ESPN College Football

Kansas State Wildcats

Total class: 28

ESPNU 150: 0

By position: CB 4, DT 3, OT 3, QB 3, ATH 2, RB 2, G 2, S 2, OLB 2, WR 2, TE 1, ILB 1, DE 1.

By state: Kansas 11, Texas 8, Florida 3, California 2, Maryland 1, Oklahoma 1, Colorado 1, Georgia 1.

Already enrolled in school: 6.

The big ones: RB Demarcus Robinson, ranked as the nation's No. 49 running back, has been favorably compared by coach Bill Snyder to Darren Sproles. DE Adam Davis, a productive pass-rusher at Hutchinson Community College, could immediately challenge for a starting position.

Sleeper: OL Manase Foketi, a mammoth 350-pounder from Mount San Antonio College, will add some much-needed beef in the trenches for the Wildcats.

Needs met: Four defensive linemen were added who could potentially challenge for immediate playing time. And with the loss of cornerback Joshua Moore to the NFL draft, any of the four arriving cornerbacks headed by Matthew Pearson and Darious Thomas will be useful for needed help. And underrated prospect Billy Cosh, son of KSU assistant Chris Cosh, will add more competition at the logjam at quarterback.

Analysis: Snyder has a typically heavy mix of junior college players and five players who were on the roster last season but whose scholarships will kick in this season. The most important part of this class is that important depth was added along both the offensive and defensive lines. The Wildcats could have used quarterback Cameron Newton, who decided last month to attend Auburn. Instead, Snyder added three quarterbacks for what is a position heavy on personnel but a big question mark heading into spring practice.

What Bill Snyder said: “It is kind of the way of the world and it is just the way of recruiting today. It’s different for me and I’m still trying to get my arms around it. I am not sure that I’m fully comfortable with it.” … [on the needs that the 2010 recruiting class satisfied]: “It relates to offensive and defensive line help more than anything else. We can build young guys up, but we need big guys to come in and make a contribution in the early stages of their career.”

Scouts Inc. grade/rankings: D, 12th in Big 12.

Here's a daily dose of recruiting information from Tom Luginbill, the esteemed national recruiting director from ESPN's Scouts Inc.

You can follow all of the information you want in real time by checking out ESPN.com's On The Trail, which is a part of the Insider benefits.

Here's a compendium of Big 12 information provided by Luginbill in his daily missive.

DE Rony Nelson

Miami, FL

Yuba College (CA)

Iowa State has added a Class of 2010 commitment from Rony Nelson, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound defensive end from Yuba CC, Calif.

Nelson, who played at Miami Jackson (Miami, Fla.) as a prep, also has offers from East Carolina and Florida International.

The Cyclones now have 23 pledges.

DE Scott Smith

Honolulu, HI

Butler County Community College (KS)

Scouts Grade: 40

Butler County CC, Kan., defensive end Scott Smith is near an announcement between Arkansas and Texas Tech for the Class of 2010.

The 6-foot-6, 270-pound Smith, who was the Jayhawk Conference's 2009 Defensive Player of the Year, is originally from St. Louis School (Honolulu, Hawaii). He signed with California in 2007, but transferred to Butler County following his freshman year.

Smith also holds offers from Louisville and South Florida. He drew late interest from Kansas, Baylor, Louisville and South Carolina.

During 2009, Smith recorded 69 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, two pass breakups and a forced fumble for Butler County.

QB Cameron Newton

Atlanta, GA

Blinn College (TX)

Top junior college quarterback Cameron Newton (Brenham, Texas/Blinn College) updated ESPN affiliate Web site OUInsider.com on the latest surrounding his recruitment.

"Talking to Coach Stoops, Coach Heupel and Coach Wilson and all those guys, I have an opportunity to be the man if I commit there," he said. "That is what I want in a school. I want a chance to compete for a starting spot. I don't want anything given to me, because I feel if something is given to you then people won't take you as seriously as if you earned it."

