Clemson senior DE Vic Beasley is one of the best pass rushers in the nation; he has excellent speed off the edge -- he was clocked at 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash in high school as a 215-pounder -- and is able to use that burst to get around opposing linemen. He also has a surprisingly effective bull rush because he is stronger than he looks. He will be moved to outside linebacker at the next level and already is preparing for the position change.
Pulling back the curtain on the vote
At least two panelists left a player ranked Nos. 9-20 on our list off of their personal top 20s. Beasley was one of those players. However, he did garner three top-10 votes; he was ranked as high as seventh by one panelist.
What some of our analysts are saying about Beasley
"Exceptional pass rusher with cat-like quickness and burst off the edge." -- Bucky Brooks
"Another disruptor of passing games, preseason defensive POY in the ACC." -- Charles Davis
"Clemson has turned out its fair share of quality pass rushers over the years, but few are as quick off the line as Beasley." -- Bryan Fischer
"Stand next to him, and you'd think you're next to a mild-mannered college student. But watch him on the field. He's an explosive pass rusher who is a heck of a lot stronger than he looks, and he's not bad against the run, either." -- Mike Huguenin
Where do fans rank Beasley?
We asked Twitter and Facebook users who they considered the best player in college football. Of the 19,000 votes cast, Beasley was completely off the radar. Not a huge upset that he wasn't one of the 14 players to receive votes for top overall player, seeing he doesn't play a skill position. But by season's end, we suspect that vote might look a little different.
