Pro Football Focus includes 7 Big Ten players in early-season All-American team
We’re nearly one full month into in the 2016 college football season and Pro Football Focus has put together its roster for an early All-American team.
As Steve Palazzolo writes, it can be difficult to sort out the top players without accounting for their opponents, and September typically presents varying levels of competition for most programs throughout the country. That said, it does present us with a good look at early breakout candidates.
In total, the Big Ten lands seven players on the team:
Offense
QB: Lamar Jackson, Louisville
RB: Curtis Samuel, Ohio State
FB: Khalid Hill, Michigan
WR: Chad Hansen, Cal; Amba Etta-Tawo, Syracuse
Slot WR: Ryan Switzer, North Carolina
TE: Evan Engram, Ole Miss
OT: Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin; Connor Williams, Texas
OG: Lamont Gaillard, Georgia; Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame
C: Austin Schlottmann, TCU
Defense
DE: Myles Garrett, Texas A&M; Arden Key, LSU
DT: Jonathan Allen, Alabama; Jake Replogle, Purdue
LB: Reuben Foster, Alabama; Jabrill Peppers, Michigan; Junior Joseph, UConn
CB: Howard Wilson, Houston; Chris Jones, Nebraska
Slot CB: Mike Tyson, Cincinnati
Safety: Marcus Williams, Utah; Nate Gerry, Nebraska
Special Teams
PK: Zane Gonzales, Arizona State
P: Austin Rehkow, Idaho
Return: Quandree Henderson, Pittsburgh