As we begin the college football All-Star season, it seems as if it is the time to honor this season's We Make It Rain All-Americans. Although there are more than 11 offenseive and defensive players listed, the team is selected to account for the various offenses and defenses used around the country (trip receivers, spread, 3-4, 4-3, etc.). I also choose some backups to account for different styles of players. I chose to explain my picks in some instances, and not in others. Why? Because I feel like it. Now here are the Pepster All-Americans. Those in bold are those that I chose as Pepster Preseason All-Americans.
Offense
QB - Colt McCoy, Texas; Kellen Moore, Boise State - McCoy led Texas to the NCAA Championship game without much of a running game. Moore had huge numbers, and Boise State has to get some recognition.
RB - Mark Ingram, Alabama, Toby Gerhart, Stanford, Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech - The Heisman Trophy winner and runner up, and Ryan Williams is my preseason player to watch next season. What, no C.J. Spiller? Keep reading.
WR - Jordan Shipley, Texas, Mardy Gilyard; Freddie Barnes, Bowling Green; Golden Tate, Notre Dame - Shipley should have been a Heisman finalist, Barnes led the country in receptions (155) and receiving yards (1,770), and Tate is good, when he isn't complaining and campaigning for pass interference penalties.
TE - Aaron Hernandez, Florida - And nobody else was close.
T - Bryan Bulaga, Iowa; Russel Okung, Oklahoma State - Both big and strong, and keys to their respective offenses.
G - Mike Iupati, Idaho; ; Rodney Hudson, Florida State - Hudson did not give up a quarterback pressure all year.
C - Maurkice Pouncey, Florida - Definitely stood out this year, and for good reason.
Defense
DE - Jerry Hughes, TCU; Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech; Sergio Kindle, Texas - Hughes was simply dominating, and Morgan was remarkably consistent. Kindle gets this position simply by virtue of his work in the BCS Championship game. My humble apologies to Texas A & M senior Von Miller.
DT - Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska; Terrence Cody, Alabama; Brian Price, UCLA - Suh might have been the most dominating player in the NCAA, Cody anchored the NCAA's championship defense; Price had 22 1/2 sacks.
OLB - Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri; Eric Norwood, South Carolina - Norwood is a beast, while Weatherspoon just makes tackles. I have no reason whatsoever to change my preseason picks!
ILB - Rolando McClaim, Alabama; Greg Jones, Michigan State - If I have to justify McClain, you have not been watching college football this year. Jones had 153 tackles this season, good for fourth best in the country.
CB - Joe Haden, Florida; Javier Arenas, Alabama - Haden is the best cover corner in college, and Arenas, well, he just makes plays.
S - Eric Berry, Tennessee; DeAndre McDaniel, Clemson; Earl Thomas, Texas - Again, I do not have to justify Berry, and I shouldn't have to justify Thoimas. McDaniel, like Thomas, had 8 interceptions.
Special Teams
K - Leigh Tiffin, Alabama - Championship kicker. Can't really find a better criteria than that.
P - Drew Butler, Georgia; Zoltan Mesko, Michigan - Butler, because he averaged 48.8 yards per punt. Mesko, because you don't mess with the Zohan.
R - C.J. Spiller, Clemson - He had to be on any All-American team, and by placing him as my returner, I could choose an additional running back.
Showing posts with label Aaron Hernandez. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron Hernandez. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Saturday, September 5, 2009
And So It Begins
As we are solidly in the middle of the first weekend of college football, I figure that there is no better time to unveil my pre-season All-American team. Although there are more than 11 offenseive and defensive players listed, the team is selected to account for the various offenses and defenses used around the country (trip receivers, spread, 3-4, 4-3, etc.). I chose to explain my picks in some instances, and not in others. Why? Because I am busy watching football. Now here are the Pepster Preseason All-Americans.
Offense
QB - Colt McCoy, Texas - Led his team in passing and rushing last year, and his completion percentage is off the charts.
RB - Jahvid Best, California; Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech; Jazquizz Rodgers, Oregon State - Best might be the best player in the country, averaging over 8 yards per carry last year.
WR - Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State; Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati; A.J. Green, Georgia - Gilyard is probably the best player nobody has ever heard of, and A.J. Green is the best sophomore receiver in the SEC, not Julio Jones.
TE - Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma; Aaron Hernandez, Florida - Gresham came back instead of being a sure-fire first round draft pick last year and Florida's offensive hopes depend a lot more on Hernandez than people realize.
T - Trent Williams, Oklahoma; Ciron Black, LSU - Both big and strong, and keys to their respective offenses. Black is a fourth year starter. Williams is the only returning starter on the line for Oklahoma.
