CSNbbs

about his perspective of WMU offense/reputation/QBs to list ours in the Top 50, I think.

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August 23 Orlando Sentinel

This ranking is not meant to be just a comparison of talent levels. Rather, the rankings are an objective opinion (i.e., guess) of how each of these guys will produce in his offense. Also taken into account is the backup, how the quarterbacks fit their offense, the experience level of the quarterbacks and how comfortable coaches should be entering the season with their quarterbacks.

Rank, team Projected starter / projected backup The buzz

1. Louisville *Brian Brohm / Hunter Cantwell Brohm is a mega-talent. Cantwell has starting experience.

2. USC *John David Booty / Mark Sanchez Despite not having an established go-to WR, Booty will have big numbers.

3. West Virginia *Patrick White / Jarrett Brown White is a dangerous runner and is developing into a solid passer.

4. Hawaii *Colt Brennan / Tyler Graunke Brennan set a Division I-A record with 58 TD passes last season.

5. Michigan *Chad Henne / Ryan Mallett Henne will oversee one of the nation's best offenses this season.

6. Missouri *Chase Daniel / Chase Patton Daniel is an exciting multi-dimensional talent.

7. Texas *Colt McCoy / Sherrod Harris McCoy emerged from obscurity to throw 29 TD passes last season.

8. Kentucky *Andre' Woodson / Mike Hartline Woodson has developed into SEC's best passer.

9. Texas Tech *Graham Harrell / Taylor Potts Harrell will put up big numbers in Red Raiders' pass-happy attack.

10. New Mexico State *Chase Holbrook / J.J. McDermott Holbrook has chance to lead nation in passing yards this season.

11. California *Nate Longshore / Kyle Reed Longshore benefits from teachings of QB Zen master Jeff Tedford.

12. Georgia *Matthew Stafford / Joe Cox Stafford struggled at times last season, but will produce this season.

13. Texas A&M *Stephen McGee / Jerrod Johnson McGee is a good runner with a strong arm.

14. Purdue *Curtis Painter / Joey Elliott Painter threw for 3,985 yards and 22 TDs last season.

15. Boston College *Matt Ryan / Chris Crane Ryan should benefit from working with new Coach Jeff Jagodzinski, who comes from NFL's Packers.

16. Florida Tim Tebow / John Brantley There's no truth to the rumor that Tebow prays to himself.

17. Washington State *Alex Brink / Gary Rogers Brink has big-time arm, and he'll show it off this season.

18. Tennessee *Erik Ainge / Jonathan Crompton Ainge is a good, solid college QB. And what's wrong with that?

19. USF *Matt Grothe / Grant Gregory Grothe is an exciting talent who needs a feature TB to emerge.

20. Nebraska Sam Keller / Joe Ganz Keller started at Arizona State before transferring to Nebraska.

21. Oklahoma State *Bobby Reid / Zac Robinson Reid will be at controls of one of nation's most prolific offenses.

22. Arizona State *Rudy Carpenter / Danny Sullivan Carpenter struggled last season, but should thrive in Dennis Erickson's offense.

23. Utah Brian Johnson / Tommy Grady Johnson started in 2005, then redshirted with injury last season.

24. Vanderbilt *Chris Nickson / Mackenzi Adams Nickson is big-time athlete who has excellent WRs.

25. Central Michigan *Dan LeFevour / Brian Brunner LeFevour threw for 3,031 yards, 26 TDs last season.

26. Penn State *Anthony Morelli / Daryll Clark Morelli was mega-hyped out of high school, but he still has something to prove.

27. Arizona *Willie Tuitama / Tyler Leon If Tuitama can stay healthy, he is a multi-dimensional threat for Wildcats.

28. Miami *Kyle Wright / Kirby Freeman This is last go-round for Wright, a senior who may not be able to keep the job.

29. Florida State *Drew Weatherford / Xavier Lee So, was it the players or the coaches the past few seasons?

30. Iowa State *Bret Meyer / Austen Arnaud Meyer is good but sometimes tries to do too much because supporting cast is lacking.

