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I been silent so long now it's gonna roar out of me like floodwaters and you think the guy telling this is ranting and raving my God; you think this is too horrible to have really happened, this is too awful to be the truth! But, please. It's still hard for me to have a clear mind thinking on it. But it's the truth even if it didn't happen.

• A key Arizona recruit must pass a test in order to join the Wildcats.
• Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson isn't a fan of the "hot seat" talk. Former Sun Devils offensive lineman Shawn Lauvao is doing well with the Browns.
• California coach Jeff Tedford doesn't seem too bothered about losing defensive end recruit Chris Martin to Florida. The Bears have questions at receiver. Tedford wants to lighten up and have fun.
• Quarterback Nate Costa is ready to lead Oregon. The Ducks contemplate future schedules.
• More from Oregon State's all-decade team: defensive ends.
• Is this the guy to replace Toby Gerhart?
• A burning question for UCLA at running back. Former defensive tackle Brian Price is doing well in Tampa.
• What are USC's three biggest concerns? And strengths?
• Washington fans are excited about returning to relevancy, but they are not rushing the ticket window just yet.
• Washington State' running back James Montgomery is smiling and ready for a comeback.

Has he lost his mind
Can he see or is he blind
Can he walk at all
Or if he moves will he fall?

• Arizona's new and highly controversial immigration laws could hurt recruiting.
• Former Arizona State offensive lineman Shawn Lauvao is immediately in the mix with the Cleveland Browns.
• More on California's relocation to AT&T Park in 2011 during the Memorial Stadium renovation.
• Some Oregon football players are making an impact on the track.
• Should anyone care when Oregon State football players take a golf cart? And if they don't, is that bad for Oregon State? Gosh, these things happen in bunches: Beavers backup QB Peter Lalich has been charged with a boating DUI. What's up with the state of Oregon this offseason?
• More recruiting success for Stanford.
• UCLA's already thin offensive line got thinner over the weekend.
• USC coach Lane Kiffin isn't trying to be the second coming of Pete Carroll. This has to be embarrassing for former Trojan Brian Cushing.
• Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt continues to talk about his crew exceeding expectations.
• This is a really well-done profile of new Washington State's new athletic director Bill Moos by Bud Withers of the Seattle Times. Lots of interesting stuff.
• Let the Heisman hype begin: A number of Pac-10 players look like candidates. The Jake Locker website.

Arizona State

2009 overall record: 4-8

2009 conference record: 2-7 (ninth)

Returning starters

Offense: 3, Defense: 4, punter/kicker: 2

Top returners: K Thomas Weber, DT Lawrence Guy, LB Vontaze Burfict, DE James Brooks

Key losses: WR Kyle Williams, WR Chris McGaha, RB Dimitri Nance, OT Shawn Lauvao, DE Dexter Davis, LB Travis Goethel, LB Mike Nixon

2009 statistical leaders (*returning starter)

Rushing: Dimitri Nance (795)
Passing: Danny Sullivan (1,939)
Receiving: Kyle Williams (815)
Tackles: Mike Nixon (73)
Sacks: Lawrence Guy* (4.5)
Interceptions: Mike Nixon, Jarrell Holman, Ryan McFoy (3)

Spring Answers

1. Help at receiver: Even though the Sun Devils lost their top two receivers, Kyle Williams and Chris McGaha, the position appears fairly solid, particularly with Oregon transfer Aaron Pflugrad, who would have started for the Ducks in 2009, and JC transfer George Bell performing well this spring.

2. Em-Bolden: Cornerback Omar Bolden looked like the budding star he was supposed to be as a true freshman, but he struggled mightily as a sophomore and then missed 2009 with a knee injury. Entering spring, there were questions about whether he could regain a starting spot. No longer. Bolden may have turned in his best work yet this spring and should be a leader in the secondary.