"Oklahoma, North Carolina, Auburn, Mississippi State, Baylor and Arizona," said Newton when asked which schools were still in contention. "But out of those schools, especially with this weekend being as good as it was, Oklahoma is right there in the race. Coach (Bob) Stoops has an excellent coaching staff there, good guys on the team, good personnel and the recruiting class that is coming in is an eye-opener nationally."

"I have had a lot of universities give me a call, but Oklahoma, Mississippi State, North Carolina and Auburn are the top tier of schools in the running right now."

RB Tyler Williams

Cincinnati, OH

Colerain H.S.

Scouts Grade: 45

Mighty-mite 5-foot-6, 140-pound running back Tyler Williams (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) currently favors West Virginia, ESPN affiliate Web site EerSports.com reports.

"I'm looking at a couple schools. I like West Virginia a lot though," Williams said. "I want to go there. They've been looking at me."

While he does not have any offers at the moment, programs including Michigan, Pittsburgh, Illinois, Cincinnati, Indiana, UCLA, South Carolina, Iowa, Purdue, Kansas, Wisconsin and Nebraska have showed interest.

He rushed for nearly 900 yards and 12 touchdowns during his junior campaign.

At the Cincinnati Nike Combine he posted an electronically-timed 4.69 40-yard dash, 4.13 20-yard shuttle and 33.4-inch vertical.

ATH Robert Johnson

Hattiesburg, MS

Oak Grove H.S.

Scouts Grade: 78

Position Rank: 33

Three-star athlete Robert Johnson (Hattiesburg, Miss./Oak Grove) has committed to Mississippi State, ESPN affiliate Web site BullDawgJunction.com reports.

Recruited to play wide receiver, He also seriously considered Auburn, Ole Miss and West Virginia. Amongst his other offers were Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Nebraska, Tulsa, Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss.

As a senior, he caught 28 passes for 529 yards (18.9 average) and two touchdowns.

Johnson's high school teammate, athlete Jay Hughes, has also picked the Bulldogs.

DE Michael Douglas

Largo, FL

Largo H.S.

Scouts Grade: 75

Position Rank: 88

Defensive end/tight end/linebacker Michael Douglas (Largo, Fla.) has committed to Kentucky over Indiana and Central Florida, ESPN affiliate Web site KentuckyInk.com reports.

Cincinnati, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri, Purdue amongst others also offered the 6-foot-4, 225-pound senior.

"I watched them a whole lot," Douglas said. "I watched a lot of SEC games. They can definitely make plays. They're just missing a few pieces here and there."

Douglas had a very impressive at the Orlando Under Armour Combine posting a 4.71 40-yard dash, 4.53 20-yard shuttle, 8.0 three-cone drill, 38-inch vertical and 9-foot-11 broad jump.

DE Jordan McDonald

Scottsdale, AZ

Saguaro H.S.

Scouts Grade: 75

Position Rank: 90

Arizona State has landed Jordan McDonald, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound defensive end from Saguaro (Scottsdale, Ariz.), for the Class of 2010.

He chose Arizona State over Fresno State. Among his other offers were Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and New Mexico State.

"They have some of my ex-teammates, but it came down to my parents being able to see me play," McDonald told the Arizona Republic. "Their defensive line coach is a really good coach and he makes me feel like I can fit in there."

McDonald, who registered 16 sacks as a senior, is the 16th pledge for ASU.

ATH Travis Williams

Cooper City, FL

Cooper City H.S.

Scouts Grade: 75

Position Rank: 122

Recruited as a defensive back, Travis Williams of Cooper City, Fla., has committed to sign with Miami (O.)'s Class of 2010.

He was once set for Michigan, but the Wolverines told him to wait. Among his other offers were Clemson, Indiana, Kansas State, Louisville, Syracuse and Wake Forest.

Bowl preparations and talks about conferences raiding other conferences for new members.

Almost puts you out of the Christmas spirit, doesn't it?

Maybe these piping hot links will bring back some holiday memories from your childhood.

Or at least give you something to read with your lunch this afternoon.

Feliz Navidad.

