ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Evans

No. 6. Darren Evans, RB, Virginia Tech, R-Soph., 6-foot, 213

Why he's here: There is so much hype surrounding Ryan Williams, but Evans is a step ahead and had an exceptional season to build upon. He rushed for 1,265 yards last year, and should only be better this fall because the expectations for the offensive line are higher this year. Evans became the first Tech freshman and just the sixth freshman in ACC history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. His 1,265 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns were both freshman school records. Evans also did a good job as a receiver, catching 17 passes for 117 yards out of the backfield.

His most memorable performance was against Maryland, when he set the school single-game rushing record with 253 yards. He ranked 36th in the nation last year with 90.36 yards per game, and it was only his first season carrying the ball. If he improves on his blocking this fall, Evans will complete his game, but it's unclear how many carries he'll get with such a crowded backfield.

No. 7 Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech
No. 8 Rodney Hudson, Florida State
No. 9 Willie Young, NC State
No. 10 Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
No. 11 Sean Spence, Miami
No. 12 Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina
No. 13 Thaddeus Lewis, Duke
No. 14 Bruce Carter, North Carolina
No. 15 Vince Oghobaase, Duke
No. 16 Stephan Virgil, Virginia Tech
No. 17 Jacoby Ford, Clemson
No. 18 Dekoda Watson, Florida State
No. 19 Nate Irving, NC State
No. 20 Chris Chancellor, Clemson
No. 21 Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech
No. 22 Christian Ponder, Florida State
No. 23 Anthony Castonzo, Boston College
No. 24 Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson
No. 25 Sergio Render, Virginia Tech
No. 26 John Russell, Wake Forest
No. 27 Riley Skinner, Wake Forest
No. 28 Vic Hall, Virginia
No. 29 Da'Rel Scott, Maryland
No. 30 Matt Bosher, Miami