Top 20 players for 2018: 10-6

Related: Top 20 Herd: 20-16 | Top 20 Herd: 15-11

Voting Criteria: Player's importance to the team in 2018, overall talent, and future potential for the upcoming season. A player's long-term/NFL prospects were not taken into consideration.

Voting Panel: Publisher Chris McLaughlin, Herdnation.com staff Josh Stowers, Dick Ash and former Managing Editor Mike Gwinn.

Hames is often times the forgotten man along the defensive line but his performance against Colorado State last year showed just how talented the Baltimore native is. Hames was named defensive MVP after leading the team in tackles, recording 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for a loss and two quarterback hurries. If Hames can replicate that effort over a 12 game regular season - watch out.

LeFevre is far from a sure thing to be the starting punter once the Miami (OH) game rolls around but from what the HN staff could tell from spring practices, he's the best punter on the roster. Shane McDonough certainly still has a chance to grab the job but he will have had to make some pretty serious strides over the summer. Whoever wins the job will have very, very large shoes to fill with the departure of Kaare Vedvik.

It feels like Jackson has been at Marshall forever but in reality he's only entering his third season in Huntington. The subject of much scrutiny early on in his career, last year Jackson began blossoming into the sort of shutdown corner coaches envisioned him being. Look for him to take another huge leap this year and challenge for a--CUSA honors.

Brown continues a long line of excellent center play at Marshall. The Georgia native was tabbed as an all-conference pick by the media, so huge things are expected of him this year. Brown is the true quarterback of the offense and as he goes, the offense goes.

Much like the punting situation, the starting placekicking job is far from sewn up. A transfer from Rhode Island, Rohrwasser struggled a bit with consistency during spring practice. That said, he has the pedigree and experience to put a strange hold on the job when fall camp opens in a few weeks.