31. Virginia *Jameel Sewell / Scott Deke As goes Sewell, so go the Cavaliers. He has big-time potential.

32. Tulsa *Paul Smith / David Johnson Plain name, but this guy has got game. Smith is a good runner and passer.

33. Auburn *Brandon Cox / Blake Field Cox, a lefty, was hurt last season, and his play suffered.

34. Illinois *Juice Williams / Eddie McGee Williams is great athlete who needs work on his decision-making.

35. South Carolina *Blake Mitchell / Chris Smelley Mitchell has the tools but hasn't truly grasped Spurrier's offense.

36. UCLA Ben Olson / *Patrick Cowan Olson has more talent, but truth be told, Cowan seems tougher.

37. Alabama *John Parker Wilson / Greg McElroy Wilson has a strong arm and should be good fit in new offense.

38. Oregon *Dennis Dixon / Brady Leaf Dixon has physical tools but lacks consistency. Leaf is Ryan's brother.

39. Notre Dame Evan Sharpley / Demetrius Jones Touted freshman Jimmy Clausen figures into the mix, too.

40. Oklahoma Sam Bradford / Joey Halzle No pressure here: If QB play is merely adequate, Sooners will win Big 12.

41. LSU Matt Flynn / Ryan Perrilloux All Flynn, a senior, has to do is step in and guide one of the nation's most talented teams.

42. Iowa Jake Christensen / Arvell Nelson Christensen is a dual threat who should thrive in Hawkeyes' attack.

43. Ohio State Todd Boeckman / Rob Schoenhoft Both are big guys, but neither will come close to Troy Smith's numbers.

44. Ball State *Nate Davis / Emmanuel Lewis Davis looks poised to lead Cardinals to first bowl since 1996.

45. Virginia Tech *Sean Glennon / Tyrod Taylor Hokies have a chance to play for it all -- assuming Glennon can ramp up his game.

46. Western Michigan Tim Hiller / Thomas Peregrin Hiller started in 2005, then redshirted with an injury last season.

47. SMU *Justin Willis / Zach Rhodes Willis emerged from nowhere to throw for 26 TDs last season.

48. Air Force *Shaun Carney / Eric Herbort This will be Carney's 4th season as starter, but he has to learn a new offense.

49. Wake Forest *Riley Skinner / Brett Hodges Skinner (Jacksonville Bolles) led Wake to surprising ACC title last season as redshirt freshman.

50. Kansas State *Josh Freeman / Carson Coffman Freeman started to live up to some of his hype late last season.

51. Georgia Tech Taylor Bennett / Calvin Booker The best thing about Bennett? He's not Reggie Ball.

52. Troy *Omar Haugabook / Tanner Jones Haugabook (Belle Glade Glades Central) does it all for Trojans.

53. Indiana *Kellen Lewis / Ben Chappell Lewis (Jacksonville Mandarin) has strong arm and also led Hoosiers in rushing.

54. BYU Max Hall / Brenden Gaskins Hall, a transfer from Arizona State, hasn't played in a game that has mattered since 2003.

55. Wisconsin Tyler Donovan / Allan Evridge Badgers appear set at every spot except QB. Donovan looks to be the kind of steady guy they need.

56. Oregon State Sean Canfield / Lyle Moevao Canfield has good size (6-4 / 225) but barely played in 2nd half of last season.

57. Washington Jake Locker / Carl Bonnell Big things are expected from Locker, who had better produce for a struggling program.

