ESPN College Football

The Utah Utes spent this spring trying to define their offensive identity.

Another healthy mailbag. Settle in.

As always, follow the Pac-12 blog on Twitter.

To the notes!

Ex-Buff fan in Pac-12 dungeon writes: I am so sick of Colorado being the loser on the block. We were two points away from having ZERO wins last year. I was pumped about our new coach until I hear that he can't even hang on to the few good players we have. Not to mention we have? you guessed it ZERO quality recruits for 2014. Give it to me straight doc: how bad will this year be in terms of win total? Because last year, besides Southern Miss, we were the absolute laughing stock of college football. A retirement home football team could have beaten us.

Kevin Gemmell: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Buck up little camper. Step away from the ledge, inhale deeply, take a cleansing breath and settle down.

I tend to lean more on the glass-half-full side of life. How about this ... you were only 14 points away from having four wins last year -- three more games were decided by a touchdown or less. If you want to make the argument for the lone win, then you also have to concede that they were competitive in those other games.

As for recruiting, it's May. Relax. Yes, we post the recruiting roundup every few weeks. But that's simply to inform. Mike MacIntyre knows how to recruit -- and more importantly he knows how to recruit California. That's going to pay huge dividends in the future.

Players who have left -- meh. Do you need them? If they aren't on board with what Mac's trying to do, so be it. See ya. Make room for someone who is. Of those who left, how many were all-conference?

Win total this year, well, that's going to take a leap of faith on the part of the fans. Remember, San Jose State lost more games in MacIntyre's first year than the year before. But in Year 2 there was progress and by Year 3 they were a Top 25 team. So, and I know Colorado fans are tired of hearing this, you're going to have to be patient and let him do what he does. You probably won't see the results in the win/loss column this year -- although I do think Colorado can do better than 1-11. My best advice is don't lose faith. I think you guys have a good thing going with MacIntyre. It's just going to take time.

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BHollandz next to Burrito Stadium writes: I used to be a Coach Riley supporter until I witnessed the horrific season of 2011 and the blunders of the 2012 season. Alamo Bowl game anyone????People say that Oregon State has the best coach it will ever get and that us fans should just be satisfied with that. Well, I'm not satisfied. I want a Rose Bowl and eventually a shot a Championship. Do you think it's possible for OSU to attract a high profile coach to succeed Coach Riley and get the Beavers to the next level? This is big time Pac-12 football after all.

Kevin Gemmell: This is a lot darker and more cynical from you than I expected. The grass always seems greener, but be aware Riley isn't going anywhere for a while. Which high-profile coach would you like?

Maybe a guy who has been a coach of the year? Perhaps someone with more than 80 career wins? Experience at the professional ranks would probably be good also. It's got to be someone who sells tickets and knows how to pack Reser Stadium and you'll want a veteran guy with almost 40 years of coaching experience.

You see where I'm going with this ... you've got him! Yes, he had two bad seasons. But in his 10 years since coming back, he's won at least eight games six times, led OSU to eight bowl games and consistently had the Beavers ranked in the Top 25. Last year was the hottest start in the history of the school. And you're already talking replacements?

Maybe I'm biased since I've known him since the Chargers days, but I know he shares the same goals as you. I do think that mistakes were made in the Alamo Bowl -- it had more to do with not adjusting offensively -- not getting more help to account for Alex Okafor -- but I'm not sold that a coach should be judged by one game. When you look at his body of work, it's outstanding. I don't know if he's the best coach you'll ever get. But he has more career wins at Oregon State than any other coach before him (81). That should be celebrated.

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Ryan in New York writes: I have to give you chaps credit. You know how to make a point without being mean or hurtful. Good point about for every Ryan, there's a UCLA guy screaming just the opposite. But remember there's one difference. Us Trojans love SC above all. UCLA fans hate SC more than they love themselves.......Also, excellent point on Devon Kennard too. He must stay healthy and play well. Pass the good word to your partner in crime -- Theodore. Peace.

