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Keep these names in mind as you watch games. The draft will be here before you know it LOL

:arrow: Paul Posluszny, Penn State 6-2, 230 pounds, Sr.

For all of the acclaim given to Ohio State's A.J. Hawk, it was Posluszny who earned the greater hardware in 2005, winning the Butkus Award as the nation's elite linebacker and the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation's top defensive player.

Posluszny's role in Penn State's revival last season cannot be overstated. His 116 tackles led the team and his consistency became a trademark. In fact, last season he became the first Big Ten athlete selected as Football Player of the Week (offense, defense or special teams) three consecutive times since the conference began the selections in 1987.

Posluszny is far from just the typical athlete, however. He made the dean's list in his first five semesters at Penn State and earned Academic All-American honors to go along with his consensus All-American accolades for his work on the football field.

Posluszny suffered a brief scare during Penn State's Orange Bowl victory over Florida State. He partially tore two ligaments in his right knee, though the injury didn't require surgery. He was held out of spring practice, but is expected to be 100 percent for the fall.

:arrow: Patrick Willis, Mississippi, 6-2, 232, Sr.

Perhaps due to Mississippi's 4-8 record last season, Willis isn't well-known despite being a 2005 All-American and the nation's leader with nine solo tackles per game. Willis finished last season with 128 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss (minus-42 yards), three sacks (minus-28), two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three passes defensed, two quarterback pressures and one interception. His production came despite a broken middle finger on his right hand, a sprained left knee, a right mid-foot injury and a partial AC joint separation of his right shoulder.

Willis' blend of size and athleticism makes him one of the more intriguing defenders for NFL scouts. He had been a productive linebacker before 2005, finishing with more tackles for loss (11) and sacks (five) in 2004 than he did last season. However, with the respected Ed Orgeron -- formerly a defensive coach with both Southern California and Miami -- taking over the head coaching duties for Ole Miss last season, Willis emerged with strong numbers and the Chucky Mullins Courage Award.

Like Posluszny, Willis was forced to miss spring drills. He underwent surgery to his right foot last December and has been sidelined since, but is expected to be ready for August drills.

:arrow: H.B. Blades, Pitt, 6-0, 240, Sr.

Blades, a two-time first-team All-Big East selection, led the conference with 121 tackles and ranked 13th nationally with 11 tackles per game in 2005. That's impressive production considering it was his first season at middle linebacker after playing the strong-side position early in his career.

Blades enters his senior season with 286 tackles, including 18.5 for loss, and 24 career starts. He also has strong football bloodlines: His father, Bennie, and his uncles Al and Brian were standouts at the University of Miami and went on to successful careers in the NFL.

:arrow: Brandon Siler, Florida, 6-2, 238, Jr.

Siler is an exciting talent who could compete to be the first linebacker selected, regardless of which year he elects to make himself eligible for the NFL Draft.

With a rare combination of size, speed and instincts for the position, Siler made an immediate impact with the Gators in '04, earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors with 77 tackles, including 10 tackles for loss and two sacks. He followed that up with 64 tackles (nine for loss), four sacks and a safety as a sophomore.

There are some who will point out the impact Earl Everett, already an established star, had on Siler's development. Certainly, the two-time second-team all-conference performer helped make the transition easier for Siler. However, it is Siler's big-play ability that leaves scouts so intrigued. He led the team in tackles as a freshman despite starting only six games. His instincts were on display with an SEC-leading seven fumble recoveries in 2005.

:arrow: Anthony Waters, Clemson, 6-3, 242, Sr.

An old-school inside linebacker with the size and physical nature that reminds some of former Clemson standout Levon Kirkland, Waters lacks the sideline-to-sideline speed to be effective in every scheme. However, he certainly can plug the interior running game and has a penchant for big plays as a pass rusher.

The leading tackler for the Tigers after each of the past two seasons, Waters has 214 career stops, more than any other linebacker on this list. His 109 tackles, including 13.5 for loss, not only led Clemson but were fourth-most in the NCAA.

Savvy scouts will note Waters seemed to come up with his most impressive numbers in games in which he was going against teams with other quality linebackers. He posted 11 tackles and a sack against Miami, 14 tackles vs. Boston College and 11 tackles, including four for loss, against N.C. State. He was a destructive force vs. Maryland, posting 14 total stops -- 4.5 for loss and half a sack.

For all the talk of Penn State or Miami as being "Linebacker U," Clemson has its own impressive alumni list. Kirkland, Anthony Simmons, Leroy Hill, Wayne Simmons and Keith Adams are just some of the productive linebackers Waters is compared to.

:arrow: Keith Rivers, USC, 6-3, 225, Jr.

Insiders close to the USC program are buzzing about the potential of their young outside linebacker. Though he struggled through the second half of last season with a nagging hamstring injury, Rivers finished with 52 tackles, including three for loss, a sack and an interception.

Rivers signed with USC as a highly touted prospect, earning Gatorade Florida Player of the Year honors as a prep, an award previously given to athletes such as Emmitt Smith, Anquan Boldin, Willis McGahee and Ernie Sims.

Rivers has the athleticism to start on the weak side (as he did in 11 games last year), but is also viewed as instinctive and physical enough to move to the strong side in the future. Though the pulled hamstring robbed him of his trademark burst in later contests, insiders were quick to point out how effective Rivers was in the classic battle against Notre Dame, when he recorded 12 tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and an interception. Despite the injury, Rivers was acknowledged as an Honorable Mention All-Pac 10 performer last season.

:arrow: Juwan Simpson, Alabama, 6-3, 228, Sr.:

Intriguing athlete whose frame and style of play remind me a great deal of former UTEP star Thomas Howard, selected with the 38th overall pick (Oakland) in the '06 draft. Unlike Howard, who originally came to UTEP as a defensive back, Simpson has played linebacker his entire collegiate career. However, he has a similar high-cut, almost basketball-player build and is at his best using his speed and quickness in pursuit or in coverage. Simpson started eight games over the course of 2003 and '04 before emerging as the full-time starter last season, registering 64 tackles, six for loss, and a pair of both interceptions and sacks.

Two more to be seen against LSU.