Our countdown of the Pac-12’s top 25 preseason players in 2013 continues.
A lot of good players, as it happens every year, won’t make the preseason list. It is in their hands to make the postseason list.
You can review our 2012 postseason top 25 here.
14. De'Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon
2012 numbers: Carried 92 times for 701 yards and 11 touchdowns. He led the Ducks with 45 catches for 445 yards and five touchdowns. He also posted a 17.1 punt return average (one touchdown) and a 24.3 kickoff return average (one touchdown) giving him a grand total average of 135.2 yards per game.
2012 postseason ranking: Unranked.
Making the case for Thomas: Oregon’s hybrid could end up No. 1 on the postseason list. Or he could end up unranked like last season. But like last year, it won't be a reflection of what kind of player Thomas is -- we know what kind of a player he is. It’s the fact that he’s so tough to categorize that makes putting him in a traditional ranking so difficult. There are better “true” wide receivers in the conference -- though not many. There are better “true” running backs in the conference -- though not many. Thomas falls into a no-man’s land, where he gobbles up yards per carry, scores per touch and "SportsCenter" highlights. He’s that rare player that can make a short run riveting while bucking the old stereotype that you have to run forward to return a punt for a touchdown. With Kenjon Barner gone, his role in the running game is likely to increase this year. We don’t know how the season is going to end up for Thomas. We just know we’re going to have a lot of fun watching it play out.
15. Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington
16. Shayne Skov, LB, Stanford
17. Kevin Hogan, QB, Stanford
18. Xavier Su'a-Filo, OL, UCLA
19. Morgan Breslin, OLB, USC
20. Colt Lyerla, TE, Oregon
21. Carl Bradford, LB, Arizona State
22. Brandin Cooks, WR, Oregon State
23. Hroniss Grasu, C, Oregon
24. Marion Grice, RB, Arizona State
25. Ben Gardner, DE, Stanford
