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| Wednesday, May 8 Updated: May 31, 12:13 PM ET Big 12 again among the elite conferences By Brad Edwards Special to ESPN.com |
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The Big 12 seemed to be the elite conference in college football for most of last season. Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas were ranked in the Top 10 almost every week, yet still weren't strong enough to keep Colorado from winning the title. But the bowl season somewhat tarnished the reputation of the conference as both BCS representatives suffered lopsided losses and the two other power teams looked sloppy in victories. The Big 12 has national title contenders again this year, but they must do a better job of finishing what they start.
Battling it out Tight end Daniel Graham won the John Mackey Award as a senior last season, so there are some big shoes to fill at that position. Coming out of the spring, Beau Williams (6-3, 230) is barely ahead of Quinn Sypniewski (6-7, 250). Sypniewski has a bit of an edge in experience from his time playing opposite of Graham in Colorado's multiple tight end sets, but both candidates should see plenty of action in those situations this year regardless of which one is the starter. Eye catcher: DE James Garee Garee (6-5, 255) is one of several new faces at defensive end that could make a big contribution to the Buffaloes this season. He redshirted as a freshman last year but was so impressive in practice that he won the team's "Most Outstanding Freshman" award without playing in a game. He has put on 25 pounds since arriving at college, which has made him even tougher to block. Garee is currently listed second on the depth chart behind Gabe Nyenhuis. Budding star: RB Brandon Drumm The line gets most of the credit for the success of the Colorado running game, but Drumm (6-2, 230) threw almost as many key blocks from his fullback position. When a national preseason publication wanted to take a photo of the three CU tailbacks, they would not agree to do the shoot without Drumm. Although he may be the most obscure member of the offensive backfield, his impact is not unnoticed by his teammates or opponents.  Iowa State Cyclones2001 overall record: 7-5 Conference record: 4-4 Returning starters Offense: 6 Defense: 7 Specialists: 1 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Ennis Haywood (1,169 yds) Passing: Seneca Wallace* (2,044 yds) Receiving: Lane Danielsen* (694 yds) Tackles: Matt Word* (106) Sacks: Matt Word* (3) Interceptions: Adam Runk (4) What's new
Battling it out Iowa State has seven straight seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher, and the battle is on for the chance to make it eight. The primary candidates have been backing up Ennis Haywood for the last two seasons. Hiawatha Rutland, who averaged seven yards per carry in limited action as a freshman in 2000, is the leader after a strong spring. Michael Wagner has proven his ability on the field, rushing for 170 yards and two TDs while filling in for an injured Haywood two years ago at Oklahoma State. JaMaine Billups has also shown the necessary moves, returning a punt 72 yards for a TD in the 2000 bowl win over Pittsburgh. Last year's offensive scout team player of the year, Brian Thompson, is also in the mix. Eye catcher: WR Jon Davis Davis graduated from high school in 2001 but did not enroll in college until this past January because he was too skinny to play major college football. Receiver is probably the deepest position on the team, so the coaches wanted to redshirt him this coming season, but he showed too much talent to keep off the field. Davis (6-3, 190), now much more physically suited to compete in the Big 12, finished off his impressive spring with two catches for 73 yards and a touchdown in the spring game. Budding star: DB Anthony Forrest Despite not starting a game as a freshman last year, Forrest still finished the season with 51 tackles, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery. He has shown great instincts and quickness to the football that affords the Cyclones solid run defense from the secondary. Expect Forrest to develop into a star-quality player as he gets much more playing time this season.  