3. For the defense: The Sun Devils lost seven starters from their outstanding 2009 defense, but they may be even better this fall. There's lots of speed and young players who excelled in 2009, most particularly linebacker Vontaze Burfict, had a year of seasoning in which to mature and refine their game.

Fall questions

1. Who's the QB? Before spring, many expected Michigan transfer Steven Threet to win the job. At the end of spring, sophomore Brock Osweiler instead emerged as the leader. In the fall, Samson Szakacsy rejoins the competition after sitting out spring drills, hopefully with a healthy arm. All three are capable, so there may be a few more plot twists before this one is resolved.

2. What about the O-line (again!)? The Sun Devils were already replacing two starters on the O-line when veteran guard Jon Hargis injured his knee, ending his 2010 season before it began, so there are lots of questions. For instance, will Zach Schlink and Matt Hustad be available? Both are talented but have been riddled with knee problems. And: Are JC transfer Brice Schwab and redshirt freshman Evan Finkenberg ready for Pac-10 play? Both are slated to start at tackle. It doesn't matter who plays QB if the O-line can't get the job done.

3. What about maturity? Sure, there's loads of talent on defense, but look at the sorts of guys who graduated: end Dexter Davis and linebackers Mike Nixon and Travis Goethel. Each were smart, savvy players and strong locker room guys. In other words, leaders. It's unclear who will fill their shoes. Even with those guys, the Sun Devils had over 1,000 yards in penalties last year -- 200 more than any other conference team. Smarter, more disciplined play might make a difference in close games.

The NFL draft teaches hard lessons. Two USC players are learning that now: Taylor Mays and Everson Griffen.

Mays would have been a first-round pick last year. I know folks believe his perceived weaknesses would have revealed themselves on film then just as they did this season. But the 2008 USC pass defense was simply extraordinary in large part because of Mays playing an intimidating and impenetrable center field.

So Mays blew it by coming back for his senior season. And he now knows this.

As for you, San Francisco 49ers fans: Didn't you guys do fairly well a few years back with another hard-hitting former USC safety? I got a $5 bill right here that says Mays is going to become an outstanding NFL safety.

Griffen is another story: First-round talent with questions about his attitude and work ethic. (Keep this in mind about Mays: his work ethic couldn't be any better).

Who would have thought that Washington's Daniel Te'o-Nesheim would go before Griffen? Te'o-Nesheim is superior to Griffen in only one way but its a critical one: motor. Griffen's is questionable, Te'o-Nesheim's is not.

The lesson here is that being good isn't enough. The NFL cares about the entire package. And NFL teams don't want players who aren't self-starters, who don't motivate themselves.

Take note incoming five-star recruits.

Here are the Pac-10 picks to this point (11:15 a.m. ET ).

First round
DE Tyson Alualu, California, Jacksonville (10)
RB Jahvid Best, California, Detroit (30)

Second round
DT Brian Price, UCLA, Tampa (35)
S T.J. Ward, Oregon, Cleveland (38)
TE Rob Gronkowski, Arizona, New England (42)
S Taylor Mays, USC, San Francisco (49)
RB Toby Gerhart, Stanford, Minnesota (51)
OT Charles Brown, USC, New Orleans (64)

Third round
TE Ed Dickson, Oregon, Baltimore (70)
WR Damian Williams, USC, Tennessee (77)
LB Donald Butler, Washington, San Diego (79)
DT Earl Mitchell, Arizona, Houston (81)
DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, Washington, Philadelphia (86)
OG Shawn Lauvao, Arizona State, Cleveland (92)
CB Kevin Thomas, USC, Indianapolis (94)

Fourth round
DE Everson Griffin, USC, Minnesota (100)
CB Alterraun Verner, UCLA, Tennessee (104)
CB Walter Thurmond, Oregon, Seattle (111)
RB Joe McKnight, USC, New York Jets (112)

A bevy of Pac-10 players may not be selected in the first round of the NFL draft on April 22, but the second and third rounds will feature plenty of West Coast flavor, at least according to Mel Kiper.

