SB Nation Pre Season All America Ballot

SB Nation is putting together a blogger All America team. This is my ballot.

Heisman

1: Jadeveon Clowney

2: Teddy Bridgewater

3: Lache Seastrunk

I think that the unprecedented is about to happen. The closest a purely defensive player has come to winning the Heisman in the modern era is is Hugh Green back in 1980. Green came within 267 points of winning it that season, but I think if anyone is going to make that happen it will be Clowney. He already has a clip that had already been so seared into our collective memories as to be completely unforgetable. The Heisman voters have also gotten better at recopgnizing and rewardign the transcendent players of the last two seasons. I might be in the minority in this view, but I think that RG3 and Manziel deserved their awards. I think the Heisman voters will do the right thing again.

Offense

QB: Teddy Bridgewater

RB: Lache Seastrunk

RB: DeAnthony Thomas

TE: Jacob Pedersen

WR: Marquise Lee

WR: Amari Cooper

C: Travis Swanson

G: Gabe Jackson

G: Cyril Richardson

T: Jake Matthews

T: James Hurst

AP: Stefon Diggs

For the most part this is a fairly by the numbers All America team. There are no real surprises apart from Jacob Pederson at TE and De'Anthony Thomas as a RB. Pederson seems primed for a monster year to me partly because Wisconsin has a two man receiving core, and partly because betting on a senior TE from Wisconsin almost always seems to work. As for Thomas I think he deserves a first team spot, even if he is as much a receiver as a running back. Ka'deem Carey is just as worthy, but Thomas should get the nod for being a weapon of terror to defensive coordinators across the land.

Defense

DE: Jadeveon Clowney

DE: Jackson Jeffcoat

DT: Will Sutton

DT: Anthony Johnson

OLB: Kyle Van Noy

OLB: Anthony Barr

ILB: Greg Blair

ILB: Shane Skov

CB: Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

CB: Jason Verrett

S: Hakeem Smith

S: Ed Reynolds

You can call me a homer for the Greg Blair pick, but I truly think that he is primed for a monster season. The school record of 186 tackles is in play. I am not expecting it to fall, but it is possible. If Blair can get within shouting distance of that record, and UC has the kind of season I am expecting Blair will be out there.

Specialists

K: Cairo Santos

P: Richie Leone

R: Ralph David Abernathy IV

Homer pick, I know

Coaches

HC: Nick Saban

OC: Chad Morris

DC: Kirby Smart