58. Memphis *Martin Hankins / Will Hudgens Hankins used to play for pass-happy Hal Mumme at I-AA SE Louisiana.

59. Bowling Green *Anthony Turner / Tyler Sheehan Turner is one of the best running QBs in the nation.

60. Miami (Ohio) *Mike Kokal / Daniel Raudabaugh Kokal is athletic and a good runner, and also has an OK arm.

61. Kent State *Julian Edelman / Anthony Magazu Edelman is one of a number of solid, athletic QBs in the MAC.

62. Kansas *Kerry Meier / Todd Reesing Meier has good mobility and should be solid dual-threat talent for KU.

63. Colorado State *Caleb Hanie / Grant Stucker Hanie is a tough kid who can run, but he must make better decisions.

64. Fresno State *Tom Brandstater / Ryan Colburn Brandstater has big arm but made too many mistakes last season.

65. Rice *Chase Clement / John Shepherd Clement was steady last season and generally played mistake-free football.

66. Southern Miss *Jeremy Young / Stephen Reaves Young is mobile but still needs improvement in the passing game.

67. Navy *K.N. Kaheaku-Enhada / Jarod Bryant Middies completed 51 passes last season. Total.

68. Northwestern *C.J. Bacher / Mike Kafka Wouldn't it be great to describe an offense as "Kafkaesque"?

69. Michigan State Brian Hoyer / Connor Dixon Hoyer has a strong arm and could surprise this season.

70. Maryland Jordan Steffy / Josh Portis Steffy has edged out Portis, a transfer from Florida.

71. Boise State Bush Hamdan OR Taylor Tharp Nick Lomax, Neil's son, also is in the hunt for the job.

72. Clemson Cullen Harper / Willy Korn Korn, a touted freshman, eventually could get the starting job this season.

73. Wyoming *Karsten Sween / Ian Hetrick Sween, a lefty, looks like good fit in Cowboys' offense.

74. Cincinnati *Dustin Grutza / Ben Mauk Mauk, a Wake Forest transfer, will give Grutza a run for his money.

75. Colorado Cody Hawkins / Nick Nelson Hawkins, a redshirt freshman, is the son of Coach Dan Hawkins.

76. San Jose State *Adam Tafralis / Sean Flynn Tafralis won't hurt you, but he also isn't going to make many big plays.

77. Rutgers *Mike Teel / Jabu Lovelace Teel is an inconsistent passer, but Rutgers has a strong rushing attack.

78. Arkansas Casey Dick / Nathan Emert All Dick has to do is make sure his handoffs to Darren McFadden are good ones.

79. TCU Marcus Jackson / Andy Dalton TCU's only weakness appears to be at QB, as Jackson hasn't played much.

80. Marshall *Bernard Morris / Wesley Beardain Morris began his Herd career as a walk-on from Jones High.

81. Pitt Bill Stull / Kevan Smith Highly touted true freshman Pat Bostick also will be in the starting mix.

82. Stanford T.C. Ostrander / Tavita Pritchard Ostrander was born in a hospital on the Stanford campus.

83. New Mexico Donovan Porterie / Bryan Clampitt Porterie has solid skill-position talent around him.

84. Houston Blake Joseph / Case Keenum Graduated QB Kevin Kolb started 50 consecutive games for Cougars.

85. Toledo *Aaron Opelt / Clint Cochran Rockets need to rediscover the deep ball in their passing attack.

86. NC State *Daniel Evans / Harrison Beck Beck, a transfer from Nebraska, could end up beating out Evans.

87. Nevada Nick Graziano / Colin Kaepernick Graziano's mobility will be put to good use in "Pistol" offense.

88. UTEP Trevor Vittatoe / Lorne Sam Sam is a transfer from Florida State -- where he was a WR.

89. UCF Kyle Israel / Michael Greco Israel has his limitations, but he also understands the offense.

90. UNLV *Rocky Hinds / Travis Dixon Hinds began his career at USC but lacked consistency last season.

91. San Diego State Kevin O'Connell / Darren Mougey This is final shot for O'Connell, whose numbers never have matched his physical ability.