Kiper ranks nine conference players among the top-five at their respective positions.

• California's Jahvid Best is No. 2 at running back.
• Oregon's Ed Dickson is No. 3 at tight end. Arizona's Rob Gronkowski is No. 5.
• Arizona State's Shawn Lauvao is the No. 3 offensive guard.
• USC's Everson Griffen is No. 4 at defensive end. Cal's Tyson Alualu is No. 5
• UCLA's Brian Price is No. 4 at defensive tackle.
• Washington's Donald Butler is No. 3 at inside linebacker.
• USC's Taylor Mays is No. 3 at safety.

Notice that seven different schools have players ranked. While no Oregon State or Stanford players were ranked, both schools are certain to produce draft picks: quarterback Sean Canfield and linebacker Keaton Kristick for the Beavers and running back Toby Gerhart and offensive lineman Chris Marinelli for the Cardinal.

That leaves out only Washington State, and center Kenny Alfred might just get picked late in the draft -- he's not off the radar.

Not since 2007 have all 10 conference teams had at least one player drafted -- see some lean years for Stanford, Washington and Arizona.

The third of a 10-part series that looks at where Pac-10 teams are strongest and weakest as they begin spring practices.

Arizona State

Strong: Defensive front seven

Why it's a strength: The Sun Devils take some significant hits on defense, losing seven starters, including five of their top six tacklers, but the young talent coming back is impressive, particularly up front. Start with the defensive line. Sure, end Dexter Davis is gone, but he's the only departure on the three-deep. And here's a guess that tackles Lawrence Guy, William Sutton and Corey Adams take a step forward in 2010. Linebackers Mike Nixon and Travis Goethel must be replaced, but rising star Vontaze Burfict returns inside and Gerald Munns, Brandon McGee and Shelly Lyons have experience. Count on this: The Sun Devils, owners of the conference's No. 1 rush defense in 2009, won't be easy to run against again next fall.

Weak: Offense

Why it's a weakness: It will not be a pattern of this feature to indict an entire side of the ball, but the Sun Devils have huge issues on offense for a third consecutive season. Last year, they ranked eighth in the Pac-10 in scoring and ninth in total offense. And only four starters are back this spring. Ouch. Skill positions? There's uncertainty at quarterback. The top two receivers are gone, as is starting tailback Dimitri Nance. The line? Three starters need to be replaced, including the unit's leader in 2009, tackle Shawn Lauvao. Answers may be found this spring. Steven Threet and Brock Osweiler will battle at quarterback, while Oregon transfer Aaron Pflugrad will immediately bolster the receiving corps. Injuries the past two seasons mean lots of returning guys on the line have experience. And there are plenty of choices at tailback. Still, there's a lot of uncertainty here.

Lots of Pac-10 guys making an impression during Senior Bowl practices.

Some good. Some not.

Tight end Ed Dickson is impressing. From Scouts Inc.:

Oregon TE Ed Dickson -- He fought the ball early in the week, but Dickson caught everything thrown at him on Day 3. He looked comfortable running routes, and his athleticism showed when he was able to separate from Nebraska LB Phillip Dillard and make a nice catch over his shoulder down the field. Dickson also made two catches in traffic and didn't appear to flinch. He is undersized, though, and will have to add some bulk to his lean frame if he hopes to be more than a sub-package H-back in the NFL. Dickson played to his potential on Day 3, though, and showed that he is by far the best athlete among the North tight ends.

Offensive guard Shawn Lauvao is not: From Scouts Inc.:

Arizona State G Shawn Lauvao -- It was an underwhelming day for Lauvao, who was slow out of his stance and lacks core strength at the point of attack. He catches defenders and needs to be more aggressive because he lacks the upper-body strength to be effective. Arkansas State DL Alex Carrington absolutely ran Lauvao over on a twist during drills. Lauvao looks like a late-round pick at this point.

