Top 12 NFL Alumni Teams
Tom Brady & Peyton Manning
By Staff
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Jan 24, 2008
What would happen if you created an All-Alumni starting lineup of current players NFL players? Which schools would be able to put together the best teams? Here are the top 12 (with one extra) including Tom Brady's Michigan and Peyton Manning's Tennessee.
Top 12 NFL Alumni Teams - 2008
What would happen if you created an All-Alumni starting lineup of current players NFL players? Which schools would be able to put together the best teams? In a recent ASK CFN, a reader basically asked that question and it sparked a ton of debate with as much response as the article has ever received.
Do you go with the teams that have the best skill players, or the ones that can field the best overall lineups? Which schools are shockingly average at cranking out current pro stars? It’s an interesting exercise.
Remember, these are current players, or players that are still close to playing, with the occasional current college stars thrown in to to fill out a starting lineup. A * is next to the names of the incoming rookies, and a ** is next to the names of the players coming back to school next year. Also to note, the idea is to find the best players for the lines and the secondaries; they might not always fit with four safeties or five tackles if needed.
Since the NFL has 12 playoff teams, here are the top All-Alumni squads, and the one that just missed.
Just Missing Out …
Oklahoma
Somewhat surprisingly considering the number of Sooners drafted in recent years, and for all the speed and athleticism Bob Stoops is able to bring in, it’s almost impossible to field a full squad. The lines are shockingly soft needing two starters from the upcoming 2008 OU team along with much-troubled DeMarcus Granger for the D line. The back seven, again, considering all the college all-stars over the years, stinks. No pro quarterback option and little defensive star power outside of Tommie Harris and Roy Williams means a near miss.
QB – Sam Bradford**
RB – Allen Patrick*
RB - Adrian Peterson
WR - Mark Clayton
WR – Malcolm Kelly*
TE – Joe Jon Finley**
OL - Jammal Brown
OL - Chris Chester
OL - Davin Joseph
OL – Phil Loadholt**
OL – Duke Robinson**
DL - Dusty Dvoracek
DL – DeMarcus Granger**
DL – Tommie Harris
DL - Jimmy Wilkerson
LB - Clint Ingram
LB - Teddy Lehman
LB – Curtis Lofton*
DB - Brodney Pool
DB – Reggie Smith*
DB – Roy Williams
DB – D.J. Wolfe**
12. Penn State
The Nittany Lions can put together a nice team of average, serviceable pro starters, with a big, glaring exception on the offensive line. Levi Brown and Kareem McKenzie are nice pieces to start with, but there’s almost nothing else. Desperate for help on the defensive front, LaVar Arrington is being called back into action, but Courtney Brown or junior Maurice Evans could take a spot. Having Derrick Williams as a receiver/kick returner helps, and Bryant Johnson is a decent third target to bring off the bench.
QB – Kerry Collins
RB – Tony Hunt
RB - Larry Johnson
WR – Bobby Engram
WR – Joe Jurevicious
TE – Kyle Brady
OL – Levi Brown
OL - Kareem McKenzie
OL – Rich Ohrnberger**
OL – Tyler Reed
OL – A.Q. Shipley**
DL – Anthony Adams
DL – Tamba Hali
DL – Jimmy Kennedy
DL/LB – LaVar Arrington
LB – Dan Connor*
LB – Paul Posluszny
LB – Sean Lee**
DB – Justin King*
DB – Calvin Lowry
DB – Bryan Scott
DB - Alan Zemaitis
11. Auburn
Offensively, the Tigers could hang with just about anyone. Forget about the tight end; three running backs would find a spot in the rotation, with FB Heath Evans leading the way from time to time and serving as a tight end when needed. If Carnell Williams (doubtful) and Kenny Irons (definite) can come back healthy, there’s even more help for the running game. The O line is one of the best of the bunch. Defensively, Auburn always relied on speed over size, and that’ll be a must up front. The problem is the lack of proven NFL players on the line (no, Stanley McClover doesn’t really count), and in the secondary around Carlos Rogers,
QB – Jason Campbell
RB – Ronnie Brown
RB – Brandon Jacobs
RB – Rudi Johnson
WR - Ben Obomanu
WR – Courtney Taylor
OL - Willie Anderson
OL - Ben Grubbs
OL - Marcus McNeill
OL – Mike Pucillo
OL - Kendall Simmons
DL – Quentin Groves*
DL – Sen’Derrick Marks**
DL – Pat Sims*
LB - Karlos Dansby
LB - Reggie Torbor
LB - Takeo Spikes
L B - Dontarrious Thomas
LB - Marcus Washington
LB/DB – Will Herring
DB – David Irons
DB – Carlos Rogers
10. Florida
Average all across the board, the big issue is on the offensive line where tight end Aaron Walker has to use his 270 pounds as a light tackle. For being known as a high-octane passing program over the years, the Gator receivers have always stunk … Jabar Gaffney and a no-gas-in-the-tank Darrell Jackson is the best they can do? The defense is just good enough to get by.