92. Northern Illinois Dan Nicholson / Ryan Morris Nicholson's favorite target will be WR Britt Davis, a converted QB.

93. Connecticut Tyler Lorenzen / Dennis Brown Lorenzen is a touted JC transfer who won job in fall drills.

94. Minnesota Tony Mortensen OR Adam Weber We'll be frank: No one knows how good these guys are -- or aren't.

95. Louisiana Tech *Zac Champion / Michael Mosley Champion threw way too many picks (18) last season.

96. Duke *Thaddeus Lewis / Zack Asack Lewis is from Miami. Asack was suspended last season for plagiarism.

97. Ole Miss Seth Adams / *Brent Schaeffer Schaeffer was huge bust last season. If nothing else, Adams should add consistency.

98. Ohio U. Brad Bower / Theo Scott Bower, who began his career at Illinois, should boost Bobcats' passing attack.

99. Mississippi State Mike Henig / Josh Riddell Henig lacks SEC-caliber talent and has had trouble staying healthy.

100. Tulane Scott Elliott / Anthony Scelfo Elliott struggled in scant playing time last season.

101. Syracuse Andrew Robinson / Cameron Dantley Robinson will be helped by what should a solid receiving corps.

102. UAB Sam Hunt / Joe Webb Both have good size. Hunt has more experience, Webb more raw ability.

103. La.-Monroe *Kinsmon Lancaster / Trey Revell Lancaster has good mobility, but needs to improve his decision-making.

104. Baylor Michael Machen OR Blake Szymanski This is the 4th college stop for Machen, 25.

105. North Carolina T.J. Yates / Cam Sexton Yates, a redshirt freshman, didn't play football until his senior season in high school.

106. East Carolina Rob Kass / Patrick Pinkney Kass is a former standout at Lake Highland Prep.

107. Arkansas State *Corey Leonard / Travis Hewitt Leonard is good runner but mediocre passer.

108. FAU Rusty Smith / *Sean Clayton Clayton began his career at Michigan State.

109. Temple Vaughn Charlton OR *Adam DiMichele DiMichele played JC baseball for 2 years before switching to football.

110. Army *David Pevoto OR Carlson Williams These two combined to throw 10 TDs and 24 picks last season.

111. Eastern Michigan *Andy Schmitt / Tyler Jones Schmitt was Eagles' leading rusher. Jones was No. 2.

112. Buffalo *Drew Willy / Zack Ingle Willy heading into 3rd season as starter.

113. Middle Tennessee Joe Craddock / Dwight Dasher Craddock has a bothersome knee, and Dasher is a true freshman.

114. Akron Carlton Jackson OR Chris Jacquemain Jackson is a former standout at Pompano Beach Ely.

115. La.-Lafayette Michael Desormeaux / John Hundley Desormeaux also played some WR and DB last season.

116. North Texas Daniel Meager OR Giovanni Vizza Mean Green converting to wide-open spread attack.

117. Utah State Leon Jackson OR Sean Setzer Jackson had his first 5 interceptions of last season returned for TDs.

118. Western Kentucky David Wolke / Tyler Bruce Wolke is a transfer from Notre Dame.

119. Idaho Nathan Enderle / Brian Nooy Enderle's 1st college start will come against USC. Uh-oh.

120. FIU Paul McCall OR Wayne Younger FIU had nation-low 5 TD passes last season. Can it match that this season?

Being that is our weakest position right now. This bodes well if accurate.

I was somewhat impressed w/Scmidt @ EMU before he went down

I'm sure we would be ranked higher in our other positions.

from the Sentinel's perspective:

UM secondary the best
Mike Huguenin
Orlando Sentinel

We finish our annual position-by-position rankings at the state schools by looking at the secondary. We rank the position at each of the state's seven Division I-A schools, look at that position in the leagues in which the state teams play and give a national overview.

Remember: This ranking incorporates talent level, projected production and how comfortable coaches should be entering the season with these guys.

