ESPN College Football

Keenan Robinson, Emmanuel Acho and Kheeston Randall were the only Longhorns selected in the NFL draft.

Max Olson writes: Being picked in the late rounds means Texas draft picks Keenan Robinson, Emmanuel Acho and Kheeston Randall will have to rely on their versatility to make their mark.

Seven Big 12 players will take part in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 21 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

• Tysyn Hartman, S, Kansas State
• Nicolas Jean-Baptiste, DT, Baylor
• Blake Gideon, S, Texas
• Dominique Hamilton, DT, Missouri
• Steven Johnson, LB, Kansas
• Cody Johnson, FB, Texas
• David Snow, OL, Texas

Good to hear from each of these guys, who have all been extremely productive over their careers. Traditionally, the Senior Bowl the following week is a more prestigious display, but all seven of these guys will get valuable exposure in front of NFL scouts.

We'll see who takes advantage and improves their draft stock.

You can see the full roster here.

Texas is hardly what's commonly known as a "high-powered offense."

It ranks eighth in the Big 12 in scoring offense and total offense. The Longhorns can't afford turnovers.

Yet, Texas has five today against Baylor, the last a fumble by Cody Johnson at the Baylor six-yard line.

The result: A 48-24 fourth-quarter deficit after Robert Griffin III's second touchdown pass of the day, a 39-yard strike to Terrance Williams. Griffin now has 291 yards passing and 18 yards rushing with four total touchdowns.

Texas hadn't allowed a single touchdown pass longer than 20 yards all season. Griffin has two today.

Case McCoy threw three interceptions after not throwing one over the first 106 pass attempts of his career to begin the day.

It's not complex: Lose the turnover battle 5-1 against an offense like Baylor, who ranks in second nationally in total offense and sixth nationally in total defense, and any chance you have of winning plummets to nearly zero.

That's what we're seeing from Texas today.

Yet another frustrating day for the Longhorns, who haven't given up more than 38 points to any team but Oklahoma this season.

Baylor scored 41 in three quarters.

Stat of the half: Texas did not punt. And while that might not seem like a big deal, this was a team that punted 11 times against Texas A&M a week ago, and 26 times in the past three weeks. Texas was able accomplish this without having its top two running backs, Malcolm Brown (knee) and Joe Bergeron (hamstring). Texas was able to move the ball down the field through the air and had some timely runs by Jeremy Hills and Cody Johnson. Texas had 339 yards of offense in the first half and 12 first downs.

Best player in the half: It is a toss-up between the two quarterbacks, Baylor's Robert Griffin III and Texas' Case McCoy. For the first time this season, Texas has come out and moved the ball through the air. McCoy, in his fourth start, was 11-of-18 for 232 yards with three touchdowns. His 80-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Goodwin was the longest passing touchdown for Texas since 2009 when Colt McCoy hit Jordan Shipley for 88 yards. Griffin was extremely hot early leading the Bears to 14 points in the first seven plays. He finished the half 5-of-10 for 132 yards with two passing touchdowns, a rushing score and an interception.

What Texas needs to do: Take care of the football. Texas went up seven and then was careless with the ball. First Dominic Espinosa and McCoy had a miscommunication on a snap. On the very next series, McCoy threw his first pick of the season. That set Baylor up at the 2-yard line. Baylor scored two plays later to take a 24-21 lead.

What Baylor needs to do: The Bears need to continue to test Texas' safeties deep. Griffin had tremendous success going up top on the first two series. If the Bears can get Terrance Ganaway going and set up some more play-action, they will have a chance to once again pick on Blake Gideon and Christian Scott.

Fozzy Whittaker is out for the season. Joe Bergeron was declared out for Saturday's game on Friday.

Malcolm Brown, a game-time decision, isn't expected to play.

After going down early to Baylor, Texas' offense has fought back without its top three rushers.

Jeremy Hills and Cody Johnson have combined for 66 yards on 11 carries, and the Longhorns tied Baylor at 14, aided by a 78-yard catch-and-run from Case McCoy to Jaxon Shipley.