QB – Rex Grossman
RB – Fred Taylor
RB – DeShawn Wynn
WR – Jabar Gaffney
WR – Darrell Jackson
TE - Ben Troupe
OL - Cooper Carlisle
OL - Aaron Walker/TE (6-6 270)
OL – Zach Piller
OL – Max Starks
OL - Kenyatta Walker
DL – Alex Brown
DL – Jevon Kearse
DL - Bobby McCray
DL – Jarvis Moss
LB – Channing Crowder
LB – Andra Davis
LB – Mike Peterson
DB - Reynaldo Hill
DB - Marquand Manuel
DB – Reggie Nelson
DB - Lito Sheppard
9. Florida State
The offensive line makes everything else better. Chris Weinke at least has experience while the tandem of Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington provide some speed. There’s no tight end, so the Noles have to go three wide; that’s not a negative. Considering Brodrick Bunkley has, shall we say, not quite played up to expectations for Philadelphia, the D will go to a 3-4 and used a few hybrid players in a variety of roles. The secondary is solid. Sebastian Janikowski is a weapon who helped the overall ranking.
QB – Chris Weinke
RB - Lorenzo Booker
RB - Leon Washington
WR - Anquan Boldin
WR - Laveraneues Coles
WR – Javon Walker
OL - Alex Barron
OL - Milford Brown
OL – Walter Jones
OL - Montrae Holland
OL - Ray Willis
DL – Peter Boulware
DL - Darnell Dockett
DL - Travis Johnson
LB - Lawrence Timmons
LB – Derrick Brooks
LB - Ernie Sims
LB - Kamerion Wimbley
DB - Antonio Cromartie
DB - Bryant McFadden
DB - Samari Rolle
DB - Pat Watkins
8. Georgia
Quarterback is the huge problem needing D.J. Shockley to be healthy and effective. Next year, Matthew Stafford might be the choice. The Dawgs would use plenty of two tight end sets with Randy McMichael and Leonard Pope seeing plenty of time along side Ben Watson, and the O line would be solid with Adam Meadows able to come off the bench. The defense has the potential to be among the best if David Pollack can come back healthy and if Odell Thurman can get past his legal issues. Kendrell Bell could fill in at linebacker and Jermaine Phillips could step in the secondary.
QB – D.J. Shockley
RB – Knowshon Moreno**
RB – Musa Smith
WR – Reggie Brown
WR – Hines Ward
TE – Ben Watson
OL – Max Jean-Gilles
OL – Jonas Jennings
OL – Jon Stinchcomb
OL – George Foster
OL – Kevin Breedlove
DL – Robert Geathers
DL – Charles Grant
DL – Richard Seymour
DL – Marcus Stroud
LB – Boss Bailey
LB – Odell Thurman
LB – Will Witherspoon
DB – Champ Bailey
DB - Thomas Davis
DB – Sean Jones
DB – Tim Jennings
7. Texas
Creativity is a must on a defense with only one viable linebacker. Occasionally there will be a hybrid of linemen and linebackers with Tim Crowder and Brian Robinson seeing time, and other times the D would have to take its chances with six defensive backs. Offensively, the skill players, at an NFL level, aren’t nearly as good as they look on paper, but Selvin Young and Ricky Williams could step in and help the backfield. The O line is a huge help, and there would be several two and three tight end sets with David Thomas and current Longhorn Jermichael Finley worthy of playing time.