Kevin Gemmell: I won't get into which fan base loves itself or hates the other more. That's for the individual to decide through deep and meditative soul searching. I'm a big Kennard fan and think USC is going to experience a nice defensive boost by moving to the 3-4. Some guys are just better equipped for different schemes.

Now, I know I'm going to tick you off with this next point, but it's apt. UCLA's Datone Jones got into a 3-4 and absolutely exploded -- showing the potential that many believed he had but we'd rarely seen with him in the even front. Coming full circle, I see the same type of production from Kennard and Breslin, Leonard Williams and George Uko and even Dion Bailey moving back to safety. This is a good move for the Trojans. So says the clown.

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Nameless in Escondido, Calif., writes: When will Stanford let Ricky Seale play, had another great spring. One of the best backs from San Diego no way he cannot play at Stanford.

Kevin Gemmell: Because Stanford closes its practices and is usually tight-lipped when it comes to position battles, all I can say is I don't know. Obviously there is something going on behind the scenes that is holding Seale back -- either he's not performing in practice or others are simply performing better.

And I'm a big Seale fan, having covered him since he was as sophomore in high school. I spent many a Friday night in Wilson Stadium watching him tear up defenses.

But I'm not in the position group meetings so I don't know what's being discussed. It's a deep group and the return of Tyler Gaffney (another San Diego great) makes it even deeper. From a coach's perspective, though, this is the proverbial great problem to have.

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Darin in Monterey, Calif., writes: Good video with Mike Riley, My question is now that the Beavers have a pretty solid O-line, do you think that Storm will top 1,000 yards this year on the ground? It seems Oregon State has been lacking on thousand yard rushers like Simonton, Jackson, and jacquizz. I do like what i saw last year in Woods and Ward.

Kevin Gemmell: Yes, assuming he stays healthy, I have no problem going out on a very easy limb to go out on and say Woods is going to be a 1,000-yard rusher in 2013.

When you consider the receivers they had last year -- and the quietly efficient season of Connor Hamlett -- it made sense that the passing game was the stronger element of the offense. But with Markus Wheaton gone and question marks on exactly who is going to step up at the other receiver spot opposite Brandin Cooks, I think we're going to see an even bigger commitment to the run game -- which will take some of the pressure off the receiving corps. As noted in the video, the running game improved from 2011 to 2012. I think we're going to see it take an even bigger step in 2013 behind Woods.

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Andy in Phoenix writes: Right now we only play one game back east the Alamo Bowl and not to many games against other Power 5 conferences except Big 12. Any word on what the bowl line up will look like in 2014?

Kevin Gemmell: I don't. The Pac-12 is heading into the final year of a four-year agreement with its current bowl lineup. Whenever I ask about it, I get the company line that they are very pleased with their bowl partners and look forward to continuing to work with them.

I agree: I'd love to see a Pac-12/SEC bowl game. But at the same time, let's remember that the Pac-12 hasn't exactly dominated the postseason of late -- so there isn't a lot of room for chest-thumping. Outside of the 2-0 mark in BCS bowl games last year, the Pac-12 went 0-3 against other BCS conferences and 2-1 against non-BCS conferences.

Had they gone 8-0, 7-1 or even 6-2, then I'd say it's time to bump up the competition level and get some more competitive games. But 4-4 isn't blowing anyone's socks off. And the Pac-12 is 40-41 in bowl games since 1999. I think it'd be more beneficial to dominate the current bowl lineup before worrying about bigger, badder competition.

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Uh oh Chongo in Danger Island writes: Colorado and Utah are still having a bit of a rough go in the new conference. Two questions - which of those two gets to the Pac-12 title game first, and what do those programs need to do to get there?

Kevin Gemmell: Yikes, the crystal ball just melted down. So much of which team gets to the title game first depends a lot on what happens with other teams in the division. And it doesn't look like Jim Mora, Rich Rodriguez or Todd Graham are going anywhere quickly. And regardless of what happens with Lane Kiffin at the end of this year, USC is still going to be USC.

