16) Emmanuel Acho, senior LB, Texas
Texas defensive tackle Kheeston Randall is one of the biggest jokers on the Longhorn squad. And one of the quips he makes the most often in media circles is to refer to Emmanuel Acho as "the lesser Acho." While the tag made sense through this past season thanks to the success of older brother Sam Acho, Emmanuel enters 2011 with a chance to make a mark all of his own.
That's not to say that Acho is starting from scratch. Last season, Acho finished second on the Longhorns in tackles (87) and third in tackles for loss (12). He sacked the quarterback three times. He picked off a pass and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown.
But perhaps more importantly, Acho showed his potential on the Longhorns' biggest stage, tearing through the Oklahoma offense in the Red River Shootout. He had 17 tackles, five for loss and a sack and forced fumble that nearly turned the tide of the game late in the fourth quarter.
That Acho accomplished all of that while bouncing between middle and outside linebacker speaks to his character and ability to adapt. While the former remains an asset to the Longhorns, he might not need the latter as much this season, with Keenan Robinson moving to the middle, allowing Acho to play his more natural spot on the outside.
As is, he's one of the top linebackers in a conference that's stacked with them, and teams with Robinson and Jordan Hicks to form one of the country's best linebacking groups.
2010 Stats: 87 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery
No. 17: Oklahoma DB Demontre Hurst
No. 18: Baylor WR Kendall Wright
No. 19: Oklahoma OL Ben Habern
No. 20: Oklahoma State OL Lane Taylor
No. 21: Iowa State LB Jake Knott
No.22: Oklahoma State S Markelle Martin
No.23: Missouri DL Brad Madison
No. 24: Missouri WR T.J. Moe
No. 25: Texas Tech OL Mickey Okafor
No. 26: Missouri TE Michael Egnew
No. 27: Texas A&M CB Coryell Judie
No. 28: Texas DB Kenny Vaccaro
No. 29: Oklahoma DE/LB Ronnell Lewis
No. 30: Texas A&M RB Christine Michael
No. 31: Kansas OL Jeremiah Hatch
No. 32: Texas Tech OL Lonnie Edwards
No. 33: Missouri DE Jacquies Smith
No. 34: Oklahoma WR Kenny Stills
No. 35: Texas WR Mike Davis
No. 36: Texas DE Jackson Jeffcoat
No. 37: Kansas State DB David Garrett
No. 38: Oklahoma OL Gabe Ikard
No. 39: Texas Tech RB Eric Stephens
No. 40: Baylor OL Philip Blake
No. 41: Missouri LB Zaviar Gooden
No. 42: Texas DL Alex Okafor
No. 43: Texas A&M DL Tony Jerod-Eddie
No. 44: Kansas RB James Sims
No. 45: Texas Tech S Cody Davis
No. 46: Iowa State CB Leonard Johnson
No. 47: Kansas State S Ty Zimmerman
No. 48: Baylor DE/LB Tevin Elliot
No. 49: Kansas State DE Brandon Harold
No. 50: Kansas DE Toben Opurum