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Pac-12 Football: Preseason all-conference defense

By Brenton Lillie

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Nov 22, 2014; Tempe, AZ, USA; Washington State Cougars running back Jamal Morrow (25) is tackled by Arizona State Sun Devils defensive back Jordan Simone (38) during the second half at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian -USA TODAY Sports

Safety: Jordan Simone, Arizona State Sun Devils

Jordan Simone was a big part of the Sun Devil defense in 2014, recording 100 tackles, two interceptions, and one sack. For a safety that is an amazing number of plays that Simone was involved in. Some of that speaks to the propensity of the Sun Devils to give up big plays, where the safety would be forced to wrap up an offensive player who had escaped a big blitz or a missed tackle close to the line of scrimmage. It also speaks to Simone’s tackling skills. For a safety, he was a consistent sure tackler with enough ball skills to be effective in breaking up passes.

With the loss of some of their best members of the front seven and the fact that potential star linebacker Davon Durant was kicked off the team following domestic violence allegations, the Sun Devil secondary will be counted heavily this season. However, Simone and company will be more than ready for the challenge.

Safety: Reggie Daniels, Oregon Ducks

Last but not least, there is Oregon Ducks’ safety Reggie Daniels. Daniels has elite athleticism and is known for his incredible acrobatic interception he made in the 2014 game against the University of Arizona. In fact, those amazing plays on the ball have become a staple of Daniels play at Oregon, and it has caught the attention of the nation. Oregon has a history of producing NFL caliber safeties, and Daniels is no exception.

In fact, Oregon Ducks defensive backs coach John Neal recently said in an article on CSNNW.com that Daniels is better than any of the Ducks safeties that have made it in the NFL:

"Joking aside, Neal said he believes that Daniels, a redshirt sophomore, is special enough to have intercepted the pass. In fact, Neal went as far as to declare Daniels to be the most talented safety he’s ever coached. That’s saying a lot considering that the list includes current NFL safeties, T.J. Ward (Denver), Jairus Byrd (New Orleans) and Patrick Chung (New England). Each was a second-round NFL Draft pick."

If true, then Daniels might be just one of the best defenders in the conference, he may end up being one of the best defenders in the nation, both now and in the professional ranks.

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