gets most of the attention on the Cavalier’s defense, don’t overlook this guy. Reynolds really developed a nose for the ball last season as the leading tackler for Mike London’s squad. Reynolds has a lot to work on, but Virginia will be improved, and Reynolds could very well surprise some people with 85-95 tackles and a handful of sacks.

LB: Brandon Maye-Miss. State-Maye will play middle linebacker at Mississippi State this season- a position he was just starting to master before having the rug pulled out from under him at Clemson. Miss. St. is slowly becoming the Baltimore Ravens of the NCAA. They are known for gutsy, gritty defense and expect it to win ball games for them. This season Maye will easily top 100 tackles, and land 2nd team all-conference honors. Maye will only be made better by the cast around him.

LB: Mike Orakpo-Colorado State-If the last name sounds familiar it should, he’s the little bro’ of former Texas LB Brian Orakpo. Fortunately, the similarities go beyond the last name. Orakpo had a solid season last year in limited time with 37 tackles and two sacks. This year, Orakpo will be unleashed and playing next to LB Mychal Sisson. Orakpo will shock people this year, finishing second on the team in tackles, while putting up six sacks and three interceptions…as a sophomore!

LB: Doug Rippey-Colorado-The Ohio native will catch people’s attention with a solid 2011 in his first full year as a starter. Rippy had scholarship offers from three Big-10 schools and Nebraska and has been able to cut his teeth primarily on special teams the past two seasons. Rippy is quick just like his cousin RB Rodney Stewart (well, not that fast), and Rippy will get his chance to shine in 2011.

CB: Ross Cockrell-Duke-This guy was spectacular as a freshman, and he’s getting virtually no love heading into 2011. Cockrell recorded three picks, broke up seven passes, and had 60 tackles last season. Great things are ahead for the sophomore who we feel will be third team All-ACC in 2011. Not bad for a kid who only had one other D-1 offer!

CB: Marcel Rose-Eastern Michigan-2011 will be a rough year for the Eagles, but Rose will build on last year’s solid sophomore campaign. Rose got sniffs from a few big-time programs, but settled on EMU. Last season, he outplayed some of the more experienced members of the EMU secondary on his way to 56 tackles and 7 passes defended. Rose has shown he can hang tough in one-on-one coverage, and his junior year will open eyes around the MAC.

S: Nathan Fellner-Washington-If there is a ball to be had, Fellner will be in the area. Fellner was a big part of the Washington turnaround last season as he had 5 picks, and broke up 8 more! The Huskies are going to have a strong defense in 2011, and we feel Fellner will be all-conference in some capacity.

S: Shakiel Smith-Tulane-Tulane will field their best defense in a few years, thanks in part to this guy. Smith is quick and can read plays quickly. 90 tackles last year was great. This season, he will make his presence felt as he doubles his int’s from 3 to 6 and garners second team C-USA honors.

K: Nate Freese-Boston College-The kid hit from 49 a year ago, and converted 22-25 on field goals. As a sophomore, Freese should be able to deepen his range 3-5 yards, and will win a couple of ball games for the Eagles.

KR: Eric Stephens-Texas Tech-Stephens does it all for Texas Tech: 668 yards rushing, 212 receiving yards, and over 1,000 in the return game. This season, Stephens will run back two kicks for scores! Looking at a few games last year, Stephens missed a couple of opportunities to take it to the house. Not this year!