The Longhorns tied it on the next play with a tricky throw to the unbalanced side, where Luke Poehlmann was an eligible receiver and wide open.

The last time Texas had to play without Bergeron and Brown, it scored five points, held without a touchdown against Missouri for the first time since 2004.

Baylor's defense isn't quite as good, but this game's looking significantly different thus far.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- What else is there to say?

I don't know what it is.

Clearly Texas A&M doesn't, either.

Second halves have been continual nightmares for Texas A&M all season, and it turned a nine-point halftime lead into an eight-point deficit in the third quarter.

Texas leads 24-16 after Cody Johnson scored from one yard. The Longhorns have outscored Texas A&M 17-0 in the first 11 minutes of the second half.

Credit two Ryan Tannehill interceptions -- one returned 58 yards for a touchdown by Carrington Byndom -- and an 81-yard punt return by Quandre Diggs for the game's shift.

Both Tannehill interceptions were inexplicable forced throws, though Diggs' return was a fantastic play by the true freshman.

Texas' defense played an unbelievable first half to keep the Longhorns hanging around while the offense struggled to string together first downs. Now, a rough day for Tannehill has turned awful and the game's momentum has completely shifted.

He's 12-of-32 for 129 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.

Texas A&M has already lost four games this season while leading by double digits at halftime. This one was close enough.

Unless the Aggies can rebound, a season that began with a Top-10 ranking will end with a 6-6 record and lost bragging rights for who knows how long to their most hated rival.

Unbelievable, yet also very believable.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas has a whole lot of youth, but didn't have a lot of problems bouncing back from the fourth-down stop in its own territory.

Jaxon Shipley, a true freshman, caught two passes for 34 yards. Fellow true freshman Malcolm Brown carried twice for 9 yards.

True freshman David Ash added a 1-yard run.

But senior Cody Johnson plowed through BYU's defensive line to finish the drive with a 4-yard run.

Texas has a new look, but at least for now, it's a good one.

AUSTIN, Texas -- For a couple drives, Texas looked like it had found some rhythm.

It scored on its opening drive and drove into the red zone on its second.

The offensive line struggles bit the Horns again, though. Faced with a fourth-and-1, Cody Johnson was stopped about six inches short for a turnover on downs. Not the most imaginative of play calls, but Texas would surely like to think it could move the pile with a yard to go and the game on the line.

It can't. Or didn't, at least.

Texas trails, 16-10 with just more than 12 minutes to play.

The Longhorns forced a three-and-out, but we'll see if it can continue to move the ball. Case McCoy and David Ash continue to rotate in and out, but the Longhorns have been much more productive this half.

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas is sticking with its rotation of David Ash and Case McCoy, but with Garrett Gilbert on the bench, the Longhorn offense had its best possession to open the second half.

Don't focus too closely on the quarterbacks, though. This drive was powered by the running backs.

Malcolm Brown and D.J. Monroe combined for 61 yards on five carries, and 250-pound battering ram Cody Johnson finished off the final yard of the march to bring Texas within 13-10 with just under 11 minutes left in the first half.

Texas doesn't know what it can get from its quarterbacks tonight, but the running backs are rolling and the offensive line has played well in most facets tonight.

We wrapped up our position rankings by team a bit earlier, but we'll move on in ranking the 10 best players at each position.

Here's the top 10's you've missed so far:

• Quarterbacks

Running back is one of the weakest position groups in the Big 12 heading into 2011, a change from last year's extremely strong class. Just one of the league's top 11 rushers returns, and part of the success from last season was because of so much experience at the position. There are a few guys on this list with upside, but only a few are truly established. Some guys might make good on their upside, but for now, running back joins cornerback and defensive line as the league's weakest positions.

Also, if you haven't played a snap in the Big 12, you're not included on this list. (Also, if your last name is Brown.)

1. Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M -- Gray took over late last season and returns as the only Big 12 player to rush for more than 750 yards last season. He finished with 1,133 yards and 12 scores, but 938 of those yards and 10 of those touchdowns came in the season's final seven games, most of which came after the No. 2 guy on this list got hurt.