Utah is in a stronger position right now simply because it has continuity among the coaching staff. The new facilities will be open this summer and I think the addition of Dennis Erickson to the staff is going to pay dividends in years to come. That's probably not a hire the Utes could have made had they still been in the Mountain West -- financially or from a high-profile perspective.

Colorado, well, see the above answer. They are a long ways off from being in the mix for the league title game.

They keys for both of these teams -- and really every other team in the conference -- is depth and player development. Everyone can put a solid 22 on the field. But what does your next 22 look like? When that star player goes down, who can step in so you barely miss a beat? Who can turn that borderline recruit into an all-conference player?

ASU had injuries on the defensive line last year and they went into a skid. Washington battled offensive line injuries last year and were inconsistent. Utah's quarterback carousel last year was unfortunate -- but you've got to have that depth to be able to handle the losses.

The teams that can handle that -- Bryan Bennett stepping up for Darren Thomas; A.J. Tarpley and Jarek Lancaster stepping in for Shayne Skov; Oregon's safeties stepping up when they lost John Boyett -- these are the teams that are ultimately the most successful.

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William Shatner at Priceline HQ writes: Hey Kevin, you've been doing a lot more work than Ted these past two weeks. Looks like you could use a vacation. I'll take care of airfare if you tell me what your ideal vacation would be?

Kevin Gemmell: Ted has been hitting the lecture circuit hard the last couple of weeks, appearing at several Ivy League schools to deliver his motivational speeches: "Who else besides Pitt hates freedom?" "Please note that you are wrong," and "Boy, I could sure use a me-tini."

He'll be back Monday.

As for me, every trip through the comments section is a daily vacation. By the way, I loved you as General Mortars in Loaded Weapon 1.

All players are equal, but some players are more equal than others. That's the basis of our Most Important Player series.

First off, quarterbacks are excluded to make things more interesting. It goes without saying, for example, that Oregon's Marcus Mariota is the Ducks' most important player.

And most important doesn't necessarily have to be "best." An All-American's backup can be pretty darn good, too.

Our most important guys are players who could swing a win total one way or the other, based on their living up to expectations. Or their absence.

Washington State: S Deone Bucannon

2012 production: Had a team high 106 tackles with three tackles for a loss, one sack and he hauled in four interceptions while also forcing a fumble.

Why Bucannon is so important: As noted in Washington State's "One Good Thing" video, the Cougars are silly with wide receivers. And since that is their primary method of offense, finding just one among a corps of many is difficult simply because of the nature of the offense Washington State likes to run.

So trying to single out the most important player from the wide receivers would be tough.

Defensively, Logan Mayes takes over the buck linebacker position for the departed Travis Long -- and the extremely high expectations that come with it. I also think defensive tackle Ioane Gauta, who has cut about 20 pounds this off season, quietly had a very good season last year. There were some improvements on defense -- especially in the way of sacks and tackles for a loss -- so either of them could certainly qualify.

But Bucannon fills this space because, like most safeties, he'll be called upon to be the leader of the defense. He was the only Washington State player (not counting special teams) to earn all-league accolades above honorable mention, landing on the second-team defense. He was Washington State's first player since 2006 to have more than 100 tackles in a season and his 106 stops were fifth in the conference.

But maybe more importantly, he's grown up. After a late hit on an Eastern Washington receiver last year, he was tagged as a dirty player. Fair or not, he told me in March he's learned from his mistakes.

It's tough because you're trying to come with the aggressiveness you need as a defensive player, but you have to be conscious that you are playing within the rules. Things are moving fast and you don't have much time to decide where to hit someone. But it's something I learned.

That's an important step because the Cougars played a lot of youngsters last year (and probably will again this year) and they'll be looking to Bucannon for guidance and how to act on and off the field. As they move into Year 2 of Mike Breske's defense, veterans take on even greater importance.