QB – Vince Young
RB – Cedric Benson
RB – Jamaal Charles*
WR – Limas Sweed*
WR – Roy Williams
TE – Bo Sciafe
OL - Justin Blalock
OL – Leonard Davis
OL – Derrick Dockery
OL - Jonathan Scott
OL - Kasey Studdard
DL – Casey Hampton
DL – Cory Redding
DL – Shaun Rogers
DL – Rod Wright
LB – Derrick Johnson
DB - Cedric Griffin
DB – Michael Griffin
DB – Michael Huff
DB – Quentin Jammer
DB – Aaron Ross
DB – Nathan Vasher
6. LSU
Move the Tigers up in a big hurry if JaMarcus Russell can actually play. Going three-wide is an option with Eddie Kennison, Craig Davis, Michael Clayton and Early Doucet able to come in, but this would be a running team with Joseph Addai working behind a big, talented line that’ll only get better in the next few years when Herman Johnson and Ciron Black get to the next level. The defensive line has the potential to be special, especially with Kyle Williams, Mel Oliver and Tyson Jackson providing depth. The linebacking corps is fine, and the secondary it excellent with Mark Roman, Ryan Clark and Ronnie Prude are good backups. Again, it’s all up to Russell. If he’s fantastic, this is one of the best teams.
QB – JaMarcus Russell
RB - Joseph Addai
RB - Kevin Faulk
WR – Dwayne Bowe
WR – Devery Henderson
TE – Robert Royal
OL – Alan Faneca
OL – Kevin Mawae
OL –Todd McClure
OL – Andrew Whitworth
OL – Ben Wilkerson
DL – Jarvis Green
DL – Glenn Dorsey*
DL – Anthony McFarland
DL – Marcus Spears
LB – Eric Alexander
LB – Bradie James
LB – Ali Highsmith*
DB – Travis Daniels
DB – LaRon Landry
DB – Randall Gay
DB - Corey Webster
5. USC
The Trojans would put together a nice team, but not the dominant one you might expect. Having Carson Palmer leading the attack makes a huge difference, but his receivers, at an NFL level, stink, and his line is merely average. On the plus side, having Matt Leinart and Justin Fargas coming off the bench is a huge help. The defense is deep with Shaun Cody and Lawrence Jackson able to help on the line, Keith Rivers and current Trojan Brian Cushing as linebacker reserves, but Terrell Thomas is the one true corner option for the secondary.
QB – Carson Palmer
RB – Reggie Bush
RB – LenDale White
WR – Keary Colbert
WR – Steve Smith
TE – Fred Davis*
OL – Sam Baker*
OL – Winston Justice
OL – Ryan Kalil
OL – Deuce Lutui
OL – Fred Matua
DL – Sedrick Ellis*
DL – Kenechi Udeze
DL – Mike Patterson
DL – Frostee Rucker
LB – Lofa Tatupu
LB – Junior Seau
LB – Rey Maualuga**
DB – Darnell Bing
DB – Troy Polamalu
DB – Will Poole
DB- Taylor Mays**
4. Ohio State
The defense is one of the best of the bunch, but the offense has to rely on Troy Smith. Everything else is in place from a good, deep O line to a phenomenal receiving corps that boasts Terry Glenn, Michael Jenkins, Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn in the rotation. The defensive line is also loaded with Darrion Scott, Kenny Peterson and Vernon Gholston on the bench. The linebacking corps can rotate in Bobby Carpenter, Anthony Schlegel and Matt Wilhelm, while the secondary is phenomenal with Mike Doss, Will Allen, Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty and Malcolm Jenkins to choose from.