G - Sergio Render, Virginia Tech; Rodney Hudson, Florida State- Render is a mountain. Tech will need him to jump start their running game.
C - Maurkice Pouncey, Florida - Florida deserves multiple offensive All-Americans, especially since I did not select Jesus at the quarterback position. And frankly, I can't tell the Pouncey brothers apart.
Defense
DE - George Selvie, South Florida; Jan Jorgensen, Brigham Young - Just watch Selvie play and you will see why. Jorgensen is the conference career sack leader, in a conference that does a lot of passing. My apologies to Greg Hardy and Sergio Kindle.
DT - Terrence Cody, Alabama; Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma - Not only are they immovable objects in the middle of the line, they make plays as well behind it.
OLB - Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri; Eric Norwood, South Carolina - Norwood is a beast, while Weatherspoon just makes tackles.
ILB - Brandon Spikes, Florida; Joe Pawelek, Baylor - You know I watch too much football when I place a Baylor player on my preseason All-American team. I think Spikes is the best player on the Gators, but somehow this will be misinterpreted as a dig at Tebow.
Keep an eye on Sean Spence, Miami.
CB - Trevard Lindley, Kentucky; Janoris Jenkins, Florida - Jenkins is a phenomenal athlete, and Lindley has garnered votes for All-American each of the past two years.
S - Taylor Mays, USC; Eric Berry, Tennessee - The easiest position to select on the team.
Special Teams
K - Shane Popham, Wake Forest - Not that I think is particularly that good, just wanted to see if anybody actually paid attention to whom I selected at kicker, and he seems to have kicked 1,000 field goals against FSU.
P - Zoltan Mesko, Michigan - Simply because of his name.
R - Brandon James, Florida - If he sees a hole, he's thinking touchdown.
Forgive me for any typographical errors, I didn't feel like proofreading with games on the television. Stay tuned for my weekly college football updates.
Offense
QB - Colt McCoy, Texas - Led his team in passing and rushing last year, and his completion percentage is off the charts.
RB - Jahvid Best, California; Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech; Jazquizz Rodgers, Oregon State - Best might be the best player in the country, averaging over 8 yards per carry last year.
WR - Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State; Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati; A.J. Green, Georgia - Gilyard is probably the best player nobody has ever heard of, and A.J. Green is the best sophomore receiver in the SEC, not Julio Jones.
TE - Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma; Aaron Hernandez, Florida - Gresham came back instead of being a sure-fire first round draft pick last year and Florida's offensive hopes depend a lot more on Hernandez than people realize.
T - Trent Williams, Oklahoma; Ciron Black, LSU - Both big and strong, and keys to their respective offenses. Black is a fourth year starter. Williams is the only returning starter on the line for Oklahoma.
G - Sergio Render, Virginia Tech; Rodney Hudson, Florida State- Render is a mountain. Tech will need him to jump start their running game.
C - Maurkice Pouncey, Florida - Florida deserves multiple offensive All-Americans, especially since I did not select Jesus at the quarterback position. And frankly, I can't tell the Pouncey brothers apart.
Defense
DE - George Selvie, South Florida; Jan Jorgensen, Brigham Young - Just watch Selvie play and you will see why. Jorgensen is the conference career sack leader, in a conference that does a lot of passing. My apologies to Greg Hardy and Sergio Kindle.
DT - Terrence Cody, Alabama; Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma - Not only are they immovable objects in the middle of the line, they make plays as well behind it.
OLB - Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri; Eric Norwood, South Carolina - Norwood is a beast, while Weatherspoon just makes tackles.
ILB - Brandon Spikes, Florida; Joe Pawelek, Baylor - You know I watch too much football when I place a Baylor player on my preseason All-American team. I think Spikes is the best player on the Gators, but somehow this will be misinterpreted as a dig at Tebow.
Keep an eye on Sean Spence, Miami.
CB - Trevard Lindley, Kentucky; Janoris Jenkins, Florida - Jenkins is a phenomenal athlete, and Lindley has garnered votes for All-American each of the past two years.
S - Taylor Mays, USC; Eric Berry, Tennessee - The easiest position to select on the team.
Special Teams
K - Shane Popham, Wake Forest - Not that I think is particularly that good, just wanted to see if anybody actually paid attention to whom I selected at kicker, and he seems to have kicked 1,000 field goals against FSU.
P - Zoltan Mesko, Michigan - Simply because of his name.
R - Brandon James, Florida - If he sees a hole, he's thinking touchdown.
Forgive me for any typographical errors, I didn't feel like proofreading with games on the television. Stay tuned for my weekly college football updates.
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