In 2005, Bazuin led the nation in tackles for a loss with 26.5 and finished second in sacks with 16. He also forced five fumbles, fourth-best in that department. He was first-team All-MAC in 2004 and is the reigning conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Defensive Line
Tim Crowder, Texas
6'4", 270, Senior

Crowder enters 2006 with 34 consecutive starts over the last three years at left defensive end. A first-team All-Big 12 returnee, Crowder has recorded 22 career tackles for a loss with 8.5 sacks. He also has batted down 11 passes, intercepted two, and forced four fumbles.

Defensive Line
Lawrence Jackson, USC
6'5", 265, Junior

As a redshirt freshman in 2004, Jackson started all but one game and was a first-team Freshman All-American. Last season, he registered 13 tackles for a loss, including 10 sacks, and made first-team All-Pac-10 and third-team All-America. Over his two-year career, Jackson has racked up 24 tackles behind the line and 16 sacks.

Defensive Line
Brandon Mebane, California
6'3", 306, Senior

Mebane plays tackle on the best defensive line in America. Despite being hampered much of 2005 with an ankle injury and drawing regular double-team blocks, he still broke through for 9.5 tackles for a loss and a team-high seven sacks, and made first-team All-Pac-10.

Linebacker
Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma
6'1", 231, Senior

Alexander is a consensus first-team All-Big 12 returnee. As a junior in 2005, he led Oklahoma in tackles with 102, with six double-digit tackle games. He also notched 17 tackles for a loss and five sacks, including three against Nebraska, and intercepted a pass against Kansas.

Linebacker
Paul Posluszny, Penn State
6'1", 238, Senior

NFL Hall of Famer and former Penn State All-American Jack Ham calls Posluszny “the best linebacker ever to play at Penn State.� Posluszny, with 220 tackles including 23 for a loss over the last two seasons, is the reigning Butkus Award winner as the nation’s best linebacker.

Linebacker
Patrick Willis, Ole Miss
6'2", 230, Senior

In 2005, Willis led the nation in solo tackles with 9.0 per game. He finished sixth and ranks first among all 2006 returnees with 12.8 total tackles per game. He was named first-team All-SEC by both the media and coaches and was second-team AP All-America.

Cornerback
Darrelle Revis, Pittsburgh
6'0", 190, Junior

A first-team All-Big East honoree in 2005, Revis is a key member of the Panther team as both a cornerback and punt returner. In two years, he has six interceptions, including four last year. As a 2004 freshman, he notched 12 pass breakups, then added nine more in ’05.

Cornerback
Eric Weddle, Utah
6'0", 200, Senior

Weddle, the reigning Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, is entering his fourth year as a starter. In 2003, he started at cornerback and was a Freshman All-American. He moved to safety as a sophomore and back to corner early last season. He led the conference with 16 passes defended, including four interceptions.

Safety
LaRon Landry, LSU
6'2", 204, Senior

Landry was first-team All-SEC and third-team AP All-America in 2005 after picking off three passes and breaking up eight others. He is a three-year starter with career numbers of 12.5 tackles for a loss, seven sacks and nine interceptions.

Safety
Brandon Meriweather, Miami
6'0", 188, Senior

Meriweather, who was named to the 2005 All-America team by the Football Writers Association of America, is equally adept at playing both safety spots. As a sophomore in 2004, he started seven games at free safety and notched two interceptions and five pass breakups. At strong safety last year, he picked off three passes, deflected seven and broke through the line for 13 tackles for a loss.

Punter
Chris Miller, Ball State
6'2", 212, Sophomore

Miller joined the Ball State football team as a walk-on his freshman year of 2004 and earned a scholarship for the 2005 season. He averaged 42.9 yards on 68 punts, with a long of 60 yards, and placed 20 of his punts inside the opposing 20-yard line. He landed on the FWAA Freshman All-America team and was first-team All-MAC.

Punt Returner
Joe Burnett, UCF
5'11", 180, Sophomore

Burnett is Conference USA’s top player at both cornerback and punt returner. As a freshman last year, he was first-team all-conference in addition to making C-USA’s All-Freshman team. On defense, he intercepted five passes and broke up nine others. He averaged 16.5 yards on 28 punt returns and ran two back for touchdowns, including a 68 yarder in the C-USA title game against Tulsa.