QB – Troy Smith
RB – Antonio Pittman
RB – Beanie Wells**
WR – Joey Galloway
WR – Santonio Holmes
TE – Ben Hartsock
OL – LeCharles Bentley
OL – Adrien Clarke
OL – Nick Mangold
OL – Orlando Pace
OL – Rob Sims
DL – Will Allen
DL – Quinn Pitcock
DL – Ryan Pickett
DL – Will Smith
LB – Nial Diggs
LB – A.J. Hawk
LB – James Laurinaitis**
DB – Nate Clements
DB- Chris Gamble
DB – Shawn Springs
DB – Antoine Winfield
3. Tennessee
Having Peyton Manning makes up for a lot of other issues, particularly on the offensive line where Cosey Coleman has to make an appearance to round out the starting five. Travis Henry and Jamal Lewis are excellent, but surprisingly, considering the history of Tennessee receivers, Robert Meachem and Donte Stallworth form a weak tandem. Jason Witten helps make up for it. The defensive line is devastating, and it has to be with a relatively light back seven.
QB – Peyton Manning
RB – Travis Henry
RB – Jamal Lewis
WR – Robert Meachem
WR – Donte Stallworth
TE – Jason Witten
OL – Chad Clifton
OL – Cosey Coleman
OL - Arron Sears
OL - Fred Weary
OL – Scott Wells
DL – Shaun Ellis
DL – John Henderson
DL – Parys Haralson
DL – Albert Haynesworth
LB – Kevin Burnett
LB – Omar Gaither
LB – Jerod Mayo*
DB – Jason Allen
DB – Deon Grant
DB – Jonathan Hefney*
DB - Gibril Wilson
2. Michigan
If Jon Jansen is healthy and Jake Long plays up to his potential, the offensive line, led by Steve Hutchinson, is fantastic. Braylon Edwards has grown into one of the NFL’s elite talents, the backfield tandem of Mike Hart and Anthony Thomas, with Chris Perry coming off the bench, should be fine behind this line, and oh yeah, there’s some guy named Brady pitching it around to a three-receiver set with Adrian Arrington coming off the bench. With Alan Branch having a less-than-scintillating start to his career, the line is average, so the D goes to a 3-4 with Larry Foote filling in where needed. The secondary is excellent.
QB – Tom Brady
RB – Mike Hart*
RB – Anthony Thomas
WR – Braylon Edwards
WR – Mario Manningham*
WR – Amani Toomer
OL – David Baas
OL – Jeff Backus
OL – Steve Hutchinson
OL – Jon Jansen
OL – Jake Long*
DL – Terrance Taylor**
DL - LaMarr Woodley
DL – Gabe Watson
LB - Ian Gold
LB - Cato June
LB - David Harris
LB - Victor Hobson
DB – Leon Hall
DB - Marlin Jackson
DB - Ty Law
DB – Charles Woodson
1. Miami
Amazingly, considering the school, the quarterback is the glaring weak link. The three-headed combo of Vinny Testaverde, Brock Berlin and Ken Dorsey is a problem compared to other teams with Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Carson Palmer, but the rest of the team should be able to pick up the slack. The starting running backs are debatable with Frank Gore and Willis McGahee in the mix, along with Najeh Davenport as a fullback. The tight ends are devastating with Jeremy Shockey, Bubba Franks and Greg Olsen able to rotate in with Kellen Winslow. Warren Sapp is being forced to return to the D line, but it’s not like there aren’t bodies for the front three with Damione Lewis, Kenard Lang, Santonio Thomas, William Joseph, Orien Harris and Calais Campbell providing the depth.
Still not convinced Miami is No. 1?
Look at the defensive back seven. Dan Morgan, Nate Webster, Leon Williams and Rocky McIntosh can’t crack the top four, while Kenny Phillips and Kelly Jennings are backups in the secondary. Oh yeah, and Devin Hester is returning kicks.
QB – Vinny Testaverde
RB – Edgerrin James
RB – Clinton Portis
WR – Andre Johnson
WR – Reggie Wayne
TE – Kellen Winslow
OL – Rashad Butler
OL – Bryant McKinnie
OL – Chris Myers
OL – Brett Romberg
OL – Eric Winston
DL – Jerome McDougle
DL – Warren Sapp
DL – Vince Wilfork
LB – Jon Beason
LB – Ray Lewis
LB – Jonathan Vilma
LB – D.J. Williams
DB - Philip Buchanon
DB – Brandon Meriweather
DB – Ed Reed
DB – Antrel Rolle
KR – Devin Hester
Tom Brady & Peyton Manning
By Staff
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Jan 24, 2008
What would happen if you created an All-Alumni starting lineup of current players NFL players? Which schools would be able to put together the best teams? Here are the top 12 (with one extra) including Tom Brady's Michigan and Peyton Manning's Tennessee.
