No. 15. DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson

2010 numbers: He had nine passes defended, including four interceptions and five pass breakups. He led the team with 84 tackles.

Previous ranking: No. 2

Making the case for McDaniel: Too often defensive backs are judged on the number of interceptions they have, and after a season in which McDaniel had eight, expectations might have been unfairly high entering 2010. Still, his contributions were invaluable as a tackler. His gambles didn’t always pay off, but he controlled the middle of the field and helped Clemson’s rushing defense. He had a better year than what was probably perceived, as many opponents didn’t throw his way.

The countdown:

No. 16 Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

No. 17 Montel Harris, RB, Boston College

No. 18 T.J. Yates, QB, North Carolina

No. 19 Alex Wujciak, LB, Maryland

No. 20 Jarvis Jenkins, DT, Clemson

No. 21 Chris Hairston, OT, Clemson

No. 22 Anthony Allen, RB, Georgia Tech

No. 23 Brandon Washington, OL, Miami

No. 24 George Bryan, TE, NC State

No. 25 Conner Vernon, WR, Duke