Kansas Jayhawks2001 overall record: 3-8 Conference record: 1-7 Returning starters Offense: 6 Defense: 5 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Reggie Duncan* (739 yds) Passing: Mario Kinsey (1,215 yds) Receiving: Roger Ross (493 yds) Tackles: Marcus Rogers (97) Sacks: Algie Atkinson (11) Interceptions: Andrew Davison (3) What's new Head coach Mark Mangino brings a knowledge of how to win in the Big 12 after spending 11 years as an assistant at both Kansas State and Oklahoma. He retained two assistants from the previous staff: Clint Bowen is now in charge of running backs and special teams, while Travis Jones is coaching the defensive ends. Mangino immediately made strength and conditioning a major point of emphasis and has already brought a much more disciplined environment to Kansas. On the field, his influence will be seen in the offense, which should demonstrate a more effective passing attack this season. Battling it out Quarterback Mario Kinsey was dismissed from the team for violating team rules shortly after Mangino arrived and has since transferred to Sam Houston State. The starting job is now up for grabs between Zach Dyer, who started four games last year, and Bill Whittemore, who enrolled in January after transferring from Fort Scott Community College. Whittemore had shoulder surgery in the offseason and showed fatigue in the latter stages of the spring. Dyer looked good throughout and has an edge entering fall practices. Eye catcher: RB Clark Green The redshirt freshman has been pushing Reggie Duncan throughout the spring and is now listed as co-No. 1 at tailback. He was one of the stars of spring workouts with his hard-running style and also proved to be solid in pass protection and as a receiver. He finished with 75 yards rushing and a touchdown in the spring game and will resume his battle for the starting role in August. Budding star: LB Leo Etienne Etienne came to Kansas last year from Hutchinson Community College and made an immediate impact with 94 tackles and eight tackles for loss in only eight starts. He also had a team-high 68 solo stops. Etienne (6-0, 210) is undersized but makes up for it with an aggressive style that has earned the respect of his teammates. He was recently chosen as a captain after just one season in the program.  Kansas State Wildcats2001 overall record: 6-6 Conference record: 3-5 Returning starters Offense: 5 Defense: 7 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Josh Scobey (1,263 yds) Passing: Ell Roberson* (855 yds) Receiving: Aaron Lockett (357 yds) Tackles: Ben Leber (73) Sacks: Ben Leber (5.5) Interceptions: DeMarcus Faggins (5) What's new Former defensive coordinator Phil Bennett was hired as head coach at SMU, so the Wildcats had to get a replacement. They stayed in conference and grabbed Bobby Elliott from Iowa State. He spent the spring getting acquainted with his personnel, but don't expect to see significant changes to a defense that placed in the top five nationally last season. Battling it out The top three wideouts from last year are gone, and the top replacement candidates have a total of four catches between them in their Division I-A careers. Taco Wallace, Derrick Evans and Davin Dennis emerged from the spring as the top three competitors for the two starting spots, but they can all expect to get a serious challenge from three junior college signees who will arrive in August. Eye catcher: RB Travis Wilson Wilson (6-4, 240) sat out last year after transferring from Michigan State and entered this spring eyeing the starting fullback spot formerly held by NFL draft choice Rock Cartwright. He appears to have earned the starting role and has been used primarily as a blocking back thus far. But based on recent history at the position, he should also get a few carries this season. Wilson has earned the respect of his teammates to the point that he was just chosen as a captain, despite having not yet played an official down at Kansas State. Budding star: LB Terry Pierce Pierce's college career began with a bang, being selected as a freshman All-American in 2000. He followed that with an impressive sophomore year, starting all 12 games at middle linebacker and making 68 tackles, including 11 for loss. Pierce (6-3, 250) has a rare blend of size and speed and is entering his second season as a captain, though he is only a junior.  Missouri Tigers2001 overall record: 4-7 Conference record: 3-5 Returning starters Offense: 5 Defense: 8 Specialists: 1 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Zack Abron* (783 yds) Passing: Kirk Farmer* (1,567 yds) Receiving: Justin Gage* (920 yds) Tackles: Sean Doyle* (131) Sacks: Antwaun Bynum* (7) Interceptions: R.J. Jones* and Antoine Duncan* (2 each) What's new The redshirt freshman class and junior college transfers have given the Tigers a much-needed upgrade in the speed department, not to mention the offseason improvement in that area by many older players, as well. Strength and conditioning coach Jeff Fish was brought in last year as Gary Pinkel's first hire, and the move is starting to show positive results. More than 80 percent of the team established new personal bests in