2. Christine Michael, Texas A&M -- Before Gray took off, Michael was far outperforming his teammate and looked headed for a 1,000-yard season after rushing for 844 yards and 10 scores in 2009. He was at 631 yards through eight games before breaking his leg, and no player in the Big 12 could top his 2009 effort. Despite playing just over half the season, he still ranked 14th in the Big 12 in rushing. Considering 10 of the top 11 rushers in the league are gone, it's easy to see why the powerful, 5-foot-11, 215-pounder is No. 2 on the list.

3. Roy Finch, Oklahoma -- Finch showed lots of flash last season in spot duty behind DeMarco Murray before aggravating a foot injury that kept him out of the first half of the season. He'll have to stay healthy to make good on his potential, and despite being on the All-Big 12 preseason team, he's not on his own team's depth chart just yet. He'll have to jump over Brennan Clay and Jonathan Miller to get his touches in a crowded backfield that will likely carry the load by committee this season.

4. Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State -- Randle was extremely valuable last season out of the backfield, catching 37 passes for 427 yards and a key touchdown against Texas A&M. That was more receptions than any running back outside of DeMarco Murray, but this year, he'll join Jeremy Smith in trying to replace Kendall Hunter, who ran for more than 1,500 yards last season.

5. Eric Stephens, Texas Tech -- Stephens has been underrated and underexposed behind starter Baron Batch, but his time looks like it has finally come. The Red Raiders have a deep backfield, but Stephens is its top talent, averaging 5.26 yards on his 127 carries last season, leading the team with six touchdowns.

6. James Sims, Kansas -- Sims was one of the bright spots in a dark year for Kansas football last season, taking over the starting role after a season-opening loss to North Dakota State and rushing for 101 yards in an upset win against Georgia Tech. Sims also scored four of his nine touchdowns in a comeback win against Colorado. I'd expect Sims' touches to take a slight hit with Darrian Miller on campus now, but he was extremely productive considering the Jayhawks' lack of a passing game, which ranked 105th nationally last season.

7. Shontrelle Johnson, Iowa State -- Johnson's lateral movement reminds me a bit of Finch, but he's got a lot of speed and if Iowa State's offensive line gets him a crack, he can be a home-run hitter. He was stuck behind Alexander Robinson last season, but Johnson averaged 6.2 yards on the limited carries he got, turning them into a pair of touchdowns. That's the highest average of any returning Big 12 back.

8. De'Vion Moore, Missouri -- Missouri doesn't have a big time back, but it doesn't need one. Moore led a group of four backs that combined to rush for more than 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns last seaosn. Look out for shifty Henry Josey to slide in and unseat Moore to lead the team in rushing, but Moore will get lots of touches in the red zone this season, and he's great at finding a crease. No Tigers running back got more than 100 carries last season, and that might still be the case, but Missouri truly proved that a running back platoon can be extremely successful, even if it lacks a game-changer at the top of the depth chart.

9. Terrance Ganaway, Baylor -- Ganaway is the bowling ball third of a good trio at Baylor. Jarred Salubi is the shiftier third and Glasco Martin is the young guy with lots of hype. All three should form a solid group. Art Briles said this week at media days that he'd love for one of them to separate themselves, but also understands it might not happen with this group.

10. Fozzy Whittaker, Texas -- Whittaker has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, but rushed for 351 yards last season and enters the season as the starter ahead of Cody Johnson. He'll have to hold off promising freshman Malcolm Brown as well as Johnson, but for now, the Longhorns' running backs have a lot to prove in a new offense built to help them succeed.

Colleague Mel Kiper Jr. recently put together his top-five juniors and seniors at each position. You'll recognize plenty of the Big 12 talents on his list. Here's where they landed:

SENIORS

Quarterbacks

• No. 4: Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
• No. 5: Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M

Running backs

• No. 1: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M

Fullbacks

• No. 1: Cody Johnson, Texas

Receivers

• No. 2: Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M
• No. 3: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

Tight ends

• No. 1: Michael Egnew, Missouri

Offensive tackles:

• No. 1: Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State
• No. 3: Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State

Outside linebackers:

• No. 2: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
• No. 4: Keenan Robinson, Texas