1. MIAMI: All four starters return. Free safety Kenneth Phillips (left) is the nation's best at his position and strong safety Lovon Ponder is a good one, too. While there is no standout corner, there is enough talent there for UM Coach Randy Shannon to think opposing offenses aren't going to complete a lot of long passes. Watch for sophomore cornerback Chavez Grant. In addition, UM recruited extremely well at this position. LEAGUE RANK: First.

2. FLORIDA STATE: All four starters return. Strong safety Myron Rolle was a full-time starter as a true freshman last season, and he eventually should develop into an All-American. Cornerback Tony Carter can be exploited (he's just 5 feet 9), but he is quick and tough. Free safety Roger Williams is the weak link. LEAGUE RANK: Third.

3. USF: The Bulls have the best pair of corners in the state in seniors Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams. The safeties are the question, though junior SS Carlton Williams has talent. LEAGUE RANK: Second.

4. UCF: All four starters return, and each is a junior. Cornerbacks Joe Burnett (Eustis) and Johnell Neal struggled at times last season; Burnett has the talent to be an all-league performer. Free safety Jason Venson and strong safety Sha'reff Rashad need more consistency. LEAGUE RANK: Third.

5. FLORIDA: Senior strong safety Tony Joiner (Haines City) is the lone returning starter. The corners are inexperienced; indeed, no team of Florida's caliber nationally has corners this raw. LEAGUE RANK: Eighth.

6. FAU: Senior strong safety Kris Bartels is the best of three returning starters. Junior cornerback Corey Small is another All-Sun Belt contender. LEAGUE RANK: Second.

7. FIU: Senior cornerback Lionell Singleton is an all-league contender, and senior strong safety Cory Fleming (Edgewater) is another of three returning starters. LEAGUE RANK: Fifth.

BEST IN THE ACC: Miami. Phillips is a beast. If UM gets sterling play from its corners, this could become the best secondary in the nation.

BEST IN THE BIG EAST: Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights' safety duo of free safety Courtney Greene and strong safety Ron Girault pushes them to the head of the class in the league. Rutgers could have twins (Devin and Jason McCourty) starting at corner.

BEST IN CONFERENCE USA: Southern Miss. The safety duo of strong safety LeVance Richmond (Lake Wales) and free safety Brandon Sumrall is excellent. The corners are new, but have talent.

BEST IN THE SEC: Auburn. This isn't a vintage year for SEC secondaries. Auburn has three starters back, and sophomore free safety Aairon Savage has a ton of potential. LSU has the league's best corners (Chevis Jackson and Jonathan Zenon), but the safeties are a concern.

BEST IN SUN BELT: Arkansas State. The Indians have a top-notch safety duo in free safety Khayyam Burns and strong safety Tyrell Johnson.

BEST SECONDARIES IN OTHER LEAGUES: Penn State in the Big Ten, Oklahoma in the Big 12, Western Michigan in the Mid-American, TCU in the Mountain West, USC in the Pacific-10 and Boise State in the Western Athletic.

BEST OVERALL LEAGUE: Pac-10. USC, UCLA, Arizona and Oregon each have one of the nation's top 10 secondaries. And Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason may be the nation's best.

BEST IN THE NATION: USC. The Trojans are loaded. Free safety Taylor Mays and cornerback Terrell Thomas are the standouts. UCLA's secondary also is one of the top five in the nation, with strong safety Chris Horton the standout.

I hope our secondary continues to improve this season. If this writer's opinion is anywhere near the mark, we will face 2 of his top 5 QBs and 5 of the top 50 this season. I'm not terribly concerned as long as we stay healthy back there. I'm more concerned about how our LBs come along this year.

Wow, that's quite a heady rating to live up to. I just hope the guys up front can put enough pressure on opposing QB's to keep them from getting in the groove until our DB's get their "game legs" in condition. Usually takes 3-4 games before the guys are hitting on all cylinders.