That's an interesting take. Lauvao is probably one of the strongest guys on the field but weight room work sometimes doesn't translate to the field.

Other evaluations:

Quarterback Sean Canfield has shown good touch but also a lack of arm strength: "Canfield rode a breakout senior campaign into an invitation to the Senior Bowl, but has done little thus far to show he has the arm necessary to be successful in the NFL. Canfield has to go into a full windup to get the ball to the sideline. Though the throws do get there, they arc and are slow in arriving, which will result in interceptions in the NFL. While the zip isn't there for the intermediate routes, Canfield was the North's most accurate deep-ball passer due to impressive touch and good trajectory."

Running back LeGarrette Blount's stock is up. Same for cornerback Syd'Quan Thompson, but not for Taylor Mays.

Mays is taking a lot of hits this week. Consider this from Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com: "USC's Taylor Mays struggled to plant and drive coming out of his backpedal, looking like Fred Flintstone churning his feet without any resulting forward movement."

Hmm. What does former USC coach Pete Carroll, now the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, Mays' hometown team, think of the "Mays is slipping" talk?

"That's just guys yapping," Carroll told the Seattle Times as he left Wednesday's practice. "That's not guys that are evaluating it, saying that. It's not guys that are going to put money on it."

The NFL wants a closer look at former Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount, whose punch of a Boise State player after the team's season-opener became one of the biggest stories in college football this season.

Blount joined 10 other Pac-10 players who will play in the Senior Bowl on Saturday:

On the North roster:

DE Tyson Alualu, California
RB LeGarrette Blount, Oregon
LB Donald Butler, Washington
QB Sean Canfield, Oregon State
TE Ed Dickson, Oregon
OG Shawn Lauvao, Arizona State
CB Syd'Quan Thompson, California

On the South roster:

OG Jeff Byers, USC
RB Stafon Johnson, USC
FS Taylor Mays, USC
TE Anthony McCoy, USC

Stanford running back Toby Gerhart and USC offensive tackle Charles Brown were invited but are not playing.

Here's a list of the Pac-10 players invited to the NFL combine, courtesy of The Sporting News.

First of all, it's incomplete. Underclassmen will be added later, such as USC receiver Damian Williams and UCLA DT Brian Price. And a number of seniors also will get invitations.

My immediate guess is that Washington linebacker Donald Butler and Oregon defensive end Will Tukuafu will end up receiving invitations, among others.

Arizona: DT Earl Mitchell, CB Devin Ross

Arizona State: DE Dexter Davis, LB Travis Goethel, OT Shawn Lauvao, WR Chris McGaha, WR Kyle Williams

California: DE Tyson Alualu, WR Nyan Boateng, CB Syd'Quan Thompson, WR Verran Tucker.

Oregon: RB LeGarrette Blount, TE Ed Dickson, CB Walter Thurmond, S T.J. Ward.

Oregon State: QB Sean Canfield, OLB Keaton Kristick.

Stanford: TE Jim Dray, RB Toby Gerhart, OT Matt Kopa, DE Erik Lorig.

UCLA: OLB Kyle Bosworth, CB Alterraun Verner.

USC: OT Charles Brown, C Jeff Byers, RB Stafon Johnson, S Taylor Mays, TE Anthony McCoy, G Alex Parsons, CB Josh Pinkard, CB Kevin Thomas.

Washington: DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim.

Unless a guy plays for Central Michigan, Troy, Alabama or Texas, the 2009 football season is over. For a handful of players, their sights now turn to the NFL, and the next step for many of them is postseason All-Star games.

While there are a number of all-star games, the Senior Bowl is the premier game -- its roster is almost entirely directed by the NFL -- and the East-West Shrine Game is a clear No. 2.

Here's a list -- count on there being some additions in the coming days -- of the invitees.