Top 12 NFL Alumni Teams - 2008
What would happen if you created an All-Alumni starting lineup of current players NFL players? Which schools would be able to put together the best teams? In a recent ASK CFN, a reader basically asked that question and it sparked a ton of debate with as much response as the article has ever received.
Do you go with the teams that have the best skill players, or the ones that can field the best overall lineups? Which schools are shockingly average at cranking out current pro stars? It’s an interesting exercise.
Remember, these are current players, or players that are still close to playing, with the occasional current college stars thrown in to to fill out a starting lineup. A * is next to the names of the incoming rookies, and a ** is next to the names of the players coming back to school next year. Also to note, the idea is to find the best players for the lines and the secondaries; they might not always fit with four safeties or five tackles if needed.
Since the NFL has 12 playoff teams, here are the top All-Alumni squads, and the one that just missed.
Just Missing Out …
Oklahoma
Somewhat surprisingly considering the number of Sooners drafted in recent years, and for all the speed and athleticism Bob Stoops is able to bring in, it’s almost impossible to field a full squad. The lines are shockingly soft needing two starters from the upcoming 2008 OU team along with much-troubled DeMarcus Granger for the D line. The back seven, again, considering all the college all-stars over the years, stinks. No pro quarterback option and little defensive star power outside of Tommie Harris and Roy Williams means a near miss.
QB – Sam Bradford**
RB – Allen Patrick*
RB - Adrian Peterson
WR - Mark Clayton
WR – Malcolm Kelly*
TE – Joe Jon Finley**
OL - Jammal Brown
OL - Chris Chester
OL - Davin Joseph
OL – Phil Loadholt**
OL – Duke Robinson**
DL - Dusty Dvoracek
DL – DeMarcus Granger**
DL – Tommie Harris
DL - Jimmy Wilkerson
LB - Clint Ingram
LB - Teddy Lehman
LB – Curtis Lofton*
DB - Brodney Pool
DB – Reggie Smith*
DB – Roy Williams
DB – D.J. Wolfe**
12. Penn State
The Nittany Lions can put together a nice team of average, serviceable pro starters, with a big, glaring exception on the offensive line. Levi Brown and Kareem McKenzie are nice pieces to start with, but there’s almost nothing else. Desperate for help on the defensive front, LaVar Arrington is being called back into action, but Courtney Brown or junior Maurice Evans could take a spot. Having Derrick Williams as a receiver/kick returner helps, and Bryant Johnson is a decent third target to bring off the bench.
QB – Kerry Collins
RB – Tony Hunt
RB - Larry Johnson
WR – Bobby Engram
WR – Joe Jurevicious
TE – Kyle Brady
OL – Levi Brown
OL - Kareem McKenzie
OL – Rich Ohrnberger**
OL – Tyler Reed
OL – A.Q. Shipley**
DL – Anthony Adams
DL – Tamba Hali
DL – Jimmy Kennedy
DL/LB – LaVar Arrington
LB – Dan Connor*
LB – Paul Posluszny
LB – Sean Lee**
DB – Justin King*
DB – Calvin Lowry
DB – Bryan Scott
DB - Alan Zemaitis
11. Auburn
Offensively, the Tigers could hang with just about anyone. Forget about the tight end; three running backs would find a spot in the rotation, with FB Heath Evans leading the way from time to time and serving as a tight end when needed. If Carnell Williams (doubtful) and Kenny Irons (definite) can come back healthy, there’s even more help for the running game. The O line is one of the best of the bunch. Defensively, Auburn always relied on speed over size, and that’ll be a must up front. The problem is the lack of proven NFL players on the line (no, Stanley McClover doesn’t really count), and in the secondary around Carlos Rogers,
QB – Jason Campbell
RB – Ronnie Brown
RB – Brandon Jacobs
RB – Rudi Johnson
WR - Ben Obomanu
WR – Courtney Taylor
OL - Willie Anderson
OL - Ben Grubbs
OL - Marcus McNeill
OL – Mike Pucillo
OL - Kendall Simmons
DL – Quentin Groves*
DL – Sen’Derrick Marks**
DL – Pat Sims*
LB - Karlos Dansby
LB - Reggie Torbor
LB - Takeo Spikes
L B - Dontarrious Thomas
LB - Marcus Washington
LB/DB – Will Herring
DB – David Irons
DB – Carlos Rogers
10. Florida
Average all across the board, the big issue is on the offensive line where tight end Aaron Walker has to use his 270 pounds as a light tackle. For being known as a high-octane passing program over the years, the Gator receivers have always stunk … Jabar Gaffney and a no-gas-in-the-tank Darrell Jackson is the best they can do? The defense is just good enough to get by.
