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Offense
Photography by Richard Izui
OFFENSE: Left to right, top to bottom: Jake Long, lineman, Michigan; Ryan Clady, lineman, Boise State; Barry Richardson, lineman, Clemson; Sam Baker, lineman, USC; Limas Sweed, receiver, Texas; Jere Myito, placekicker, Rutgers; Cody Wallace, center, Texas A&M; Mario Manningham, receiver, Michigan; Steve Slaton, running back, West Virginia; DeSean Jackson, kick returner, California; Ray Rice, running back, Rutgers; Brian Brohm, quarterback, Louisville; Darren McFadden, running back, Arkansas.
QUARTERBACK - BRIAN BROHM
- LOUISVILLE -
6'4", 224, Senior -
USA Today Offensive Player of the Year in high school, Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2004, Big East Offensive Player of the Year in 2005, Orange Bowl MVP in 2006. Holds school record in completion percentage at 66.3 ; has passed for 6,751 yards and 41 touchdowns and is the Big East record holder for 300-yard passing games with 11.
RUNNING BACK - DARREN MCFADDEN
- ARKANSAS - 6'2", 205, Junior -
Won the Doak Walker Award in 2006 as the nation's top running back. He is one of only two running backs in SEC history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in his freshman and sophomore seasons. (Herschel Walker is the other.) He set school records last season for rushing yards (1,647) and all-purpose yards (2,058).
RUNNING BACK - STEVE SLATON
- WEST VIRGINIA - 5'10", 190, Junior -
Set a school record of 1,744 yards rushing as a sophomore. Finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting; in 18 career starts he has 15 100-yard games, 33 rushing TDs and four receiving TDs.
RUNNING BACK - RAY RICE
- RUTGERS - 5'9", 195, Junior -
Rushed for 1,794 yards as a sophomore last year, which set a new Big East record for single-season rushing yards, and scored 20 touchdowns. Finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting and was finalist for the Maxwell Award, given to the nation's top player.
WIDE RECEIVER - LIMAS SWEED
- TEXAS - 6'5", 219, Senior -
Caught 46 passes for 801 yards and tied Roy Williams's school record with 12 touchdown receptions last season, averaging 34.8 yards per touchdown catch. He already has 109 career receptions at Texas (No. 8 on the school's all-time list). First team All Big 12.
WIDE RECEIVER - MARIO MANNINGHAM
- MICHIGAN - 6'0", 182, Junior -
He's already collected 65 receptions for 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns -- 9th on Michigan's career TD reception list. And all but one of his 15 receiving scores have come from outside the red zone.
CENTER - CODY WALLACE
- TEXAS A&M - 6'4", 296, Senior -
Has made 24 consecutive starts for the Aggies at center. He was voted the permanent team captain for the 2006 squad and was the glue in an offensive line that allowed only 20 sacks on the season and led the Big 12 in third-down conversions. He's also an Academic All-Big 12.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN - JAKE LONG
- MICHIGAN - 6'7", 313. Senior -
Three-year starter at offensive tackle for the Wolverines and returning team captain. He was a 2006 consensus All-America and the Big 10 Offensive Lineman of the Year.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN - SAM BAKER
- USC - 6'5", 305, Senior -
Already a two-time first team All-America and now a two-time Playboy All America. Has been the leader of the offensive line for a team that has won or challenged for the national championship in each of his three seasons. His father is commissioner of the Arena Football League.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN - BARRY RICHARDSON
- CLEMSON - 6'7", 330, Junior -
Has started 36 consecutive games and was first-team All-ACC last season. He recorded 75 knockdown blocks in 2006 and allowed just two sacks. He was a big reason that Clemson ranked fifth in the nation in rushing last year.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN - RYAN CLADY
- BOISE STATE - 6'6", 319, Junior -
He started all 13 games at left tackle for Boise State, anchoring an offensive line that allowed the Broncos to finish second in the nation in scoring, sixth in the nation in rushing and 10th in the nation in total offense. Selected first team all conference and 2nd team All-America by SI.com.
PLACE KICKER - JEREMY ITO
- RUTGERS - 5'11", 185, Senior -
He kicked game-winning field goals against South Florida and Louisville last season and finished second in the nation with 22 made field goals. He was a semi-finalist for the Groza Award. He's the all-time leading scorer in Rutgers history with 280 career points.
KICK RETURNER - DESEAN JACKSON
- CALIFORNIA - 6'0", 186, Junior -
He led the nation with four punt returns for touchdown and by averaging 18.2 yards per return. In his career at Cal, more than 19 percent of his punt returns have been returned for touchdowns. When he's not returning punts, he plays wide receiver, where he had 59 receptions for 1,060 yards and 9 TDs.
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