Big 12 Football: Power Ranking the Top 25 Players for 2011
Over and beyond losing the usual number of players to graduation and defection to the NFL, the 2011 version of the Big 12 Conference will face the loss of two entire programs in Colorado (Pac-12) and Nebraska (Big Ten).
All of these crucial factors combined (especially the loss of Nebraska, which left town with a roster chock-full of young talent) exponentially alter the Big 12 talent pool.
Regardless, the 10 remaining Big 12 member teams offer a virtual plethora of talent coming into the 2011 season; some are household names in Big 12 circles (especially at the skill positions), while others are somewhat unknown even to the dedicated fan.
The following slideshow will attempt to first identify the top 25 Big 12 players going into 2011 and then power rank them from 25 all the way up to No. 1.
As we move on through spring practice, summer and onwards to the blessed fall season, much will inevitably occur and change within the Big 12 football programs. That said, it is a safe bet that a high percentage of the following players will have a huge impact on the 2011 Big 12 college football campaign.
25. Kheeston Randall, NT, Texas
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Coming into his senior season at UT, Randall (6’5”, 295 pounds) might be primed to finally have a big, signature season in the defensive trenches in Austin.
24. Kelechi Osemele, OT, Iowa State
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At 6’5”, 298 pounds, Kelechi Osemele has all the makings of a pro player. He garnered All-Big 12 second-team honors in 2009 and honorable mention for the same honor in 2010.
Osemele should be among the very best offensive linemen in the Big 12 in 2011.
23. Keenan Robinson, LB, Texas
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Texas’ leading tackler in 2010 and another pro prospect, Keenan Robinson decided to stay around for his senior season in 2011, which may prove very valuable for a Longhorn team on the rebound.
Robinson (6’3”, 239 pounds) has registered 188 tackles in his career in Austin and earned numerous All-Big 12 honors.
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22. Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma
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Jamell Fleming finally got a chance to start at corner in 2010 and accounted for 71 tackles (49 solo), one sack and five interceptions.
This is a guy who could make a real difference in Oklahoma making a run to the BCS National Championship in 2011, especially considering it will have to survive the pass-happy Big 12 (plus Tulsa and Florida State) to make it happen.
21. Lonnie Edwards, OG, Texas Tech
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Lonnie Edwards started all 13 games in 2010 for Texas Tech as an offensive guard and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors from the Big 12 coaches, Phil Steele, Rivals.com, the San Antonio Express-News and the Dallas Morning News.
In 2011 Edwards will anchor an experienced Red Raider offensive line, which may be the most game-proven unit for Texas Tech heading into the new season.
20. Leonard Johnson, CB, Iowa State
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Leonard Johnson, a senior in 2011, has registered 174 tackles, forced five fumbles and nabbed five interceptions in his three seasons with the Cyclones.
A native of Clearwater, Fla., Johnson also returns kicks and was honored in 2010 with a selection to the Big 12 all-conference team (as a cornerback).
19. Coryell Judie, CB, Texas A&M
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Judie is a 5’11”, 199-pound lockdown corner for the Aggies who came to College Station in 2009 (from Fort Scott CC) but was hampered by a shoulder injury during his first campaign with A&M.
The Marlin, Texas native was back on the field in 2010, managing four picks and breaking up numerous other passes, ultimately earning him second-team All-Big 12 honors.
18. Jacquies Smith, DE, Missouri
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Jacquies Smith was a bright spot in 2010 for a Tiger defensive front that suffered the loss of DE Aldon Smith and NT Dominique Hamilton. Luckily, Smith stepped up in 2010 and accounted for 5.5 sacks and 10 tackles for a loss.
Smith (6’4”, 250 pounds) earned second team All-Big 12 honors in 2010, and his name could appear on the first-team Big 12 list by the end of 2011.
17. Quinn Sharp, P/K, Oklahoma State
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Putting a punter/kicker on the top 25 list might raise a few eyebrows, but honestly, if the Cowboys are for real in 2011 (like BCS for real), a great field position kicker can’t and won’t hurt.
Quinn Sharp was one of the most highly recruited kickers in the country and he has not disappointed the people in Stillwater since taking the field in 2009.
Sharp was honored with a selection to the All-Big 12 first team in 2010 and he was selected as a national All-American.