QB – Rex Grossman
RB – Fred Taylor
RB – DeShawn Wynn
WR – Jabar Gaffney
WR – Darrell Jackson
TE - Ben Troupe
OL - Cooper Carlisle
OL - Aaron Walker/TE (6-6 270)
OL – Zach Piller
OL – Max Starks
OL - Kenyatta Walker
DL – Alex Brown
DL – Jevon Kearse
DL - Bobby McCray
DL – Jarvis Moss
LB – Channing Crowder
LB – Andra Davis
LB – Mike Peterson
DB - Reynaldo Hill
DB - Marquand Manuel
DB – Reggie Nelson
DB - Lito Sheppard
9. Florida State
The offensive line makes everything else better. Chris Weinke at least has experience while the tandem of Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington provide some speed. There’s no tight end, so the Noles have to go three wide; that’s not a negative. Considering Brodrick Bunkley has, shall we say, not quite played up to expectations for Philadelphia, the D will go to a 3-4 and used a few hybrid players in a variety of roles. The secondary is solid. Sebastian Janikowski is a weapon who helped the overall ranking.
QB – Chris Weinke
RB - Lorenzo Booker
RB - Leon Washington
WR - Anquan Boldin
WR - Laveraneues Coles
WR – Javon Walker
OL - Alex Barron
OL - Milford Brown
OL – Walter Jones
OL - Montrae Holland
OL - Ray Willis
DL – Peter Boulware
DL - Darnell Dockett
DL - Travis Johnson
LB - Lawrence Timmons
LB – Derrick Brooks
LB - Ernie Sims
LB - Kamerion Wimbley
DB - Antonio Cromartie
DB - Bryant McFadden
DB - Samari Rolle
DB - Pat Watkins
8. Georgia
Quarterback is the huge problem needing D.J. Shockley to be healthy and effective. Next year, Matthew Stafford might be the choice. The Dawgs would use plenty of two tight end sets with Randy McMichael and Leonard Pope seeing plenty of time along side Ben Watson, and the O line would be solid with Adam Meadows able to come off the bench. The defense has the potential to be among the best if David Pollack can come back healthy and if Odell Thurman can get past his legal issues. Kendrell Bell could fill in at linebacker and Jermaine Phillips could step in the secondary.
QB – D.J. Shockley
RB – Knowshon Moreno**
RB – Musa Smith
WR – Reggie Brown
WR – Hines Ward
TE – Ben Watson
OL – Max Jean-Gilles
OL – Jonas Jennings
OL – Jon Stinchcomb
OL – George Foster
OL – Kevin Breedlove
DL – Robert Geathers
DL – Charles Grant
DL – Richard Seymour
DL – Marcus Stroud
LB – Boss Bailey
LB – Odell Thurman
LB – Will Witherspoon
DB – Champ Bailey
DB - Thomas Davis
DB – Sean Jones
DB – Tim Jennings
7. Texas
Creativity is a must on a defense with only one viable linebacker. Occasionally there will be a hybrid of linemen and linebackers with Tim Crowder and Brian Robinson seeing time, and other times the D would have to take its chances with six defensive backs. Offensively, the skill players, at an NFL level, aren’t nearly as good as they look on paper, but Selvin Young and Ricky Williams could step in and help the backfield. The O line is a huge help, and there would be several two and three tight end sets with David Thomas and current Longhorn Jermichael Finley worthy of playing time.