physical tests during the offseason. Battling it out Kirk Farmer is the incumbent quarterback and has started 14 games during his career, but he got more than just good competition from redshirt freshman Brad Smith in the spring. Smith (6-3, 200), who won't turn 19 until after the regular season, showed a strong arm and great poise to go with excellent mobility and work ethic. He is listed ahead of Farmer on the depth chart after spring drills. Eye catcher: DB Tauras Ferguson Ferguson (5-11, 205) was a highly-recruited running back out of Coffeyville Junior College last year but was moved to outside safety after arriving at Missouri. He quickly made the adjustment to defense and started all 11 games, using his athleticism to rack up 71 tackles on the season. He made even more big plays during the spring and served notice that he is still getting better. Budding star: OL A.J. Ricker Coaches knew Ricker was something special when he started every game as a freshman two years ago and went all season without committing a penalty. Last year, he earned third-team All-Big 12 honors for another solid season. Ricker has now assumed the leadership role on offense after the departure of four seniors left him as the only returning starter on the line. He played hurt through the spring and will be counted on to carry the load this fall.  Nebraska Cornhuskers2001 overall record: 11-2 Conference record: 7-1 Returning starters Offense: 5 Defense: 6 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Dahrran Diedrick* (1,299 yds) Passing: Eric Crouch (1,510 yds) Receiving: Wilson Thomas* (616 yds) Tackles: Jamie Burrow (84) Sacks: Demoine Adams* (5.5) Interceptions: Willie Amos* (4) What's new Eric Crouch had started 42 games over the last four years, including 36 consecutive through the end of last season. He also scored the most rushing TDs (59) by a quarterback in Division I-A history and won the 2001 Heisman Trophy. Now, Jammal Lord faces the pressure of trying to fill his shoes. While backing up Crouch over the last two years, he has appeared in 12 games with 50 carries and 6 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he has not yet played in a meaningful game situation and will be surrounded by several players who are also learning on the fly. Only five starters return on offense, and three linemen must be replaced. Battling it out One of the top position battles in the spring was actually for the right to backup Lord at QB. Curt Dukes, who enrolled in January after graduating high school early, showed great ability during the spring and is currently listed at No. 2. He is just ahead of Mike Stuntz, who played receiver as a freshman and threw the game-clinching TD pass to Crouch against Oklahoma last year. For what it's worth, Dukes has been given Crouch's number 7 jersey. Eye catcher: DT Seppo Evwareye Evwareye came to the U.S. from Finland as a teenager and played two years of high school football in Laurel, Neb., before signing with the Huskers. He redshirted as a true freshman last season but showed flashes of dominance in the spring, making many tackles behind the line. Evwareye (6-5, 305) is very strong and quick but is still working on his stamina. He is in competition for playing time at the nose tackle and defensive tackle spots. Budding star: DB DeJuan Groce Groce started 11 games last year at the corner opposite of Keyuo Craver but will face a new challenge this season by taking over the responsibility of drawing the other team's best receiver. In addition to his three interceptions and 14 pass breakups a year ago, he also proved to be a gamebreaker on special teams. He placed ninth in the nation in punt return average (14.2 yards) and then took another back 71 yards for a touchdown against Miami in the Rose Bowl. Such big plays from Groce will be even more appreciated this year, considering the inexperience on offense.  Oklahoma Sooners2001 overall record: 11-2 Conference record: 6-2 Returning starters Offense: 8 Defense: 7 Specialists: 0 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Quentin Griffin* (804 yds) Passing: Nate Hybl* (2,234 yds) Receiving: Trent Smith* (564 yds) Tackles: Rocky Calmus (117) Sacks: Jimmy Wilkerson* (5) Interceptions: Roy Williams (5) What's new Chuck Long now has the title of offensive coordinator and will likely try to add more of a vertical flavor to the Sooners' passing game. They will stay in the spread offense but hope to run the ball better this year with the input of new offensive line coach and running game coordinator Kevin Wilson, who was hired from Northwestern. Battling it out Roy Williams proved that a strong safety can impact a game as well as anyone, so the position now carries a level of