On several occasions last year, head coach Mike Leach said what the Cougars did in practice during the week needed to translate onto the field on Saturdays. Bucannon was one of those players who listened. He's a hitter -- and his play can inspire a team that is looking for a little inspiration.

Happy Friday.

• As noted yesterday, Arizona's Jake Fischer was named to the Lott IMPACT watch list. Here's some more on the linebacker.
• A spring exit interview with ASU defensive line coach Jackie Shipp.
• In honor of the passing of Chuck Muncie, the San Jose Mercury News asks who is Cal's greatest running back?
• Details of the Webb-Lewis case continue to emerge.
• Chip Kelly bringing a "spark" to the Eagles.
• Oregon State loses a defensive tackle to a medical retirement.
• Incoming Stanford recruits are preparing for strength and conditioning coach Shannon Turley.
• Datone Jones could immediately impact the Green Bay defense.
• Utah coach Kyle Whittingham says USC is still the benchmark in the South.
• What game on Utah's schedule are fans most excited about?
• Some more on Washington's tight end commit.
• WSU's Teondray Caldwell could face assault and burglary charges.

Continuing with his look at the top prospects for the 2014 draft by position, ESPN's Mel Kiper ranked the tight ends , outside linebackers and inside linebackers . The Pac-12 is well-represented at all three position groups.

Three of the top five tight ends are from the Pac-12, headlined by Washington's Austin Seferian-Jenkins at No. 1. Oregon's Colt Lyerla is No. 2 on the list followed by USC's Xavier Grimble at No. 5.

Kiper on Seferian-Jenkins: This is the definition of a matchup problem: a tight end with the size (6-foot-6, 265 pounds) to block and the hands and athleticism to be split out, where he can overwhelm smaller corners. Extremely productive, Seferian-Jenkins had 109 catches in his first two years in college, and he already holds the school record for catches, touchdowns and receiving yards by a tight end.

Kiper on Lyerla: Don't mistake Lyerla's lack of catches for lack of talent. The one-time star high school running back and linebacker might be the best athlete in this group, and Oregon was eager to find ways to get him the ball. He even rushed the ball 13 times last season, to go along with his 25 catches.

Kiper on Grimble: What I like about Grimble is that he can make catches in traffic, and when he has the ball in his hands, he seems to enjoy looking for people he can run over. The USC offense should see more of him in 2013.

Moving to the other side of the ball, the Pac-12 claims the top spot here as well with UCLA's Anthony Barr ranking first among all outside linebacker prospects. Per usual, Kiper ranks the top five and then has an "up next" section of five more players. This includes ASU's Carl Bradford, Stanford's Trent Murphy and USC's Hayes Pullard.

Kiper on Barr: Barr has a long frame and reach, has a great initial burst and often beats blockers with quickness. He can close fast and shows some decent instincts in space. He needs to work on counters and getting free of blockers who get their hands on him. He'll need to become stronger against the run. But the tools are there, and he's not your typical senior given his limited time at the position.

As I noted in the post about defensive ends, I was waiting to see how Kiper categorized USC's Morgan Breslin, who is making the move to outside linebacker this season. He doesn't show up on either the DE or OLB list -- which is quite surprising to me. I think that changes once the season gets going because my guess is he'll blow up in USC's new odd-front scheme.

Moving to the inside linebackers, no Pac-12 players appear in the top five, but three are in the "next up" portion, including UCLA's Eric Kendricks -- who led the Pac-12 in tackles last season by a very wide margin, and the Stanford duo of A.J. Tarpley and Shayne Skov.

Finally, Insider Travis Haney ranks the top 10 teams nationally in terms of talent -- taking into account preseason rankings, the number of potential prospects and the four-year average rank of the recruiting classes. Oregon checks in at No. 6 and Stanford is No. 9.