QB – Vince Young
RB – Cedric Benson
RB – Jamaal Charles*
WR – Limas Sweed*
WR – Roy Williams
TE – Bo Sciafe
OL - Justin Blalock
OL – Leonard Davis
OL – Derrick Dockery
OL - Jonathan Scott
OL - Kasey Studdard
DL – Casey Hampton
DL – Cory Redding
DL – Shaun Rogers
DL – Rod Wright
LB – Derrick Johnson
DB - Cedric Griffin
DB – Michael Griffin
DB – Michael Huff
DB – Quentin Jammer
DB – Aaron Ross
DB – Nathan Vasher
6. LSU
Move the Tigers up in a big hurry if JaMarcus Russell can actually play. Going three-wide is an option with Eddie Kennison, Craig Davis, Michael Clayton and Early Doucet able to come in, but this would be a running team with Joseph Addai working behind a big, talented line that’ll only get better in the next few years when Herman Johnson and Ciron Black get to the next level. The defensive line has the potential to be special, especially with Kyle Williams, Mel Oliver and Tyson Jackson providing depth. The linebacking corps is fine, and the secondary it excellent with Mark Roman, Ryan Clark and Ronnie Prude are good backups. Again, it’s all up to Russell. If he’s fantastic, this is one of the best teams.
QB – JaMarcus Russell
RB - Joseph Addai
RB - Kevin Faulk
WR – Dwayne Bowe
WR – Devery Henderson
TE – Robert Royal
OL – Alan Faneca
OL – Kevin Mawae
OL –Todd McClure
OL – Andrew Whitworth
OL – Ben Wilkerson
DL – Jarvis Green
DL – Glenn Dorsey*
DL – Anthony McFarland
DL – Marcus Spears
LB – Eric Alexander
LB – Bradie James
LB – Ali Highsmith*
DB – Travis Daniels
DB – LaRon Landry
DB – Randall Gay
DB - Corey Webster
5. USC
The Trojans would put together a nice team, but not the dominant one you might expect. Having Carson Palmer leading the attack makes a huge difference, but his receivers, at an NFL level, stink, and his line is merely average. On the plus side, having Matt Leinart and Justin Fargas coming off the bench is a huge help. The defense is deep with Shaun Cody and Lawrence Jackson able to help on the line, Keith Rivers and current Trojan Brian Cushing as linebacker reserves, but Terrell Thomas is the one true corner option for the secondary.
QB – Carson Palmer
RB – Reggie Bush
RB – LenDale White
WR – Keary Colbert
WR – Steve Smith
TE – Fred Davis*
OL – Sam Baker*
OL – Winston Justice
OL – Ryan Kalil
OL – Deuce Lutui
OL – Fred Matua
DL – Sedrick Ellis*
DL – Kenechi Udeze
DL – Mike Patterson
DL – Frostee Rucker
LB – Lofa Tatupu
LB – Junior Seau
LB – Rey Maualuga**
DB – Darnell Bing
DB – Troy Polamalu
DB – Will Poole
DB- Taylor Mays**
4. Ohio State
The defense is one of the best of the bunch, but the offense has to rely on Troy Smith. Everything else is in place from a good, deep O line to a phenomenal receiving corps that boasts Terry Glenn, Michael Jenkins, Anthony Gonzalez and Ted Ginn in the rotation. The defensive line is also loaded with Darrion Scott, Kenny Peterson and Vernon Gholston on the bench. The linebacking corps can rotate in Bobby Carpenter, Anthony Schlegel and Matt Wilhelm, while the secondary is phenomenal with Mike Doss, Will Allen, Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty and Malcolm Jenkins to choose from.