Arizona

East-West Shrine Game
DT Earl Mitchell
CB Devin Ross

Arizona State

East-West Shrine Game
OL Shawn Lauvao
WR Chris McGaha
DE Dexter Davis

California

Senior Bowl
DE Tyson Alualu
CB Syd'Quan Thompson

East-West Shrine Game
OL Mike Tepper
CB Syd'Quan Thompson
WR Verran Tucker

Oregon

Senior Bowl
TE Ed Dickson

East-West Shrine Game
S T.J. Ward

Oregon State

Senior Bowl
QB Sean Canfield

East-West Shrine Game
LB Keaton Kristick

Stanford

Senior Bowl
RB Toby Gerhart

East-West Shrine Game
DE Erik Lorig
DL Ekom Udofia
OL Chris Marinelli

UCLA

East-West Shrine Game
LB Reggie Carter
TE Ryan Moya
CB Alterraun Verner

USC

Senior Bowl
TE Anthony McCoy
RB Stafon Johnson
S Taylor Mays
OL Charles Brown

East-West Shrine Game
DB Josh Pinkard

Washington

Senior Bowl
LB Donald Butler

East-West Shrine Game
DL Daniel Te'o-Nesheim

Washington State

East-West Shrine Game
C Kenny Alfred

Before listing my preseason All-Pac-10 team in August, I wrote this: "Perhaps this list will be much different by mid-December."

So take a look.


Some changes are obvious. Gronkowski, Best, Thurmond and O'Dowd were switched out because of injuries. That also applies in large part to Carter, who played with a sprained knee much of the season.

Some nagged at me a bit.

Safety: Nelson had a great season at safety, but Moore led the nation with nine picks. I know lots of you folks aren't impressed with the way Mays played this year, but most coaches and scouts don't share your opinion. He's still going to be a first-round pick.

Offensive line: Baxter and Lauvao did nothing wrong. Peat just had a very good season, while Alfred in some ways gets a tip of the cap for a great career playing in obscurity for a lousy team.

Defensive end: Davis and Tukuafu have had great careers, and it was hard to leave off Arizona's Ricky Elmore, who led the conference in sacks. Just how things go.

Quarterback: Masoli is preseason All-Pac-10, puts up great numbers, leads his team to the Rose Bowl and drops off the first team? Yeah, I winced at that, too. But Canfield had a great year and put up great numbers. And, yes, it matters that he is a senior and Masoli will be back next fall.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller


Arizona State's season gone about as expected, which is unexpected for any Pac-10 team.

The Sun Devils defense was supposed to be good and is. The offense was supposed to struggle and has. Many figured there would be a quarterback controversy, and many were correct.

Looking at the schedule in the preseason, 4-2 looked about right for where ASU would be six games in. And -- lookie here! -- 4-2 it is.

Idaho State and Louisiana-Monroe were no match, but it boded well that the Sun Devils didn't mess around proving that perception.

They lost a nail-biter at Georgia 20-17, but probably gained some confidence after proving they were a physical match for a rebuilding Bulldogs squad.

That confidence didn't translate well, however, in a 28-17 loss to Oregon State, the Beavers first win in Tempe since 1969. Fans, unhappy with the offense and quarterback Danny Sullivan, started chanting "We want Brock" late in the second quarter, hoping that Dennis Erickson would insert true freshman Brock Osweiler.

The chants weren't fair that day. Sullivan passed for 338 yards with a TD and interception.

They would have been more understandable when he tossed three picks at Washington State in a sloppy road win.

But Sullivan probably bought some time with his winning performance against Washington. Sure, it was uneven, but he completed 21 of 35 for 263 yards and his lone touchdown was a 50-yard, game-winning heave in the waning moments.