• The Lincoln Journal-Star’s Steve Sipple expects for Bo Pelini to have a hand in offensive changes that will result in a more “downhill” running attack for the Cornhuskers.
• Oklahoma has targeted massive 6-foot-6, 247-pound quarterback Cameron Newton of Blinn College among its top recruits, John Hoover of the Tulsa World reports.
• Charles Barkley tells the Birmingham News’ Kevin Scarbinsky he still thinks Auburn should have hired Turner Gill when it had the chance.
• The Kansas City Star’s Blair Kerkhoff writes about Turner Gill emphasizing hiring assistants with winning backgrounds.
• Walk-on Gerry Acevedo has become a special-teams terror for Texas Tech, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal's Don Williams writes.
• The Bryan Eagle's Robert Cessna explains why Texas A&M's game next Oct. 23 against Kansas has gotten much more interesting.
• The Omaha World Herald’s Tom Shatel writes that hiring Turner Gill will provide an image makeover for the Kansas program that will make football more palatable for discriminating Jayhawk fans.
• The Sporting News' All-America team is highlighted by three Texas players, including Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley and Sergio Kindle. Other Big 12 first-team selections include Russell Okung, Von Miller, Gerald McCoy, Ndamukong Suh and Perrish Cox.
• The College Football News’ Matthew Zemek ranks Bob Stoops as his second-best coach of the decade -- behind only Pete Carroll.
• The Tulsa World’s Bill Haisten reports that Oklahoma State quarterback Zac Robinson’s sprained right ankle has not responded well to treatment and remains an area of concern before the Cowboys’ Jan. 2 Cotton Bowl game against Mississippi.
• Mister Jones’ decommitment from Colorado and other recent recruiting losses for Colorado are analyzed by the Boulder Daily Camera’s Ryan Thorburn.

Here are some letters I received this week on a variety of subjects.

Paul Lloyd of Austin, Texas, writes: Tim, great work on the Big 12, this is the only non-work related bookmark I keep on my computer at the office. I have a question or proposal for you about the BCS Championship game that I've been repeating since the Texas naysaying began. Do you feel that a month worth of doubt and underselling Texas helps their chances to play the "no one wants you here" edge against Alabama?

I know this is a common motivator in sports but it really hits home with Texas since before the 2005 team won the National Championship against USC, ESPN ran a week long piece that culminated in declaring that team the greatest ever. I think there's a reason Saban kept trying to remove any David vs. Goliath connotations Sunday night, because he knows how big a motivator and demotivator this can be for both sides. What are your thoughts?

Tim Griffin: Paul, I think you are exactly right on this. Texas will be repeatedly undersold during the next month of its preparation. Mack Brown couldn’t ask for a better psychological ploy than this happening.

The Longhorns will be doubted over the next few weeks. Colt McCoy and the offense will be castigated for their performance against a pretty good Nebraska defense.

And another advantage for the Longhorns will be the presence of Will Muschamp on Brown’s staff. If anybody knows about Nick Saban and his play-calling habits it will be Muschamp, who coached with him at LSU and later followed him to the Miami Dolphins.

Saban is a savvy enough coach to realize the “David vs. Goliath” comparison is a tad specious.

I prefer to consider the matchup as “King Kong vs. Goliath” between these two storied powers – in terms of football history, tradition, prestige, coaching and the like. The game should be an interesting one.

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Jon Weinhold of Lincoln, Neb., writes: Hey Tim, love the column. I've recommended you to a few friends as a way to get a quick dose of Big XII news. That being said, do you think the biggest indication of how good Ndamukong Suh has been this season is that almost everyone has actually learned how to correctly pronounce his name? Second, as corn-fed and die-hard as I am, I'm SHOCKED that the Huskers moved UP in the polls after that loss to Texas. Remember, I'm a Nebraska fan, so I'm well-acquainted with dropping in the polls after a win, but not the reverse. Does that happen often around the nation and I just don't notice?

Tim Griffin: Jon, like you said, a lot of people have learned to correctly pronounce his first name over the last few weeks. But I still like how Bo Pelini sometimes still refers to him as “Big Suh” and Mack Brown a couple of times last week called him “Young Suh.” For those of you at home, his name is phonetically said “N Dom In Can.”