QB – Troy Smith
RB – Antonio Pittman
RB – Beanie Wells**
WR – Joey Galloway
WR – Santonio Holmes
TE – Ben Hartsock
OL – LeCharles Bentley
OL – Adrien Clarke
OL – Nick Mangold
OL – Orlando Pace
OL – Rob Sims
DL – Will Allen
DL – Quinn Pitcock
DL – Ryan Pickett
DL – Will Smith
LB – Nial Diggs
LB – A.J. Hawk
LB – James Laurinaitis**
DB – Nate Clements
DB- Chris Gamble
DB – Shawn Springs
DB – Antoine Winfield
3. Tennessee
Having Peyton Manning makes up for a lot of other issues, particularly on the offensive line where Cosey Coleman has to make an appearance to round out the starting five. Travis Henry and Jamal Lewis are excellent, but surprisingly, considering the history of Tennessee receivers, Robert Meachem and Donte Stallworth form a weak tandem. Jason Witten helps make up for it. The defensive line is devastating, and it has to be with a relatively light back seven.
QB – Peyton Manning
RB – Travis Henry
RB – Jamal Lewis
WR – Robert Meachem
WR – Donte Stallworth
TE – Jason Witten
OL – Chad Clifton
OL – Cosey Coleman
OL - Arron Sears
OL - Fred Weary
OL – Scott Wells
DL – Shaun Ellis
DL – John Henderson
DL – Parys Haralson
DL – Albert Haynesworth
LB – Kevin Burnett
LB – Omar Gaither
LB – Jerod Mayo*
DB – Jason Allen
DB – Deon Grant
DB – Jonathan Hefney*
DB - Gibril Wilson
2. Michigan
If Jon Jansen is healthy and Jake Long plays up to his potential, the offensive line, led by Steve Hutchinson, is fantastic. Braylon Edwards has grown into one of the NFL’s elite talents, the backfield tandem of Mike Hart and Anthony Thomas, with Chris Perry coming off the bench, should be fine behind this line, and oh yeah, there’s some guy named Brady pitching it around to a three-receiver set with Adrian Arrington coming off the bench. With Alan Branch having a less-than-scintillating start to his career, the line is average, so the D goes to a 3-4 with Larry Foote filling in where needed. The secondary is excellent.
QB – Tom Brady
RB – Mike Hart*
RB – Anthony Thomas
WR – Braylon Edwards
WR – Mario Manningham*
WR – Amani Toomer
OL – David Baas
OL – Jeff Backus
OL – Steve Hutchinson
OL – Jon Jansen
OL – Jake Long*
DL – Terrance Taylor**
DL - LaMarr Woodley
DL – Gabe Watson
LB - Ian Gold
LB - Cato June
LB - David Harris
LB - Victor Hobson
DB – Leon Hall
DB - Marlin Jackson
DB - Ty Law
DB – Charles Woodson
1. Miami
Amazingly, considering the school, the quarterback is the glaring weak link. The three-headed combo of Vinny Testaverde, Brock Berlin and Ken Dorsey is a problem compared to other teams with Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Carson Palmer, but the rest of the team should be able to pick up the slack. The starting running backs are debatable with Frank Gore and Willis McGahee in the mix, along with Najeh Davenport as a fullback. The tight ends are devastating with Jeremy Shockey, Bubba Franks and Greg Olsen able to rotate in with Kellen Winslow. Warren Sapp is being forced to return to the D line, but it’s not like there aren’t bodies for the front three with Damione Lewis, Kenard Lang, Santonio Thomas, William Joseph, Orien Harris and Calais Campbell providing the depth.
Still not convinced Miami is No. 1?
Look at the defensive back seven. Dan Morgan, Nate Webster, Leon Williams and Rocky McIntosh can’t crack the top four, while Kenny Phillips and Kelly Jennings are backups in the secondary. Oh yeah, and Devin Hester is returning kicks.
QB – Vinny Testaverde
RB – Edgerrin James
RB – Clinton Portis
WR – Andre Johnson
WR – Reggie Wayne
TE – Kellen Winslow
OL – Rashad Butler
OL – Bryant McKinnie
OL – Chris Myers
OL – Brett Romberg
OL – Eric Winston
DL – Jerome McDougle
DL – Warren Sapp
DL – Vince Wilfork
LB – Jon Beason
LB – Ray Lewis
LB – Jonathan Vilma
LB – D.J. Williams
DB - Philip Buchanon
DB – Brandon Meriweather
DB – Ed Reed
DB – Antrel Rolle
KR – Devin Hester