Offensive MVP: Team captain Shawn Lauvao has been the anchor on the Sun Devils offensive line, which has played fairly well despite numerous injuries. The senior left tackle has helped protect Sun Devil QBs, who have been sacked just 10 times, fifth-best in the conference. The offense has averaged 144 rushing yards per game with 11 touchdowns. Last year, the Sun Devils averaged 89 yards rushing and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Defensive MVP: True freshman linebacker Vontaze Burfict has lived up to his recruiting hype. He ranks second on the team with 30 tackles, despite only starting the past three games, and has five tackles for a loss, two sacks and three pass break-ups. At Georgia, he posted a highlight-reel tackle on fourth and inches that seemed to even impress the crowd at Sanford Stadium. Burfict would be nearly perfect if he played with more maturity -- see three first-half personal foul flags against Washington.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State has been utterly dominant while winning its first two games. The Sun Devils' defense is ranked No. 1 in the nation. The offense ranks ninth with 44 points a game.

Now, take that information, crumple it up and throw it out the window. Coach Dennis Erickson knows that pounding on Idaho State and Louisiana-Monroe means little.

	Matt Kartozian/US Presswire
	Saturday's game at Sanford Stadium will be Danny Sullivan's first start on the road.

A trip to No. 17 Georgia on Saturday? That's a bit of an upgrade in competition.

"We'll find out a little bit more about what we are as a team, that's the bottom line," Erickson said. "It doesn't matter who they are or what their rank is. We're [asking] right now, 'where are we at as a football team?'"

Erickson repeated variations of those sentiments to a variety of questions: Georgia will be a measuring stick for the Sun Devils.

If they manage to win, or least keep things competitive into the fourth quarter, they might become a top-half of the Pac-10 team, though the Bulldogs probably aren't in the class of California or USC this season.

If they can't keep up, then Arizona State likely falls in with the gaggle of teams scrapping for six wins and bowl eligibility in the lower-middle, bottom-third of the conference.

Of course, one game, win or lose, doesn't a season make. It's possible the Sun Devils in Athens, Ga., won't be anything like the Sun Devils in November. Still, this is the first chance to evaluate Arizona State against a first-rate BCS conference team.

Georgia opened a can of whup butt on the Sun Devils last year, the 27-10 count not doing justice to the Bulldogs dominance.

Georgia took a 21-3 lead into halftime and mostly coasted home. They outrushed the Sun Devils 176 yards to 4 and outgained them overall 461-212.

"They pretty much dominated us," Erickson said. "We didn't play very well and they played well."

The first question is how Arizona State quarterback Danny Sullivan will handle his first start on the road in one of the nation's tougher venues -- "Between the Hedges" at Sanford Stadium.

That's impossible to say. Sullivan is a senior, but the last time he faced a fast, elite defense, he crumbled after coming off the bench in 2008 at USC.

While the Georgia defense doesn't compare to USC -- it's given up 34 points per game -- two of those games were on the road, so the home crowd should help.

"Until you go in there and experience it, you just don't know," Erickson said.

On the other hand, this is a different group of Sun Devils. The defense is deeper and faster than last year's and, while there's lots of experience, a youth movement led by tackles Lawrence Guy, a sophomore, and William Sutton and Corey Adams as well as linebacker Vontaze Burfict -- all true freshmen -- is most intriguing.

Yet the biggest difference might be on the offensive line.

In 2008, the Sun Devils started converted defensive lineman Jon Hargis at left tackle and 289-pound redshirt freshman Adam Tello at right tackle. Things didn't go well for either.

A far more experienced Hargis is now the left guard, while Tello is his backup. NFL prospect Shawn Lauvao moved out to left tackle, while guard Matt Hustad and tackle Tom Njunge give the Sun Devils far more athleticism on the right side. Neither was healthy last year.

Is it a great offensive line? No. But last year's unit didn't have a chance -- the Sun Devils ranked 113th in the nation in rushing and surrendered 34 sacks (109th in the nation). This time around, it might.