prestige from his success. Redshirt freshman Eric Bassey came out of the spring as the favorite to get the job, showing Williams-like athleticism with a 4.3 in the 40-yard dash. Also in the mix are Matt McCoy, who played nickel last year and had an interception in the Cotton Bowl, and Michael Thompson, who started some at corner in the national championship season but missed all of last year while recovering from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Eye catcher: WR Brandon Jones The highly-touted recruit had seven punt returns for 150 yards against Tulsa last year but did very little else the rest of the season. This spring was a different story, however. In addition to becoming the starting center fielder for the OU baseball team, Jones showed the potential to be a quality deep threat on the football field. He had 12 catches for 235 yards and four touchdowns in spring scrimmages and is certain to see a lot of action in the rotation this season. Budding star: DT Tommie Harris Harris started every game as a true freshman, making 32 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, two sacks and 14 quarterback hurries. The first play of his collegiate career was a tackle for a three-yard loss against North Carolina. He missed a few spring practices with a neck injury but still showed his dominance in drills. Harris has All-America ability and could see those honors start to come his way with another big year.  Oklahoma State Cowboys2001 overall record: 4-7 Conference record: 2-6 Returning starters Offense: 8 Defense: 8 Specialists: 1 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Tatum Bell* (776 yds) Passing: Aso Pogi* (1,854 yds) Receiving: Rashaun Woods* (1,023 yds) Tackles: Dwayne Levels (110) Sacks: Kevin Williams* (5.5) Interceptions: Marcus Jones (3) What's new Darrell Wyatt came to Stillwater last year as Les Miles' passing game coordinator but just left the team about halfway through spring practice for a job as receivers coach at rival Oklahoma. His replacement is Todd Monken, who came from Louisiana Tech after the spring. Monken is still getting to know a talented group of wideouts, which includes Rashaun Woods, who last year became the only Cowboy receiver other than Hart Lee Dykes with a 1,000-yard season. Battling it out Quarterback Aso Pogi has started 17 straight games for OSU but was injured in the season finale against Oklahoma. Josh Fields relieved him in that game and led the comeback win over the Sooners. Competition for the starting job was opened for the spring, but Pogi was not 100 percent after a car accident, and Fields was splitting time with baseball. So, the battle will carry over into the fall. Fields is listed on top, but it's still wide open. Eye catcher: WR Gabe Lindsay Lindsay missed last year with a back injury after catching 28 passes for 359 yards and a touchdown in 2000. He wasn't quite back to 100 percent this spring but still showed his potential to have a big impact as a receiver and punt returner. He's not big or extremely fast, but he has good quickness and is extremely elusive in the open field. Lindsay provides another quality weapon for the starting quarterback. Budding star: CB Darrent Williams Williams (5-9, 170) saw a good amount of action as a true freshman last season and showed great improvement as the season went on. He started the last four games and turned in his best performance against Baylor with two interception returns for 105 yards and one TD. Coaches have always believed in his talent, but they were also impressed with his work ethic this spring.  Texas Longhorns2001 overall record: 11-2 Conference record: 7-1 Returning starters Offense: 8 Defense: 5 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Cedric Benson* (1,053 yds) Passing: Chris Simms* (2,603 yds) Receiving: Roy Williams* (836 yds) Tackles: Ahmad Brooks (88) Sacks: Maurice Gordon (7.5) Interceptions: Nathan Vasher* (7) What's new
Battling it out Nathan Vasher has moved back to his natural position of cornerback, which left a starting spot available at strong safety. The competition is between two redshirt freshmen who are also natural corners but just have talent that needs to find a spot on the field. The coaching staff has been very impressed with both Cedric Griffin and Michael Huff and probably can't go wrong with either one. Whichever player does not earn the starting role will certainly get some work in the nickel package. Eye catcher: WR Sloan Thomas Most of the hype around the Longhorns' receiving corps is directed toward rising juniors Roy Williams and B.J. Johnson, but Thomas (6-2, 200) is another very talented member of that 2000 signing class. He probably has the best balance and