Haney on Oregon: The Ducks' recruiting ranks are often dinged by class depth, but they always seem to have a few elite prospects mixed in. If De'Anthony Thomas can approach Tavon Austin's impact -- he might, now that dependable backs Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James have departed -- he could rise from where he is now, just outside Kiper's top 25. In fact, KC Joyner recently listed Thomas as a prospect who could put up huge numbers in 2013.

Haney on Stanford: Stanford can recruit nationally on the backbone of its academic prowess -- and now because of its ability to make prospects into NFL-grade players. Even with all of the talent that has passed through in the past couple of years -- what's the record for tight ends drafted in a two-year span? -- the Cardinal still have all-conference-type players such as linebackers Trent Murphy and Shayne Skov. The offensive line again could be a force, and Kiper has [Kevin] Hogan listed behind only [Johnny] Manziel and [Marcus] Mariota in the 2016 class; his development will be intriguing to watch.

Erik McKinney and Phil Murphy preview today’s Elite 11 camp in San Francisco by discussing a few quarterbacks they’re looking forward to seeing. They also take a look at Sunday’s Nike Football Training Camp that is also in San Francisco.

The Huskies have good experience and depth across the offensive line.

The recent selections of Will Sutton, Shayne Skov, Anthony Barr and Devon Kennard in our "Most Important Player" series has given rise to a very interesting question posed to me in the mailbag. As always, mailbags come out Friday afternoons, but Jerry in San Jose offered this: Kevin, we know Stanford has the best front seven in the league. Which team has the next best?

I won't be answering this question in tomorrow's mailbag for a very simple reason. I don't know. Nor do I immediately agree with his initial premise that Stanford has the best front seven. It might. But so might ASU, or UCLA and I think USC has to be in this conversation, especially if the transition to the 3-4 works the way many think it will.

Stopping the run is the primary role of the front seven, and Stanford certainly was the best in the league at that last year. So is making plays in the backfield, sacks, TFLs etc. Three of the top four and four of the top eight teams nationally in sacks last year hailed from the Pac-12. While it's true this is the conference of quarterbacks, it's also quickly turning into the conference of planting quarterbacks on their keisters.

Instead of hitting this in the mailbag and opining for 700 words only to come with "I don't know" as the answer, it seemed like a dandy of a poll question.

Which Pac-12 team has the best front seven heading into the 2013 season?

Your options:

Arizona State: The Sun Devils were the best team in the country last year at getting tackles for a loss and they were No. 2 nationally in sacks. But they came up short stopping the run, allowing 182.8 yards per game on the ground. Still, with headliners Will Sutton and Carl Bradford flanked by an outstanding supporting cast, they should again be at the top of the rankings in backfield-havoc created.

Stanford: With three All-American candidates in Skov, Trent Murphy and Ben Gardner, it's awfully easy to make an argument here for the Cardinal. They were No. 1 in the nation in sacks, second in tackles for a loss and fifth nationally against the run. Impressive, considering some of the offenses and running backs they faced. It's a deep and experienced group that has scary potential.

UCLA: They return the league's leading tackler in linebacker Eric Kendricks and the dangerous Anthony Barr, who is projected as a top-10 pick in next year's NFL draft. I'm also of the belief that Cassius Marsh is going to have a monster season this year. But the loss of Owamagbe Odighizuwa for the year hurts.

USC: Any scheme that is going to make Morgan Breslin a better pass-rusher is frightening. Add on a healthy Devon Kennard and the league's freshman defensive player of the year in Leonard Williams, and you have a front seven that matches the talent of any in the league.

Other: Cal has a solid front led by standout defensive end in Deandre Coleman. Nick Forbes is a tested linebacker and a lot of folks are excited to see what a healthy Khairi Fortt can do. Oregon State has to rebuild its tackles, but the ends duo of Scott Crichton and Dylan Wynn rival any in the conference and they are strong at LB with Michael Doctor and D.J. Alexander.

All players are equal, but some players are more equal than others. That's the basis of our Most Important Player series.

