ESPN.com's 2014 All-America Team
Benardrick McKinney
Linebacker | Mississippi StateAs a freshman and sophomore, McKinney totaled 173 tackles in relative anonymity. But when Mississippi State began its rise to No. 1 in the rankings this season, he became a superstar. Pointing to his origins as a high school quarterback, he was the perfect example of how Dan Mullen and his coaching staff could develop under-the-radar prospects and turn them into NFL-caliber players. And McKinney held up to his end of the bargain. As a junior, the 6-foot-5 245-pounder flashed the speed that has coaches thinking he can run the 40-yard dash in under 4.6 seconds. From his spot as middle linebacker, he led the team with 61 total tackles, eight of which went for a loss and three that resulted in sacks.
-- Alex Scarborough
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