Week 1 Depth Chart vs. Northern Illinois
| Pos | First Team | Second Team | Third Team | Fourth Team |
| QB | Scott Tolzien | Curt Phillips | Dustin Sherer | |
| TB | Zach Brown | John Clay | Montee Ball | Erik Smith |
| FB | Bradie Ewing | Sam Spitz | ||
| WR | Nick Toon |
David Gilreath |
|
|
| WR |
Issac Anderson |
Maurice Moore |
||
| TE | Garrett Graham |
Lance Kendricks |
Jake Byrne | |
| TE |
Lance Kendricks OR |
Mickey Turner | Rob Korslin | |
| LT | Gabe Carimi | Ricky Wagner | ||
| LG | Jake Bscherer |
Jake Current |
||
| C | John Moffitt | Travis Frederick | ||
| RG | Kevin Zeitler |
Bill Nagy |
||
| RT |
Josh Oglesby |
Peter Konz |
| Pos | First Team | Second Team | Third Team | Fourth Team |
| DE | J.J. Watt |
Anthony Mains |
||
| DT | Jeff Stehle |
Jordan Hein |
||
| DT | Dan Moore |
Patrick Butrym | Dan Cascone | |
| DE | O'Brien Schofield | Louis Nzegwu | ||
| WLB | Jaevery McFadden |
Kevin Rouse |
||
| MLB | Culmer St. Jean | Blake Sorensen | Matt Groff | |
| SLB | Mike Taylor |
Chris Borland |
||
| CB |
Devin Smith |
Niles Brinkley | Dezmen Southward | |
| SS |
Jay Valai |
Josh Peprah |
Kevin Claxton |
|
| FS | Chris Maragos | Shelton Johnson | ||
| CB | Aaron Henry | Antonio Fenelus |
| Pos | First Team | Second Team | Third Team | Fourth Team |
| P | Brad Nortman | Ryan Wickesberg | ||
| PK | Phillip Welch | Alec Lerner | ||
| KO | Phillip Welch | Alec Lerner | ||
| LS | Kyle Wojta | Drew Woodward | ||
| H | Chris Maragos | Ryan Wickesberg | ||
| PR | David Gilreath | Antonio Fenelus | Aaron Henry | |
| KR | David Gilreath | Antonio Fenelus | Marcus Cromartie | Nick Toon |