Top 20 players for 2020: 20-16

Voting Criteria: Player's importance to the team in 2020, 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, and Herdnation.com staffers Sean Hammond, Aaron Perkins and Aaron Coleman.

After the season is over my guess is that the WVU transfer ends up being much more important than the 20th player on the Herd roster. A lot was expected of Ptts last year but a red-shirt season was just what the former 4-star recruit from Charleston needed. Pitts just has a little something different in terms of athleticism at the safety spot than any other DB on the MU roster.

Woodyard is an enigma wrapped inside another enigma, clouded in mystery. Blessed with legitimate world class speed, Woodyard did next to nothing in his two years at Nebraska. He's flashed in practice with MU, however, and figures at the very least to be a big part of the Thundering Herd return game on special teams.

Replacing Justin Rohrwasser will be next to impossible, but it appears Fresno State transfer Shane Ciucci is the front-runner for the placekicking job. Rohrwasser connected on 18 of 21 field goals last year, including a memorable game winner against WKU. Ciucci doesn't have to be 2019 Rohrwasser good, but if he can manage to be 2018 Rohrwasser, most Herd fans will be satisfied.

Opinions vary wildly about Gammage. Some see him as a break-out candidate with next level ability while others see potential that largely remains untapped. One thing is for sure: Gammage is every bit as naturally gifted of a receiver as recent stars like Tyre Brady and Obi Obialo.

Former walk-on interior lineman just aren't sexy. I get it. But make no mistake about it: Cain Madden is very good - probably Marshall's best lineman good - and how he plays in 2020 will go a long ways towards how successful Marshall is on offense this year.

Others receiving votes: Jaylon McClain-Sapp, Talik Keaton, Tarik Adams, Rodney Croom, Artie Henry, Devin Miller, Robert LeFevre, Brian Cavicante, Charlie Gray, Esaias Carpenter, Abraham Beauplan and Broc Thompson.