Our countdown of the Pac-12's top 25 players continues.
You can see Ted Miller's preseason top 25 here.
6. Mychal Kendricks, LB, Cal
2011 numbers: Finished tied for first in the Pac-12 with 69 solo tackles and fifth overall with 107 stops. Tied for second in the conference with 14.5 tackles for a loss to go with three sacks, two interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries.
Preseason ranking: No. 16.
Making the case for Kendricks: He was the best defensive player on the No. 1 total defense in the conference (statistically speaking). Kendricks was selected first-team All-Pac-12 and crowned the conference defensive player of the year for his efforts. He leaves Cal as one of it's all-time greatest defensive players, totaling 258 tackles in his career -- ninth on Cal's all-time list. The Bears' ironman played in all 51 games during his Cal career and in 2011 was a second-team All-American selection by Phil Steele, third-team by Yahoo! Sports and Sports Illustrated honorable mention. He's the school's all-time leader in tackles for a loss. Five times in 2011 he reached double-digit tackles, including a season-high 15 stops in a loss to Washington and 13 tackles in a loss to Stanford. He followed up a stellar 2011 with an equally impressive performance at the combine that have many thinking he could crack the second round.
10. Jonathan Martin, LT, Stanford
11. Keith Price, QB, Washington
12 (tie). Darron Thomas, QB & De'Anthony Thomas, WR-RB, Oregon
13. Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State
14. David DeCastro, OL, Stanford
15. Keenan Allen, WR, California
22. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