"We're much more solid, we have more depth," Erickson said. "We're playing a little bit better, technique-wise and so forth. We made some moves to get our best players in the right positions. As we go through the next 10 weeks, if we lose a guy or two, we'll put people out there who play pretty well. I like where we're at. Are we a great offensive line? No, but we're getting better all the time and we're better now than we were at this time last year."

Georgia, meanwhile, entered the season having to replace running back Knowshon Moreno and quarterback Matt Stafford, NFL first-round picks who dominated the action in last year's game. The Bulldogs seem to be getting their legs under them after opening with a loss at Oklahoma State. They had just 257 total yards against the Cowboys but piled up 530 yards Saturday in their win over Arkansas.

"Joe Cox is playing extremely well at quarterback," Erickson said. "The last two weeks, I didn't see any drop-off."

A key matchup will be Bulldogs sophomore receiver A.J. Green against the Sun Devils secondary, particularly cornerback Omar Bolden. Last year, Green dominated Bolden, catching eight passes for 159 yards and a touchdown.

Erickson's advice to his team on handling the frenzy of a road game in an SEC stadium? Have fun.

"You talk to our players about it and they're excited to go down there and experience [that]," he said. "It's going to be fun; they're looking forward to it."

Sounds like the Sun Devils are eager to find out who they really are in 2009.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

While quarterback uncertainty is the focal point for most Arizona State fans -- is senior Danny Sullivan up to the job? -- it won't matter who plays quarterback if the Sun Devils stink up front again.

Coach Dennis Erickson believes things might turn around because his linemen are healthier, more experienced and have "a chip on their shoulder."

Why a chip? "They can read," he said.

Here's something to read: There's reason for hope. The depth chart looks nothing like last year.

Shawn Lauvao, the Sun Devils' best lineman, has moved from guard to left tackle. Garth Gerhart has passed Thomas Altieri at center. Jon Hargis has moved from left tackle to left guard. Adam Tello, who was overwhelmed as a redshirt freshman while starting the first four games at right tackle, is a reserve guard.

The only departed starter is right guard Paul Fanaika. Zach Schlink is the front-runner there ahead of Mike Marcisz, though both were out with injuries Thursday.

A guy to watch is Matt Hustad, a talented sophomore who missed all of last year with a knee injury. He could challenge Tom Njunge, who started four games in 2008, at right tackle or move inside to guard.

"I feel like if I stay healthy anything is possible," Hustad said. "I'm real confident in my skills."

"Healthy" is the operative word. Hustad, Schlink, Tello, Marcisz and Altieri each missed all or some of spring practices.

"I got to be pretty good friends with all the guys who were injured but other than that, it's no fun to sit out while you see all your friends are there getting better," Hustad said. "Since I've been injured, I've kind of been missing the whole 'team' mentality."

So far so good with Hustad.

The lack of depth last year had Tello starting on the edge at less than 290 pounds. This year, there's an extra year of maturity for all and the new depth means competition.

But only if folks stay healthy.

Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller

It's never easy to put a preseason all-conference list together. Should you project forward or look back? How do you choose between three A-list cornerbacks or leave off a couple of deserving defensive ends?

Perhaps this list will be much different by mid-December.

QB Jeremiah Masoli, Oregon
RB Jahvid Best, California
RB Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
WR Damian Williams, USC
WR James Rodgers, Oregon State
TE Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
C Kristofer O'Dowd, USC
OG Jeff Byers, USC
OG Colin Baxter, Arizona
OT Charles Brown, USC
OT Shawn Lauvao, Arizona State

K Kai Forbath, UCLA

DE Will Tukuafu, Oregon
DT Brian Price, UCLA
DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State
DE Dexter Davis, Arizona State
LB Keaton Kristick, Oregon State
LB Reggie Carter, UCLA
LB Mike Nixon, Arizona State
CB Walter Thurmond, Oregon
CB Syd'Quan Thompson, California
FS Taylor Mays, USC
SS Cam Nelson, Arizona

P Bryan Anger, California