Though you might only admit it to your therapist, he is the dude you want on your team, especially when you watch your kicker shank a kickoff out of bounds in a big game, giving your opponent a start from the 40-yard line and giving you the opportunity to throw a baby gate across the basement while your spouse looks on in disbelief.
16. Emmanuel Acho, LB, Texas
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The “other Acho,” Emmanuel (6’2”, 240 pounds) is entering his senior season as a linebacker at Texas.
Acho has 128 career tackles (45 solo) in his two seasons as a starter and recorded 15 tackles in the Longhorns’ 2010 loss to rival Oklahoma.
Acho was honored with a selection to the All-Big 12 second team and will be part of a solid returning linebacker corps for the Longhorns in 2011.
15. Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma
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The 2010 co-Defensive Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Tony Jefferson (despite some recent off-field drama) makes the future look oh-so-bright for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Jefferson racked up impressive honors and stats in his freshman campaign in Norman, including being named to the Freshman All-American first team by Sporting News and CollegeFootballNews.com.
Highlights of his nine starts in 2010 include 12 tackles at Cincinnati, three broken passes versus Florida State, a sack in the Nebraska game, a pick in the Baylor game and a memorable 22-yard interception return in the Fiesta Bowl win over UConn.
14. Shaun Lewis, LB, Oklahoma State
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One of the bright spots in an otherwise explosively offensive year was freshman Shaun Lewis (6’1”, 210) from Missouri City, Texas.
Lewis amassed 58 tackles (48 solo), three forced fumbles and three interceptions on his way to being named the Big 12 co-Defensive Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America.
Shaun Lewis recorded a career-high 12 tackles (10 solo) and two picks in the close loss to Oklahoma.
This guy is the real deal and could bring a much-needed commodity to the Cowboys as he matures into a great college football player.
13. Ty Zimmerman, CB, Kansas State
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Ty Zimmerman was named the Kansas State co-Defensive MVP after only his first season in Manhattan.
A native son of Junction City, Kan., Zimmerman participated in all but one game as a freshman in 2010 and accumulated an impressive 74 tackles (39 solo) and three interceptions on his way to being named to the Freshman All-American team by the Football Writers Association of America.
12. Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
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Kendall Wright has accumulated 194 receptions for 2,341 yards and 16 touchdowns in his three seasons as a Baylor Bear.
The 5’10”, 190-pound product of Pittsburg, Texas will spend his senior year contributing to the pass-dominant Big 12 via his portion of the Robert Griffin III-to-Kendall Wright connection.
Wright has continued to improve statistically over his three years at Baylor, and 2011 should be the year when he passes 1,000 yards in a season and potentially earns a spot among the elite receivers in college football.
11. Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
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The turning point in the Aggies' 2010 campaign should not be completely credited to replacing QB Jerrod Johnson with former WR and now QB standout Ryan Tannehill.
It’s no coincidence that Gray (who replaced the injured Christine Michael after the Missouri game) rushed for over 100 yards in each of the Aggies' six-straight wins to close out the 2010 regular schedule.
Gray is listed at 5’10”, 198 pounds and amassed over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns on 200 carries in 2010. That's even more impressive when you consider he only started seven games (which includes the loss to LSU in the Cotton Bowl).
Cyrus Gray finished 2010 ranked No. 35 among running backs nationally, and his continued success in 2011 may be just as important as that of Tannehill's in determining if A&M can live up to its lofty preseason rankings.
10. T.J. Moe, WR, Missouri
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T.J. Moe racked up 92 catches, 1,045 receiving yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter at Missouri. These stats led a Missouri team that ranked No. 33 nationally in passing yards.
Moe’s performance ranked him No. 27 among receivers nationally in 2010 and earned him a place on the All-Big 12 second team.
The loss of Blaine Gabbert will undoubtedly be detrimental to the Tiger passing attack in 2011, but the retention of an all-purpose Wes Welker-type receiver such as T.J. Moe will be an asset for whoever gets the start under center.
9. Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
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Lewis (6’2”, 232 pounds) has racked up close to 100 tackles in each of his three seasons as a linebacker at Oklahoma.
His career totals going into his senior season are 343 tackles, two forced fumbles and eight interceptions, and he ranked No. 8 nationally among linebackers in 2010.
Lewis will add serious firepower to a Sooner defense returning eight starters to a unit that allowed only 21.8 points per game in 2010.
8. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
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Robert Griffin III has managed to throw for over 6,000 yards and 41 touchdowns since 2008 despite the fact that he missed most of the 2009 season due to injury.
