Pac-12 top 25 for 2013: No. 3

Kevin Gemmell, ESPN Staff WriterAug 28, 2013, 01:00 PM
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- Joined ESPN.com in 2011
- Graduate of the Santa Clara University
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Our countdown of the Pac-12’s top 25 preseason players in 2013 continues.

A lot of good players, as it happens every year, won’t make the preseason list. It is in their hands to make the postseason list.

You can review our 2012 postseason top 25 here.

3. Marqise Lee, WR, USC

2012 numbers: Lee caught 118 balls and hauled in 14 touchdowns to go with his 1,721 yards in 2012. He also returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and carried 13 times for 106 yards.

2012 postseason ranking: No. 3

Making the case for Lee: One of the most dynamic players in the country, Lee returns as the 2012 Biletnikoff winner, and likely the 2013 favorite. The big difference this season is that he won’t have Matt Barkley throwing to him. In fact, we’re still not sure who his steady quarterback is going to be. Either way, many are projecting his numbers to maybe take a hit from last season. But that shouldn’t dampen what Lee is capable of. As quarterback hopeful Cody Kessler described it, throwing to Lee is like throwing to a 10-yard net in any direction. And if Nelson Agholor emerges as a threatening No. 2, just as Lee did playing alongside Robert Woods, it should help Lee escape some double coverage. Yet even when he’s double-teamed, Lee should be considered the premier wide receiver in the conference and country.

4. Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA

5. Brett Hundley, QB, UCLA

6. Ka'Deem Carey, RB, Arizona

7. Trent Murphy, OLB, Stanford

8. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon

9. David Yankey, OG, Stanford

10. Scott Crichton, DE, Oregon State

11. Ed Reynolds, S, Stanford

12. Taylor Kelly, QB, Arizona State

13. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington

14. De'Anthony Thomas, RB, Oregon

15. Bishop Sankey, RB, Washington