No. 12. Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State

2010 numbers: He was third in the ACC with 21.5 tackles for loss, and second in the ACC with 13.5 sacks. He was also sixth on the team with 63 tackles, had four quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups.

Previous ranking: Not ranked.

Making the case for Jenkins: He was only a true sophomore, and had a breakout season in his first year as a starter. His speed off the edge really helped generate pressure, and his explosiveness made him tough to block. He’s put on some weight, and is up to about 258 pounds and has gotten stronger in the offseason. He was tough for opponents to handle one-on-one, especially against South Carolina, although it didn’t necessarily show in the box score.

The countdown:

No. 13 Quinton Coples, DT, North Carolina

No. 14 Kenny Tate, S, Maryland

No. 15 DeAndre McDaniel, S, Clemson

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