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Heading into the 2015 college football season WalterFootball.com will debut our projections for the nation’s leaders during the fall. The All-American teams always have some surprises, and the stars of next fall could be the headlining players next May in the 2016 NFL Draft.
First-Team Center: Jack Allen, Michigan State
The Spartans’ snapper figures to get a lot of attention as there will be a ton of eyes on quarterback Connor Cook. Cook is one of the top quarterback prospects entering the 2015 season, so Allen will be noticed. Allen is a quality center who opens holes in the ground game and has been a reliable pass-protector for Cook.
The 6-foot-2, 295-pounder didn’t allow a sack in the 2014 season and if he repeats that performance, it could easily lead to him being a First-Team All-American. Allen is an intelligent, well-rounded blocker who should look good over a relatively weak schedule. He could easily be viewed as the top center in college football.
Second-Team Center: Nick Martin, Notre Dame
Martin is a rock-solid center who has athletic upside. Adding in the fact that he plays for Notre Dame with a potential top-10 pick at left tackle in Ronnie Stanley, means Martin will surely be noticed as a senior. Last season, the 6-foot-4, 301-pounder was reliable in pass protection and had a real impact in the ground game. The senior should be even better in 2015.
The other thing that Martin has going for him is being the younger brother of Zack Martin. The older brother was taken in the top 20 of the 2014 NFL Draft and was excellent for the Cowboys as a rookie. Thus, Nick Martin could get extra attention off the family reputation.
Third-Team Center: Isaac Seumalo, Oregon State
Seumalo quickly worked his way onto the field as he was made the starting center in his first fall practice as a freshman. Since then, Seumalo has been a reliable contributor for Oregon State. As a freshman, he was an honorable mention all Pac-12 performer, while his sophomore year saw him improve to become a Second-Team pick. Seumalo missed the 2014 season with an injury that led to terrible interior pass protection for quarterback Sean Mannion. Seumalo could use more strength for the NFL, but he has upside.
Honorable Mentions: Texas A&M’s Mike Matthews, USC’s Max Tuerk, UCLA’s Jake Brendel, TCU’s Joey Hunt, Wisconsin’s Dan Voltz, South Carolina’s Cody Waldrop and Alabama’s Ryan Kelly.
2015 Preseason All-American Projections:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K/P
Rimington Trophy | Mackey Award | Outland Trophy | Biletnikoff Award | Walker Award | Hendricks Award | O'Brien Award | Butkus Award | Thorpe Award | Groza Award | Guy Award | Lombardi Award | Lott IMPACT Trophy | Maxwell Award | Hornung Award | Nagurski Award | Camp Award | Jet Award | Heisman Trophy | College Playoff Projections
QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K/P
Rimington Trophy | Mackey Award | Outland Trophy | Biletnikoff Award | Walker Award | Hendricks Award | O'Brien Award | Butkus Award | Thorpe Award | Groza Award | Guy Award | Lombardi Award | Lott IMPACT Trophy | Maxwell Award | Hornung Award | Nagurski Award | Camp Award | Jet Award | Heisman Trophy | College Playoff Projections
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