First off, quarterbacks are excluded to make things more interesting. It goes without saying, for example, that Oregon's Marcus Mariota is the Ducks' most important player.

And most important doesn't necessarily have to be "best." An All-American's backup can be pretty darn good, too.

Our most important guys are players who could swing a win total one way or the other, based on their living up to expectations. Or their absence.

Washington: S Sean Parker

2012 production: Tallied 77 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and two interceptions with six passes defended. He also forced three fumbles.

Why Parker is so important: As stated above, quarterbacks are excluded from this series. But we never said anything about excluding the quarterback of the defense. And that's exactly what Sean Parker is for the Huskies -- a quarterback at safety who headlines a surging secondary.

There are a lot of different directions to go with the Huskies. Running back Bishop Sankey is an obvious choice. He's a 1,400-yard rusher who has quickly climbed from by-committee option to A-list playmaker. Kasen Williams and Austin Seferian-Jenkins are strong options as well.

Defensively, there are some good linebacker options in Shaq Thompson, John Timu or Travis Feeney. All could fill this space.

But Parker, who was selected by his teammates as a captain last year, is the guy who makes everything click.

"Tremendous player. Great leader. Really exemplifies what we want back there," said head coach Steve Sarkisian.

As documented, the Huskies' defense made huge strides in 2012 -- particularly in the secondary -- in their first year under defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox. And if they hope to be a Top-25 team -- as many have them slated -- that defense will have to keep improving. Parker will have to keep improving.

He stepped up in some of Washington's biggest games last year. He forced a fumble, had five tackles and a tackle for a loss in the win over Stanford. Against Oregon State he broke up three passes and had an interception that stopped an early drive deep in Washington territory.

This year's schedule isn't quite as daunting. But they still play in the Pac-12 North and they have to travel to Arizona State and UCLA -- not to mention the home opener against Boise State in a rematch of last year's bowl game. But there is plenty of leadership on the Huskies this year and Parker, an all-league honorable mention pick last season, is considered the leader of the leaders.

He's started in all 13 games each of the last two seasons and has been through the peaks and valleys of the program. The Huskies have a chance to ascend to peaks they haven't reached in a decade. If they do, chances are Parker plays a huge role in getting them there.

The Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list for 2013 has been announced and the Pac-12 is well-represented. Of the 42 players on the watch list, 11 hail from the Pac-12 with a wide range of players from all levels of defense.

The award, named in honor of USC and San Francisco 49ers great Ronnie Lott, goes to the country's Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year (IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity) and, per its website "is unique because it represents the first trophy to give equal weight to personal character as well as athletic performance from a defensive college player and is the first national college football award based on the West Coast."

Here are the Pac-12 players on the watch list:

• Henry Anderson, DL, Stanford
• Anthony Barr, LB, UCLA
• Scott Crichton, DL, Oregon State
• Alden Darby, DB, Arizona State
• Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon
• Jake Fischer, LB, Arizona
• Eric Kendricks, LB, UCLA
• Devon Kennard, DL, USC
• Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford
• Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
• John Timu, LB, Washington

The lone winner of the award from the conference was Cal's Dante Hughes, who won in 2006.

I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you.

• BYU's offensive coordinator gets a strong endorsement from Rich Rodriguez.
• Arizona State is still fighting to get the Notre Dame game in Tempe. Brady Hoke rumored to arbitrate.
• Cal hired a new strength and conditioning coach.
• Colorado's defensive linemen are trimming up.
• Five of the most influential Oregon plays of the past 10 seasons.
• The Oregon State spring tour continues with USC.
• Tracking Stanford's third-down efficiency.
• Johnathan Franklin brings good competition to the position in Green Bay.
• USC appears twice on Athlon's ranking for the 25 greatest dynasties of the AP era.
• A look at the running back hopefuls to replace John White.
• Can Jonathan Amosa make it with the Packers?
• Washington State news and notes.

 

Continuing to look ahead to the top prospects of the 2014 draft, Mel Kiper looks at the top quarterback and cornerback prospects.

