Pac-12 Football: Preseason all-conference defense
Dec 31, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats linebacker Scooby Wright III (33) gets past Boise State Broncos offensive lineman Rees Odhiambo (71) during the second half in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl at Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Linebacker: Scooby Wright III, Arizona Wildcats
The list of awards for Scooby Wright III of the University of Arizona are almost too many to mention. He was a consensus All American, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, won the Lombardi and Nagurski Trophies and the Bednarik Award. In 2014 he led the nation with 163 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles and was third with 14 sacks. He was also the guy who came up big when his team needed him most in the Pac-12 South clinching win against arch-rival Arizona State.
As a long time Sun Devil fan, watching Wright get into the backfield play after play after play in that game was disheartening. He ripped apart the Sun Devil protection schemes and had five tackles for loss in the Wildcat win. Wright is the real deal, and you can pencil him into the NFL Draft’s first round this spring.
Linebacker: Jared Norris, Utah Utes
Yes, another player from the Utes makes the squad. This time it is linebacker Jared Norris, a guy who had 116 total tackles and 13 tackles for loss in 2014. He added four sacks as well, taking advantage of the attention given to the other great Utah defenders. The Utes had one of the best front sevens in all of college football last year and they look to be even better in 2015. This team will make more than opposing quarterback cry on the field in the upcoming season. Utah may even cost an offensive coordinator a job or two.
Look for Norris to gobble up plenty of easy tackles with Lotulelei and Dimick getting the majority of the attention by the enemy offensive line. This means Norris will be in line for a plethora of tackles in the backfield again.
Linebacker: Blake Martinez, Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal defense has dominated the PAC-12 for nearly a half-decade now, leading the conference the last three years and coming in second place in 2011 in scoring defense. The Cardinal play a bruising, physical brand of football that seems almost alien in the up-tempo, offense happy PAC-12. Yet, despite a somewhat disappointed 2014 season, the Cardinal have been contenders for the conference title every year in head coach David Shaw’s tenure.
A big part of why that statement is true is because of the Cardinal front seven. This year’s group is no exception, as they feature a deep, if somewhat unproven group. Blake Martinez is one of the leaders of this group, compiling 102 tackles, including an impressive 14 tackles and a sack against their division rivals, the Oregon Ducks. Martinez may be flashy, but he is steady and fills the running lanes very well, giving opposing backs no room to get up the field. Look for another impressive, if unheralded, year from the run stuffing inside linebacker.
Linebacker: Su’a Cravens, USC Trojans
Su’a Cravens is not your typical outside linebacker, as he plays a sort of hybrid safety/linebacker position that seems to be gaining popularity in the sport. Nevertheless, wherever Cravens lines up, he is making plays. In 2014, Cravens had an impressive stat line of 68 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, five sacks, and three interceptions. He also was active in the passing game, accumulating nine pass deflections during the season. Overall Cravens seemed to always be around the ball, making plays for himself and his teammates.
He was named first team All-Pac-12 in 2014, and is a candidate for just about every award given out to defensive players in college football this year. Cravens is a big part of a resurgent USC team, and the Trojans hope that his play will lead the program back to the top of the conference.
Next: Cornerback