Big Ten Football Preview '07: Most Underrated - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

The word "underrated" is pretty subjective. I've heard arguments over the years where people were deciding whether a person was "overrated" or "underrated", and both came away having made very good points.

So what is an underrated football player? In the opinion of this humble correspondent (sorry, Bill O'Reilly), it's not an easy thing to determine. You're looking for relatively unsung contributors on super teams, perhaps a player who is "stuck" behind a superstar on the depth chart (I'm talking about Anthony Gonzalez instead of Ted Ginn, for example). Perhaps there is a really good player who is stuck on a terrible team, or a guy who leads a terrible team to at least some semblance of mediocrity.

There isn't a single right answer.

Later this week, Brian Cook will take a look at the polar opposite. He'll take a look at the overrated players. Perhaps, we'll find one of you out there who thinks one of the guys we've selected for the "underrated" list is actually overrated, or vice versa.

After the jump, you can check out our list of the top five underrated players in the Big Ten.

1. Javon Ringer, RB, Michigan State

Ringer really fits the bill for an "underrated" talent. His knee injury last year rendered him forgotten about by most Big Ten pundits. If the knee injury didn't do it, Michigan State's horrific 4-8 season certainly got that job done. Before Ringer was shelved in the Illinois loss, he put up some pretty impressive numbers, rushing for 438 yards at a 5.8 per-carry clip. He ran over, under, around, and through Pittsburgh defenders, averaging over 10 yards per carry in a 156-yard performance. He wasn't the same after returning, rushing for just 59 yards on 25 carries in three late MSU losses. The fact that he returned after suffering what could have been a season-ending injury, however, showed his tremendous competitive drive. He'll top the depth chart for new head coach Mike Dantonio and offensive coordinator Don Treadwell in 2007, and if Ringer can stay healthy, he should be able to put up some big numbers behind a pretty experienced offensive line. The questions for Michigan State surround the passing game and the defense, and they need to be addressed before the Spartans can worry about going bowling again. Ringer, however, is not a question mark as long as he's on the field. He's a deceptively powerful runner who has the quickness to get outside and the shiftiness (is that a word?) to make people miss.

2. Jonathan Casillas, LB, Wisconsin

He was lost in the shuffle a bit last year. That was for good reason, as he had Mark Zalewski, Mark Zalewski's mohawk, Joe Stellmacher, and Roderick Rogers, among others, gaining accolades on the Wisconsin defense. However, Casillas was a key figure for the Badgers last year. Casillas was third on the team with 83 tackles and led the squad with 10.5 tackles for loss, plus he chipped in two sacks and blocked a punt that led to a touchdown in the Bowling Green game. Now that Zalewski, Stellmacher, and Rogers are gone, Casillas becomes one of the leaders on what could be a top defense nationally. The Badgers allowed only about 12 points per game last year, and they return seven defensive starters, including Casillas. He's a hard-hitting outside linebacker who fills the gaps well against the run and has some pass-rush upside. He's a tremendous athlete. Actually, current UW linebackers coach Dave Doeren says ($) Casillas is the "best athlete I've ever coached at that position". Doeren goes on to say Casillas "loves hitting people". Badger fans should consider themselves lucky to have him around. They probably won't get to see his senior season, and if you can safely call him a "well-kept secret" right now, you won't be able to come November.

3. Bryan Mattison, DE, Iowa

With all the hype that we hear about the job Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz does mentoring offensive linemen for a future in the NFL, it can easily be forgotten that Iowa has done a pretty decent job sending defensive players off to play on Sundays, too. Aaron Kampman appears to be carving out quite the nice career for himself in Green Bay, where he got a huge contract last offseason and responded with his best year as a pro, as he led the NFC with 15.5 sacks. Matt Roth has also found a job in the NFL in Miami. As much as I hate saying that a college player is a lot like a guy currently starring in the NFL, Mattison compares quite favorably to Kampman. Their body types are similar, and their style of play is certainly similar. Kampman isn't ever going to be the best athlete at his position in the NFL, but he has great instincts and a never-ending motor. Mattison is the same kind of player at Iowa. He'll be a leader on the defensive line in 2007, but there's a chance he'll get overshadowed by teammate Kenny Iwebema, who was a first-team All-Big Ten end in 2005. Iwebema had his 2006 season ruined by a shoulder injury. Mattison definitely deserves to be considered among the best ends in the league this season.

4. Dorien Bryant, WR, Purdue

You could competently argue that Bryant isn't an "underrated" player, since he was on the All-Big Ten first team last year and led the league in catches (87) in 2006. In a way, you would be right. However, who was the last person you heard discussing Bryant's Heisman credentials? Sure, he's good, I would argue that Bryant isn't getting the credit he deserves. He's posted back-to-back seasons of 80 or more receptions, and he's done it with Curtis Painter as the primary quarterback. (With all due respect to Painter, who has a chance to emerge as a star this season, he's not going to remind Purdue fans of Drew Brees unless he picks up his decision-making and throwing accuracy.) Bryant is already fourth all-time in Purdue's history with 2,612 yards, so he has a chance to break the record in his senior season. He's only about 1,150 yards away from John Standeford's school record, and a 1,000-yard season will put him past Taylor Stubblefield into second place on the list. He's a precise route-runner who has the ability to break a short pass into a huge play. Now be honest with me. You didn't know much of anything about Dorien Bryant before you read this, right? No? You didn't? Well, then he's underrated, no matter what his numbers are.

5. Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

The Illinois Fighting Illini were 2-10 last year, including a horrific 1-7 Big Ten season where nothing seemed to go their way. While the defense was vastly improved, the offense was inept, especially through the air, and the running game wasn't good enough to make up for it. One of the bright spots of the season was Mendenhall, who piled up 640 rush yards but averaged 8.2 yards per carry. He split time in the backfield with Pierre Thomas, which kept his carries down, and the fact Illinois spent so much time playing from behind also hurt the ability to get the ball in his hands more. Oh, and he has a penchant for fumbling, including a costly fumble in an upset loss to Ohio last year. No such problems should be so prevalent in 2007. Mendenhall is expected to be Illinois' feature back, and he'll be unleashed on Big Ten defenses with great regularity. Mendenhall will need to show he can handle getting the ball 20 or more times per game in the Big Ten, but it's hard to imagine that being a major problem. He has good size and strength, and if he improves his ball security, he'll easily top 1,000 yards in his first full season as a starter. That'll be huge for an Illinois team that could be on the verge of quite an impressive rebound.

Honorable mention

Marcus Thigpen, RB, Indiana Amir Pinnix, RB, Minnesota Tyrell Sutton, RB, Northwestern Cliff Avril, DE, Purdue