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By Ted Miller
Our countdown of the Pac-12's top 25 players continues.
You can see the final post-2010 top 25 here. It doesn't, however, include players from Colorado or Utah.
7. Nick Foles, QB, Arizona
2010 numbers: Foles led the Pac-10 with 290 yards passing per game. He ranked fourth in passing efficiency -- 34th in the nation -- completing 67 percent of his passes with with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
2010 ranking: No. 18
Making the case for Foles: Foles, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior, could play his way into the first round of this spring's NFL draft with a good season. He already has established himself as the best quarterback in Wildcats history, and he could re-write the team's passing record book this fall, particularly considering he's going to be leading a pass-first offense with a deep and talented crew of receivers. Yes, Foles' lofty rank here is a bit of a projection. Recall he was slightly demoted on our 2010 post-season ranking compared to his preseason ranking. But the Pac-12 blog likes Foles' skills and makeup (both now and in the NFL). Sure, he had a bad Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State -- see three interceptions from a guy who never threw more than one pick in any other game. But he also led clutch fourth-quarter drives to beat both Iowa and California, and it appeared he had done the same to beat arch-rival Arizona State before Alex Zendejas' PAT was blocked with 27 seconds left in regulation. Further, Foles' numbers would have been better if he didn't suffer a dislocated knee cap that knocked him out of two games, and he showed plenty of toughness by returning quickly and surviving a consistent beating due to an underachieving offensive line. Sure, Arizona had a terrible slide, losing its final five games, but that clearly wasn't Foles fault. In the Wildcats final three regular season games, he threw nine touchdown passes with just one interception, while passing for 353, 448 and 262 yards.
8. Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
9. Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon
10. Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
11. Shayne Skov, LB, Stanford
12. T.J. McDonald, S, USC
13. Alameda Ta'amu, DT, Washington
14. Matt Kalil, OT, USC
15. Delano Howell, S, Stanford
16. Mychal Kendricks, LB, California
17. Rodney Stewart, RB, Colorado
18. Jermaine Kearse, WR, Washington
19. Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford
20. Jeff Tuel, QB, Washington State
21. Robert Woods, WR, USC
22. Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
23. David Paulson, TE, Oregon
24. David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
25. Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State
Originally posted by ESPN.com - Pac-10 Blog
Click here to view the article.
Our countdown of the Pac-12's top 25 players continues. You can see the final post-2010 top 25 here. It doesn't, however, include players from Colorado or Utah.
2010 numbers: Foles led the Pac-10 with 290 yards passing per game. He ranked fourth in passing efficiency -- 34th in the nation -- completing 67 percent of his passes with with 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
2010 ranking: No. 18
Making the case for Foles: Foles, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound senior, could play his way into the first round of this spring's NFL draft with a good season. He already has established himself as the best quarterback in Wildcats history, and he could re-write the team's passing record book this fall, particularly considering he's going to be leading a pass-first offense with a deep and talented crew of receivers. Yes, Foles' lofty rank here is a bit of a projection. Recall he was slightly demoted on our 2010 post-season ranking compared to his preseason ranking. But the Pac-12 blog likes Foles' skills and makeup (both now and in the NFL). Sure, he had a bad Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma State -- see three interceptions from a guy who never threw more than one pick in any other game. But he also led clutch fourth-quarter drives to beat both Iowa and California, and it appeared he had done the same to beat arch-rival Arizona State before Alex Zendejas' PAT was blocked with 27 seconds left in regulation. Further, Foles' numbers would have been better if he didn't suffer a dislocated knee cap that knocked him out of two games, and he showed plenty of toughness by returning quickly and surviving a consistent beating due to an underachieving offensive line. Sure, Arizona had a terrible slide, losing its final five games, but that clearly wasn't Foles fault. In the Wildcats final three regular season games, he threw nine touchdown passes with just one interception, while passing for 353, 448 and 262 yards.
8. Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
9. Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon
10. Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
11. Shayne Skov, LB, Stanford
12. T.J. McDonald, S, USC
13. Alameda Ta'amu, DT, Washington
14. Matt Kalil, OT, USC
15. Delano Howell, S, Stanford
16. Mychal Kendricks, LB, California
17. Rodney Stewart, RB, Colorado
18. Jermaine Kearse, WR, Washington
19. Chase Thomas, LB, Stanford
20. Jeff Tuel, QB, Washington State
21. Robert Woods, WR, USC
22. Johnathan Franklin, RB, UCLA
23. David Paulson, TE, Oregon
24. David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
25. Marquess Wilson, WR, Washington State
Originally posted by ESPN.com - Pac-10 Blog
Click here to view the article.