No. 15. DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson
2010 numbers: He had nine passes defended, including four interceptions and five pass breakups. He led the team with 84 tackles.
Previous ranking: No. 2
Making the case for McDaniel: Too often defensive backs are judged on the number of interceptions they have, and after a season in which McDaniel had eight, expectations might have been unfairly high entering 2010. Still, his contributions were invaluable as a tackler. His gambles didn’t always pay off, but he controlled the middle of the field and helped Clemson’s rushing defense. He had a better year than what was probably perceived, as many opponents didn’t throw his way.
The countdown:
No. 16 Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia
No. 17 Montel Harris, RB, Boston College
No. 18 T.J. Yates, QB, North Carolina
No. 19 Alex Wujciak, LB, Maryland
No. 20 Jarvis Jenkins, DT, Clemson
No. 21 Chris Hairston, OT, Clemson
No. 22 Anthony Allen, RB, Georgia Tech
No. 23 Brandon Washington, OL, Miami
No. 24 George Bryan, TE, NC State
No. 25 Conner Vernon, WR, Duke
