Oklahoma Football: The Top 10 Players for the 2012 Season

The Oklahoma Sooners enter the 2012 season with some unfinished business. They were picked by many to be national champions last year, but instead finished with a banged up team and a disappointing 10-3 record.

This season, the Sooners return 15 starters from a year ago, including eight on the offensive side of the ball. They once again have Big 12 title hopes on their mind and would like to reach a BCS bowl this time around, though it is not going to be easy with a brutal Big 12 schedule starring at them in the face.

As we get closer to the 2012 college football season, here are the top 10 players crucial to the Oklahoma Sooners' success this season. 

10. Linebacker: Corey Nelson

Corey Nelson really took a step forward his sophomore season, finishing the year with 58 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and four broken up passes. His 4.5 sacks are second-most in a season by a linebacker in Oklahoma history. Nelson is a tough player who plays the game extremely fast and can make plays from sideline-to-sideline.

As he enters his junior season, look for him to become a full-time starter and one of the leaders on OU's front seven.

9. Cornerback: Aaron Colvin

Aaron Colvin is one of the more talented and versatile players on this Sooners roster. He began his career as a cornerback, but switched to the safety position last year, finishing with a team high 84 tackles and six passes broken up.

We will have to see which position Colvin ends up in the fall, since a shoulder injury kept him out of the entirety of spring practices. Regardless, the junior is a playmaker in the defensive backfield and somebody the coaching staff can rely on to produce week in and week out.

8. Wide Receiver: Trey Metoyer

Although Metoyer has yet to actually play in a game for the Sooners, you may have heard a little bit about his hype. The guy is 6'2", 200 pounds, runs extremely well and can out-jump nearly any secondary player in the country. He has received a ton of praise from his coaches this spring and is expected to quickly become one of the better receivers in the country.

Of course we have to actually see him hit the field, but his skill set is ridiculous and he will be fun to watch this season.

7. Safety: Tony Jefferson

Tony Jefferson is a versatile player on the defensive side of the ball that has spent much of the last two seasons at strong-side linebacker. He does a little bit of everything well, including getting after the quarterback and dropping back in coverage. He will make the switch to the safety position this year as he has shown leadership and the ability to handle anything the coaches have thrown at him.

With the secondary being as streaky as it was last season, Jefferson will be a key player to help improve upon last year's efforts in 2012. 

6. Offensive Guard: Gabe Ikard

Oklahoma had a very strong offensive line last season and that should remain much of the same heading into this year. One of the best linemen the Sooners have is Gabe Ikard. He originally came out of high school as a tight end, but has made an easy transition at the offensive line. Last season, Ikard played left guard, but also played seven games at center when Ben Haber went down. He made the All-Big 12 team for his efforts.

Ikard is a versatile player, with exceptional blocking ability and a key member of a solid offensive line.

5. Running Back: Dominique Whaley

Dominique Whaley was one of the top running backs in the league last season before he broke his ankle and missed half the year. In only six games played, Whaley finished with 67 rushing yards, 153 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. The Sooners offense was cruising before he got hurt, but then took a turn for the worst when he went down.

The good news for Oklahoma fans is that he is expected to be back once fall camp kicks in. If the Sooners can get a consistent running game going, they should be fine with quarterback Landry Jones returning for his senior season.

4. Quarterback: Blake Bell

With the running game taking a hit with Whaley out, backup quarterback Blake Bell really stepped up, especially in red-zone touches. With Bell's size at 6'6", 245 pounds, he is very tough to bring down and is someone who can punch the ball across the goal line. He carried the ball 44 times last year for 171 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He will still like to play the quarterback position, but until Landry Jones leaves, this is a great position for him to play. Bell is also an intriguing weapon because he does have the ability to throw the ball. Look for Bell to continue to get playing time. He will likely be the X-factor for this offense's success.

3. Wide Receiver: Kenny Stills

When Ryan Broyles went down at the wide receiver position, this offense struggled mightily to put points on the board. This season, Broyles is no longer on the roster and a few other receivers have been suspended and may not be back. That means that players such as Kenny Stills must step up big time to replace some of the production.

Stills has caught 61 passes in each of his first two seasons and has 13 combined touchdowns, but he was putting those numbers up as the No. 2 wide receiver option. He must quickly grow up and take charge of a shaky receiving corps if this offense looks to improve this season.

2. Cornerback: Demontre Hurst

The Sooners' secondary has great potential, but didn't live up to expectations last year, allowing 241 yards in the air per game last season. One of the more consistent players in the secondary is cornerback Demontre Hurst. He finished last season with 55 tackles, four tackles for loss and 11 broken up passes. He was also a 2011 All-Conference player.

In the Big 12 you need great secondary play and Hurst is the best defensive back this team has. The senior must play well for this unit to succeed and improve on last year's numbers.

1. Quarterback: Landry Jones

Landry Jones entered last season as a Heisman candidate, but didn't have the season he would have liked. Then again, neither did the Oklahoma Sooners as a team.  Jones should still be considered one of the top quarterbacks in the country and will be key to this team's success. He has thrown for over 4,000 yards in each of the last two seasons and completed over 63 percent of his passes.

If this Sooners team wants to compete for a national championship this season, Jones will have to have his best season yet and limit the turnovers—he has thrown 41 interceptions throughout his three-year career at Oklahoma.