No. 12. Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State
2010 numbers: He was third in the ACC with 21.5 tackles for loss, and second in the ACC with 13.5 sacks. He was also sixth on the team with 63 tackles, had four quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups.
Previous ranking: Not ranked.
Making the case for Jenkins: He was only a true sophomore, and had a breakout season in his first year as a starter. His speed off the edge really helped generate pressure, and his explosiveness made him tough to block. He’s put on some weight, and is up to about 258 pounds and has gotten stronger in the offseason. He was tough for opponents to handle one-on-one, especially against South Carolina, although it didn’t necessarily show in the box score.
The countdown:
No. 13 Quinton Coples, DT, North Carolina
No. 14 Kenny Tate, S, Maryland
No. 15 DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson
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