And you do bring an interesting point in Nebraska earning some unexpected respect for their close loss last week to Texas. They did play a great game – particularly the Cornhuskers’ defense. But it was going to be tough to beat Texas or any other good team without scoring any touchdowns.

But I do think that Bo Pelini’s team got a healthy dose of national respect around the country. They jumped from 20^th to 19^th in the coaches’ poll and 21^st to 20^th in the coaches’ poll. They even got votes as high as No. 12 by Ron English of Eastern Michigan and No. 13 by Rich Rodriguez of Michigan.

And I’m sure the Cornhuskers got a lot of respect from Mack Brown, who probably more than once has realized that his team was fortunate to escape Cowboys Stadium with the Big 12 title Saturday night.

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John Nuxoll from Dallas writes: Hey Tim. Forgive the pointed question, but can you with a conscience not vote for the best player in college football this year --Nebraska's Suh -- just because traditionally the award is given to an offensive player?

Tim Griffin: John, I’ll reveal my vote for the Heisman a little later in the week – how's that for suspense? I’m planning an entire blog item on why I voted the way I did.

John, there’s no doubt Suh is a great player. I saw the way he dominated the center of the Texas line on Saturday night. But I also remembered some struggles he had earlier in the season against teams like Texas Tech and Kansas.

I also remember Colt McCoy’s struggles not only against Nebraska but also against Oklahoma. Or how Mark Ingram rushed for only 50 yards against Arkansas or 30 yards in 16 carries against Auburn only a week ago. Heck, I can remember when Toby Gerhart went for 82 yards against Wake Forest.

So my decision dealt with a lot of factors. And I’ll detail them later in the week. Watch for it.

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Dan R. Becker from Des Moines, Iowa, writes: Tim, I just want to see if I can get some clarification on the lack of outrage with a 7-5 Oklahoma team and 6-6 Texas A&M team jumping Missouri. No offense, but you have gained a reputation with a lot of fans from the North schools of supporting the South schools. To me, it just seems incredibly unfair to be characterizing this as a spat between ISU and Missouri when two other schools were very clearly involved as well. Like the blog and we all gain information from it but sometimes an argument like this one has more than just the obvious conflict to look at.

Tim Griffin: Dan, you are correct. But I also think it’s germane to the argument to point out Texas A&M did beat Iowa State in a head-to-head game and Oklahoma had a better record than Iowa State. It was interesting that most of the outrage I’ve read in Missouri newspapers over the last couple of days specifically concerns Missouri being passed by Iowa State more than Missouri and Texas A&M or Missouri and Oklahoma.

That might be because the Insight Bowl is judged to be the best of the trips from a spectators’ standpoint.

But in terms of a pecking order of teams heading into the bowls, I think it would be fair to put Iowa State last among the eight Big 12 schools. When a program with the eighth-best record among teams jumps past the one with the fifth-best record, I can understand why there might be some hurt feelings.

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Ethan from Manhattan, Kan., writes: With Kansas State's season over with, the Wildcats’ largest question is who is going to step in at QB. I see Harper taking the job with Coffman as a backup but what if Snyder can get Cameron Newton from Blinn C.C.? Then I see KSU with one of the best set-ups for the wildcat in the nation. Harper would move to WR and Thomas was a QB in high school and Juco. KSU would have three athletic quarterbacks and a bunch of options for what could happen. What do you think is going to happen?

Tim Griffin: Like you said, a lot hinges on where Newton ends up. If he arrived at Kansas State, he would provide offensive coordinators Del Miller and Dana Dimel with a lot of different ways to go. I doubt we would see Daniel Thomas get much playing time at quarterback, except in those Wildcat formations. He’s simply too valuable as a running back, where his strength and durability made him the Big 12’s best running back this season. I’ve also heard some big things about Chris Harper, particularly if his shoulder is healthy when he returns. I would expect Carson Coffman to have the edge, but Harper will give him a big push once spring practice starts. Who plays quarterback at Kansas State will be one of the most interesting personnel battles in the Big 12 next year.

Thanks again for all of the questions. We'll check back again on Friday.