Praise for Iowa State offensive lineman Ben Lamaak of C.R. Kennedy

Earlier this week, I told you about all the Iowa players cited by Phil Steele on the college football magazine publisher's preseason All-Big Ten teams.

He also has preseason All-Big 12 honor squads (listed here), and Ben Lamaak of Iowa State is his second-team center.

Which is noteworthy, because Lamaak started all 13 games for the Cyclones last season at right guard. He started 12 games at right tackle in 2007 as a freshman.

" I think that Ben Lamaak is in a capable position of replacing (first-team All-Big 12 center) Reggie (Stephens) as our center," ISU Coach Paul Rhoads has said.

“One of the things that I was always on Reggie Stephens about a year ago was the accuracy of his snaps,” Rhoads told Cyclonefanatic.com in this story.

“To the naked eye, I don't know how much you saw that we had problems with certain plays getting started, just because the timing of the snap and getting it fielded, getting it in position to make a handoff, starting the passing game or whatever it is. Ben already is more accurate with that aspect of it. Ben is a very intelligent football player, which has to be in place from that center position because of all the calls and checks that Coach Bliel asks out of that position in identifying pass protection or who we are blocking for the run game or so forth.”

Lamaak was a tight end in high school who was moved to quarterback for the final six games of his career. He threw seven touchdown passes and rushed for six others.

Dan McCarney knew what he was doing when he brought Lamaak to Ames. He'll do just fine at center.