Griffin ranked No. 13 nationally in passing yards in 2010 on his way to being named to the All-Big 12 second team and, more importantly, leading the Baylor Bears to their first bowl appearance in 15 years.
The sky is the limit for Griffin in 2011, as he returns all his top targets to rack up obscene yardage.
Though Griffin may be listed among the 2011 Heisman hopefuls, it is ultimately unrealistic (though also unfair) to expect someone from Baylor to capture the trophy unless the Bears were to make a highly unexpected BCS run.
7. Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
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A first team All-Big 12 selection in 2010, Jeff Fuller had the season the Aggies hoped for after a broken leg cut his 2009 season short.
Fuller caught 72 passes for 1,066 yards and 12 touchdowns on his way to being Texas A&M’s first 1,000-yard receiver in history (wow).
The No. 3 receiver in the Big 12 in 2010 has a chance to raise his stock even further as he goes into his senior season in 2011.
6. Levy Adcock, OT, Oklahoma State
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Levy Adcock (a 6’6”, 322-pound beast) returns for his senior season at Oklahoma State as a member of one of the most solid offensive lines in the country.
In 532 passing attempts in 2010, the Cowboys' offensive line gave up only 10 sacks—and the right tackle Adcock gave up zero.
Adcock earned a spot on the 2010 All-Big 12 first team and should garner similar (and bigger) honors in 2011.
5. Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
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Twenty-seven-year-old Brandon Weeden simply exploded onto the college football scene in 2010, racking up 4,277 yards and 34 touchdowns in his first season as a starting QB for the Cowboys.
Weeden earned All-Big 12 first team honors in 2010 and is listed among the 10 starters returning in 2011, leading an offense that ranked No. 3 nationally in points scored.
The sky would seem to be the limit for Weeden and company in 2011, but one must wonder how the loss of offensive coordinator (and mastermind of the spread attack) Dana Holgorsen will impact the lethal Cowboy attack.
4. Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
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The 6’4”, 219-pound Landry Jones enters his junior season in Norman as the leader of the team the college football brain trust rates as among the best teams in the nation.
Returning nine starters on offense and eight on defense to a team that won the Big 12 and its BCS game, Oklahoma truly could go all the way in 2011.
Jones has thrown for just under 8,000 yards and 64 touchdowns in two seasons under center, but the pesky truth is that he has thrown 26 interceptions in this same time period.
Jones will be on many preseason award watch lists and he is a Heisman hopeful; if he has the 2011 season that he is (and the Sooners are) capable of, the sky is very literally the limit.
3. Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri
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It might seem like a reach to have Michael Egnew this high up the Big 12 top 25 power rankings, but though not as flashy as his friends from Oklahoma, Egnew has all the stuff to be a truly exceptional player in 2011.
Egnew is a 6’6”, 235-pound incoming senior from Plainview, Texas who is the No. 1 tight end in the nation.
Egnew’s 762 yards on 90 catches and five touchdowns garnered him not only a place on the All-Big 12 first team, but also a 2010 consensus All-American selection.
Michael Egnew is not a traditional blocking tight end, but more of a hybrid receiver, and again, even though Gabbert won’t be in Columbia in 2011, Egnew will remain a unique asset to whoever is throwing the ball downfield.
2. Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
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Ryan Broyles enters his senior year at Oklahoma as one of the top players in the nation. Broyles has 366 career receptions and he has already racked up 3,429 yards and 35 touchdowns.
This is an elite receiver playing on an elite team; it’s absolutely the perfect storm and a great opportunity to throw around words like “Heisman” and “BCS title contender” without sounding totally drunk.
Broyles earned first team All-Big 12 honors in 2010 and he was named a consensus All-American. It will be more than entertaining (and intriguing) to see how Broyles finishes a great career in his hometown of Norman.
1. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
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The 2010 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, a legitimate Heisman candidate in 2011, a unanimous All-American in 2010—the speedy Justin Blackmon has all the traits to make Oklahoma State Cowboy fans flat giddy.
Blackmon exploded onto both the Big 12 and college football national stages in 2010 with 111 receptions, 1,782 yards and 20 touchdowns in a sophomore season that is hard to not be impressed with.
Blackmon is already on everyone’s list to do even better in 2011, and other than the loss of OC Dana Holgorsen (who knows how that will play out), all pistons are firing for an amazing, record-setting 2011.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
