(Photo via scplaybook.com)

Ted Miller at espn.com has spent the past month ranking the top 30 players in the Pac-10. Not surprisingly, numero uno is USC safety Taylor Mays.

Miller says of Mays:

No one who regularly reads the Pac-10 Blog could possibly question ranking No. 1 the conference’s only returning consensus first-team All-American, the most important member of the Trojans’ All-Universe 2008 defense and the almost certain first Pac-10 player taken in the 2010 NFL draft. Oh, and the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Mays also is the best all-around athlete in college football. And possibly all of football

USC had the nation’s best pass defense in 2008 because of Mays. The Trojans gave up only six touchdown passes all season. Foes completed only 52 percent of their passes and averaged 134 yards per game.

Mays’ presence was a giant sign posted in the secondary: “Don’t even think about it.” And few teams did. And when they did, well, you’ve seen the clips of Mays’ bone-jarring hits.

Other Trojans making the list:

5. Kristofer O’Dowd, C, USC
7. Damian Williams, WR, USC
12. Joe McKnight, RB, USC
17. Charles Brown, OT, USC
19. Josh Pinkard, DB, USC
21. Stafon Johnson, RB, USC
30. Everson Griffen, DE, USC

The entire list after jump…

Ranking the Pac-10’s 30 best players: No. 1 [espn.com]

1. Taylor Mays, S, USC
2. Jahvid Best, RB, California
3. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona
4. Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Oregon State
5. Kristofer O’Dowd, C, USC
6. Brian Price, DT, UCLA
7. Damian Williams, WR, USC
8. Syd’Quan Thompson, CB, California
9. Jeremiah Masoli, QB, Oregon
10. Walter Thurmond, CB, Oregon
11. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
12. Joe McKnight, RB, USC
13. Dexter Davis, DE, Arizona State
14. LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon
15. Alterraun Verner, CB, UCLA
16. Ed Dickson, TE, Oregon
17. Charles Brown, OT, USC
18. Will Tukuafu, DE, Oregon
19. Josh Pinkard, DB, USC
20. Reggie Carter, LB, UCLA
21. Stafon Johnson, RB, USC
22. James Rodgers, WR, Oregon State
23. Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, DE, Washington
24. Lawrence Guy, DT, Arizona State; Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State
25. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
26. Tyson Alualu, DE, California
27. Devin Ross, CB, Arizona
28. Keaton Kristick, LB, Oregon State
29. Brooks Reed, DE, Arizona
30. Everson Griffen, DE, USC