concentration of the bunch and is often using those skills to make acrobatic catches. Thomas more than doubled both his catches and yards from his freshman season to his sophomore season and has shown no sign that the trend won't continue in 2002. Budding star: DB Nathan Vasher As mentioned above, Vasher has moved from safety to cornerback and will be starting opposite of Rod Babers. Last season, he led the Big 12 with seven interceptions in addition to making 56 tackles. To top it all off, he also received second-team All-America honors as a return man after averaging 15 yards per punt return (sixth-best in the nation). And, in what may have been a sign of things to come, Vasher took both a punt and a kickoff back for a TD in the spring game.  Texas A&M Aggies2001 overall record: 8-4 Conference record: 4-4 Returning starters Offense: 10 Defense: 7 Specialists: 1 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Derek Farmer* (503 yds) Passing: Mark Farris* (2,094 yds) Receiving: Terrence Murphy* (518 yds) Tackles: Terrence Kiel* (92) Sacks: Jarrod Penright* (10.5) Interceptions: Sammy Davis* (5) What's new For Texas A&M's last 50 games, the starting center has been Seth McKinney. But he is now with the Miami Dolphins, and that streak will come to an end when the Aggies take the field against Louisiana-Lafayette on Aug. 31. Geoff Hangartner will likely be the starter that day and has the luxury of an experienced surrounding cast to make the transition easier. The other 10 offensive starters from last season are all back. Battling it out There is good competition for the outside linebacker spot formerly held by Christian Rodriguez. Senior Jesse Hunnicutt (6-3, 255) has only two career starts but still holds the experience edge over sophomore Brandon Johnson (6-1, 235). Hunnicutt is currently listed at the top of the depth chart, but Johnson was making a lot of big plays in spring drills and will be tough to hold off. Eye catcher: WR Terrence Thomas Thomas (5-9, 164) saw some action as a true freshman last year, catching eight passes and returning several punts and kickoffs. He made some highlight-reel catches in the spring, however, and solidified himself as the primary return man for this season. He is not currently listed as a starter at wideout but is someone the Aggies will certainly want to get the ball to in the open field. Budding star: DE Ty Warren Warren played nose tackle last year but missed a few games because of knee injuries. He still finished with 41 tackles, including 12 for loss. This spring, he was moved to defensive end and has adapted well to the position. He is still a down lineman, but has the quickness to flourish in open space on the end. Warren's size (6-4, 308) definitely poses a big matchup problem for any tight end.  Texas Tech Red Raiders2001 overall record: 7-5 Conference record: 4-4 Returning starters Offense: 8 Defense: 9 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Ricky Williams (726 yds) Passing: Kliff Kingsbury* (3,502 yds) Receiving: Carlos Francis* (703 yds) Tackles: Lawrence Flugence* (145) Sacks: Aaron Hunt* (12) Interceptions: Ryan Aycock* and Kevin Curtis (4 each) What's new
Battling it out With Ricky Williams gone, the running back spot was up in the air and still is after spring practice. The only candidate who saw action last year was Foy Munlin, who had 12 carries and four receptions with one touchdown. He is the biggest of the four competitors and is a good blocking back. The others are Taurean Henderson, Loliki Bonga-Wanga and Johnnie Mack. Bonga-Wanga missed last season after rupturing an Achilles in a scrimmage last August, while Mack just enrolled in January. Eye catcher: DB Byron Johnson Johnson played in 10 games last year but saw little defensive action behind Kevin Curtis. He has primarily been used on special teams in his first two seasons but worked out with the first team at free safety this spring and looked very good. He has good cover skills as a former corner, and the starting job is now his to lose. Budding star: WR Anton Paige Paige (6-5, 207) came in as a JuCo All-American and has all the physical tools to be a dominant receiver. But in his first season, he made just 23 catches for 196 yards, although he proved to be very dangerous in "jump ball" situations in the endzone and came down with four TDs. In the spring, however, Paige began getting the ball more often in the middle of the field and showed that he can make things happen after the catch. He finished with a solid spring game performance of seven catches for 106 yards. Brad Edwards researches college football for ESPN and is a contributor to ESPN.com throughout the year.
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