2012 College Football Preseason First-Team All-American Defensive Players: Looking at last year’s First-Team All Americans on the defensive side of the ball, it might as well be a recap of the first-round of the NFL Draft. The old cliché is that defense wins championships, and at any level, elite defenders are highly coveted. Heck, last year’s BCS Championship Game was decided by two teams that ran the ball and played outstanding defense. At the end of the day, a strong defense can overcome a lot of other problems. With that in mind, here is a look at my preseason First-Team All-American selections on defense.
2012 College Football Preseason First-Team All-American Defensive Players
Defensive End: Sam Montgomery, LSU Tigers
Montgomery had nine sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and 49 tackles as a sophomore last season, and he was named a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Defensive End of the Year Award. He will be the leader of a loaded LSU defensive front in 2012-13 and should only better in his second full season as a starter.
Defensive End: Brandon Jenkins, Florida State Seminoles
He is the definition of an athletic pass rusher off the edge. Jenkins has 21.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss the last two years combined. He causes as much havoc in the backfield as any defender in the country.
Defensive Tackle: John Jenkins, Georgia Bulldogs
His production doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet, but the 350-pound Jenkins makes life easier for everyone else on the Georgia defense by drawing constant double teams at the point of attack. He is a bulldozer at nose tackle for the Bulldogs’ 3-4 base defense.
Defensive Tackle: Kawann Short, Purdue Boilermakers
Short is part of the next generation of defensive tackles. He has excellent quickness and acceleration for his size, allowing him to make a ton of plays in the backfield. Last year, Short had 17.5 tackles for loss to go along with 6.5 sacks.
Linebacker: Manti Te’o, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Te’o uses his speed and strength to fight through blocks and attack running backs at the line of scrimmage. He has averaged 130.5 tackles, including 11.5 for loss, over the past two seasons and posted a career-high five sacks last year.
Linebacker: Jarvis Jenkins, Georgia Bulldogs
In a loaded SEC, he made as many big plays on defense as anyone. He led the conference with 13.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss, and he has unfair speed for a 240-pound linebacker. On a loaded Georgia defense, Jenkins will be making big plays all year.
Linebacker: Chris Borland, Wisconsin Badgers
After missing all of 2010, Borland bounced back with a 143-tackle campaign last season. He one of the most-reliable and productive tacklers in the country, and he is underrated as an athlete. Borland finished with 19 tackles for loss last season.
Cornerback: Tyrann Mathieu, LSU Tigers
The “Honey Badger” isn’t the most physically dominant corner in the country, but nobody makes more big plays. Whether it is a game-changing interception or strip sack or a timely kick return, Mathieu seems to be at his best when the Tigers need him the most.
Cornerback: David Amerson, N.C. State Wolfpack
Amerson proved to be an absolute ball hawk last season. He grabbed a school-record 13 interceptions, leading the nation in the category. In fact, Amerson’s 13 picks were the second most in college football history. The only reason he is going to have trouble approaching that total this season is because opposing quarterbacks won’t dare throw it in his direction.
Safety: T.J. McDonald, USC Trojans
McDonald is the captain of the USC defense, and he does a little bit of everything on the field. He had 67 tackles and three interceptions last season, and he does even more as a leader. McDonald came back to school win a national title, and his play will reflect it.
Safety: Eric Reid, LSU Tigers
Reid is another future first-round pick playing in the LSU secondary. He is a physical, hard-hitter that can play like an extra linebacker or help in coverage. Reid was the guy ripping the ball away from Alabama’s Michael Williams in the end zone in the Tigers’ regular season win over the Crimson Tide last season. There will be plenty more big plays from Reid this season.
Punter: Ryan Allen, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
While he doesn’t play in a lot of big games at Louisiana Tech, there is no denying his big leg. Allen is the defending Ray Guy Award winner after posting a 46.1 average distance on his punts last season and putting 22 inside the 20.
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