Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, August 6, 2013

We?re 23 days from the 2013 football season kicking off. Indiana (Indiana State) and Minnesota (UNLV) get things started for the Big Ten on Thursday, Aug. 29 on BTN/BTN2Go. To help count down the days to kickoff, BTN.com is ranking the top 25 players. Join us as we count it down, from 25-1, every day.

No. 23: Isaiah Lewis, S, Michigan State

There are few better safeties in America than Isaiah Lewis, a starter the past two seasons at strong safety for a Michigan State defense that has ranked among the best in the nation over that span. Lewis will be a lynchpin of a strong Spartan secondary that helped MSU rank ninth in the nation in pass defense in 2012 and fourth overall. His specialty: delivering the big hit. The 5-10, 210-pound native of Indianapolis always is around the ball, notching 169 career tackles with 16 passes defended and six interceptions.

View Lewis' career stats:
2010 stats:
15 tackles; 1 BU
2011 stats:
74 tackles; 2.5 TFL; 4 INT; 3 BU
2012 stats: 80 tackles; 1.5 TFL; 6 PBU; 2 INT

BTN.com?s top 25 players of 2013
1.
Aug. 28
2.
Aug. 27
3.
Aug. 26
4.
Aug. 25
5.
Aug. 24
6.
Aug. 23
7.
Aug. 22
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Aug. 21
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Aug. 20
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Aug. 19
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Aug. 18
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Aug. 17
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Aug. 16
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Aug. 15
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Aug. 14
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Aug. 13
17.
Aug. 12
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Aug. 11
19.
Aug. 10
20.
Aug. 9
21.
Aug. 8
22.
Aug. 7
23.
Isaiah Lewis, S, Michigan State
24.
James White, RB, Wisconsin
25.
Anthony Hitchens, LB, Iowa