Unlike yesterday's post, which enjoyed a wealth of Pac-12 players on the running backs and safeties list, there is only one name each for the QBs and CBs. Both are from Oregon.

Starting off with the slingers, Kiper has Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota currently tabbed as the No. 4 prospect .

Here's Kiper's take:

You watch the Oregon offense and you're not just seeing Mariota play pitch and catch on short routes, or simply flinging it across the line of scrimmage as the Ducks stretch out tired defenses and force them to tackle. They take their shots, and they can because Mariota sees the whole field, and has the arm to deliver strikes.

He completed almost 70 percent of his throws last year, and they went for 8.0 yards per attempt. I also like the way he mixes up his targets, using wideouts, tight ends and his backs as the situation demands. His athleticism and ability to make reads as a runner are pluses, but Mariota can also get it done with his arm.

Surprised to see Brett Hundley absent from this list -- but it's still early. Others who could make appearances are Arizona State's Taylor Kelly. You may remember from yesterday's post that KC Joyner is particularly high on the ASU quarterback.

Hundley does make an appearance in another Insider article, however. ESPN's Travis Haney is looking at quarterbacks who could have "Make of Break" seasons. Hundley is one of the QBs he breaks down -- and he places him in the "make" category.

Writes Haney:

This is an incredibly gifted guy who is bulking up and maintaining his athleticism. The Bruins were surprise Pac-12 title-game competitors in Jim Mora's first year, so Hundley could flourish in his second year in the system. Mazzone sure seems sold, and scouts could follow as they watch him this fall.

He also places Mariota in the "Make" category.

On Mariota:

In terms of size, Mariota is precisely what the NFL wants. If he even replicates what he did a year ago -- a 68.5 completion percentage and plus-26 in TDs-to-INTs -- NFL teams will begin to salivate to have someone like him. I know some coaches who believe he could become the name in the coming college season (as in the Heisman race) and draft lead-up. He's that big and gifted.

On the other side of the ball, Kiper taps cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu as the No. 3 CB prospect.

Writes Kiper:

Extremely good when the play is in front of him, Ekpre-Olomu is explosive out of his backpedal and will close quickly to deliver a big hit or jump a throw to take it the other way. He has good ball skills and led the conference in passes defensed last season.

Also a wide receiver and running back in high school, he's a physical corner who understands routes and will step up to make tackles or put his hat on the ball.

The Washington State wide receiving corps had a very strong spring.

All players are equal, but some players are more equal than others. That's the basis of our Most Important Player series.

First off, quarterbacks are excluded to make things more interesting. It goes without saying, for example, that Oregon's Marcus Mariota is the Ducks' most important player.

And most important doesn't necessarily have to be "best." An All-American's backup can be pretty darn good, too.

Our most important guys are players who could swing a win total one way or the other, based on their living up to expectations. Or their absence.

Utah: LB/DE Trevor Reilly

2012 production: Posted 69 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. He also had an interception, broke up four passes, forced three fumbles and recovered another.

Why Reilly is so important: Strong consideration was given to Jeremiah Poutasi, an All-American candidate on the offensive line who is making the switch from right to left tackle this season after starting 10 games as a true freshman last year. There might be no more important job than protecting Travis Wilson's blind side.

But as the Utes' defense looks to adjust to life without Star Lotulelei and the Kruger brothers on the defensive line -- 75 percent of a defensive front that is gone after ranking second in the league against the run -- players like Reilly take on even greater importance. Mainly because Reilly will be asked to transition between defensive end and linebacker much more frequently than he did last year.

For starters, he returns as Utah's leading tackler. That's always nice to have. And though he's versatile enough to play all over the field, he'll be asked to take on a greater role as a pass-rusher while also maintaining his stop-the-run approach. When he's at linebacker, look for Jason Whittingham to be on the right end -- which means lots of speed crashing on the backfield. That should also open things up for Nate Orchard and Brian Blechen, who is making the move from the secondary to linebacker.

