We continue our countdown of the Pac-10's 25 best players from 2010.

Note: Because we are ranking players based on this past season, it's Pac-10, not Pac-12.

Here are the preseason rankings (click each name to read the blurb).

No. 17. Kenny Rowe, DE, Oregon

2010 numbers: Rowe led Oregon with seven sacks, five forced fumbles and 16.5 tackles for loss. He also led all Ducks defensive linemen with 48 total tackles. He added three pass defenses, three quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.

Preseason ranking: No. 13

Making the case for Rowe: Rowe ranked third in the conference in tackles for loss and sixth in sacks and earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors. Also notable is leading the conference with five forced fumbles. He led the Ducks with four tackles for a loss and a sack in the BCS national championship game against Auburn. Rowe is undersized at 6-foot-3, 232 pounds, and is a "tweener" prospect for the NFL. He didn't always hold up well against the run, but he has been a highly productive playmaker the past two seasons, piling up 18.5 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss.

No. 18. Nick Foles, QB, Arizona

No. 19. Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon

No. 20. Talmadge Jackson, CB, Oregon

No. 21. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA

No. 22. Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon

No. 23. Jermaine Kearse, WR, Washington

No. 24. Jurrell Casey, DT, USC

No. 25. Shane Vereen, RB, California