Our countdown of the Pac-10's top 25 players continues.

No. 24: Senior Casey Matthews, LB, Oregon

2009 numbers: Matthews (6-foot-2, 237 pounds) was tied for second on the Ducks' defense with 81 tackles, an average of 6.2 per game. He also had 4.5 tackles for a loss, including three sacks, one interception and six pass defenses. The Ducks' defense ranked No. 1 in the Pac-10 against conference foes.

Most recent ranking: Matthews wasn't ranked on the Pac-10 top-30 list last year.

Making the case for Matthews: Matthews has made a name for himself despite coming from one of football's most famous families -- his father (Clay Jr.), grandfather (Clay Sr.), brother (Clay III) and uncle (Bruce) each played in the NFL (or in Clay III's case, are presently playing). Matthews earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors in 2009 and has been named to 2010 watch lists for the Lombardi and Lott Trophy awards. He and Spencer Paysinger, who also had 81 tackles in 2009, comprise the most productive returning linebacking duo in the conference.

No. 25 Kai Forbath, K, UCLA