Plus, Reilly is a proven commodity, which never hurts when you lose six starters from your defense. After redshirting in 2009, Reilly has appeared in 36 games with 20 starts. When he's around the football, bad things happen for the other team. He's forced seven career fumbles -- which ties him for third in school history -- and he's tallied 21 tackles for a loss and 11.5 sacks.

His performance in 2012 was enough for him to earn honorable mention all-league honors and he was already considered one of the Utes' defensive leaders. That role will need to increase as Utah rebuilds its front seven with a lot of new/moving parts.

It's very possible that Utah's offense and defense swap places in 2013. Last season it was the defense that carried the Utes, but the impact of new co-offensive coordinator Dennis Erickson and the rise of Wilson at quarterback could be game-changers. As the offense gets better, it's possible that the defense takes a hit during the rebuilding process. It's Reilly's job to make sure that doesn't happen. No pressure.

Unlike last year, there aren't nearly as many questions surrounding the Washington defense as the Huskies head into the final stretch before fall camp.

Last year a new scheme and new coaches were being installed, headlined by new defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox. The Huskies' defense was abysmal in 2011 -- so head coach Steve Sarkisian blew it up and started from scratch.

Now the Huskies are looking to build off of the momentum they gained in 2012 when they made huge strides in one year under Wilcox & Co.

"The numbers don't lie," Sarkisian said.

They certainly don't.

The biggest advances were in the secondary, where the Huskies jumped from 87th to 27th in pass efficiency defense, 106th to 31st in total defense, 108th to 39th in scoring defense and 116th to 23rd in pass defense. They had 17 interceptions last year compared to 10 the year before.

"Our secondary really had a very good season for us last year," Sarkisian said. "I thought Justin Wilcox, Keith Heyward, our secondary coach, really came in and did a great job. ... You look at the increase in play we had in the secondary -- our pass defense numbers, our ability to create turnovers -- I think really speaks volumes to their coaching and their ability to develop our players."


That's what Sarkisian is banking on in 2013 -- player development. More specifically, at the cornerback spot where they have to replace first-round draft pick Desmond Trufant. Sarkisian called the competition "healthy" this spring, but isn't anywhere closer to declaring anyone as the leader in the clubhouse for that starting spot. And it might end up being by-committee or which player has the hot hand that week. A few defensive backs have switched positions or spent time at safety and corner in an effort to make the defensive backfield deeper and more versatile.

With Marcus Peters, who started the final eight games opposite Trufant last season, back on one side, the competition heated up over spring between Travell Dixon and Greg Ducre. Sarkisian said that redshirt freshman Cleveland Wallace has also made a big push. Dixon is a JC transfer (once committed to Alabama) and Ducre had 15 tackles while appearing in 13 games last season.

"Desmond Trufant was a great player for us," Sarkisian said. "Anytime you have a first-round draft pick at corner it tells you the quality of player you have. But I think we've got some really capable guys that are stepping in."

If the Huskies can shore up that spot, expect the secondary to make even bigger strides in 2013. Sean Parker, who started all 13 games at safety, returns as the unquestioned leader of the secondary. Will Shamburger, who started two games last year, will see a larger role. But there's some good competition there as well. Tre Watson (who can pitch in either at corner or safety) is in the mix, and early enrollee Trevor Walker had a strong first spring. Brandon Beaver, who converted from corner to safety late last season but was limited in the spring, is also going to press for playing time.

Lots of names. But that also means lots of depth.

"We've got a good amount of talent back there," Sarkisian said. "It's about finding the right combination of those guys. For some of those guys who were redshirt players for us last year, Travell, Brandon, Cleveland, fall camp is going to be big for them. This spring was good to get the terminology and fundamentals and techniques after spending all year on the service team last year. There is a healthy competition going on back there and the end result is we're fortunate to have good depth and good coaches and we feel good about our pass defense when the fall rolls around."