Safeties

• No. 4: Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State

A few thoughts:

• I'm not the only one who keeps seeing the lopsided talents at the top on offense versus defense, right? Believe me when I tell you this, folks: Prepare for puntos mucho in the Big 12 this season.
• I wouldn't be too surprised to see Fuller above Broyles on this list. Broyles is obviously a better college receiver, but he may find his size (5-foot-11, 187 pounds) to be a challenge at the next level, and NFL teams won't have the same concerns over the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Fuller. I see them both having solid, lengthy, productive NFL careers, but Fuller is slightly less risky. Also, against NFL corners, Fuller's size offers a bigger target for quarterbacks and a better red zone option.
• Look at the offensive players who did make the list: Big 12 players were No. 1 at four positions and three positions had two Big 12 prospects in the top five. Not a bad senior class.

Now, the younger guys who will be draft-eligible after this season (not including sophomores with a redshirt season.)

JUNIORS

Quarterbacks

• No. 3: Landry Jones, Oklahoma
• No. 4: Robert Griffin III, Baylor

Fullbacks

• No. 2: Braden Wilson, Kansas State

Receivers

• No. 2: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
• No. 3: Josh Gordon, Baylor

Centers

• No. 3: Ben Habern, Oklahoma

Defensive ends

• No. 5: Brad Madison, Missouri

Outside linebackers

• No. 1: Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma
• No. 3: Zaviar Gooden, Missouri

Punters

• No. 2: Ryan Doerr, Kansas State
• No. 3: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State

Some more thoughts:

• I haven't really asked around about what NFL scouts think of Baylor's Griffin III, but this is the first time I've seen him show up on a list like this from our draft gurus, Kiper or McShay. Perhaps unfairly, Griffin's athleticism prompts some fans around the league to label him as a scrambler, but anyone who watched Baylor for any extended period of time last season got a clear look at how much he's grown as a passer from his freshman year in 2008 to last year's sophomore season following his 2009 knee injury. I'd expect it to continue, but could Griffin have a decision to make by the end of the season? He's told me he plans to stay for four years, but once the money starts to become more and more real, he wouldn't be the first guy to change his mind.
• As for receivers, well, Alshon Jeffery over Blackmon? Strongly disagree, both as a college receiver and in regard to their potential pro careers.
• Got 40 minutes to spare? Ask Bill Snyder what he thinks of Wilson sometime. You could probably keep him going for a few days. Players like Wilson are what Snyder is all about.
• Very surprised to see Gordon on this list this early. I love his athleticism and his ceiling is absolutely sky high, but his production to this point hasn't been there. Don't be surprised if that changes in 2011, but I hadn't seen his name thrown out on a list like this before.

Thanks for all the questions, everybody. Here's the link if yours didn't make it and you've got more to say/ask.

Barry in Victoria, Texas, asked: Come-on dude. Is this running back rating an inside joke or what. You put Ok at second with not one proven back? And then Texas has the #1 back recruited in Malcolm Brown and you rate them next to last? What the %$#@ did you use for rating?, your dart board? I am NOT saying Brown will nail everyone, but if anyone has a chance out-of-the-blocks its Brown. Now, if you were trying to say Ok's overall strength at offense, especially with its passing game, could open up the running plays, well thats something to think about. But, to rate the unproven backs against another unproven back, but an incoming man among boys, is just so much crap.

David Ubben: Unproven is in the eye of the beholder. Roy Finch looked pretty fantastic when he was healthy last year. Go back and watch some highlights of his runs against Missouri or Texas Tech or Iowa State and tell me that doesn't scream future star.

Brennan Clay is somewhat of a wild card, considering his injury and time away last year, but everything we heard about Brandon Williams was that he walked right in and looked like he belonged. That's extremely hard to do, especially at a program like Oklahoma. It also bodes well for his future. he's going to get a lot better as the season goes on next year.

Offensive line has a little bit to do with it, but Malcolm Brown hasn't taken part in a single practice yet. Maybe he's good, but Texas' top two backs going in have proven for three years that they're not guys anyone in the Big 12 is really scared of. If Brown is truly great, (and maybe he is, but we'll see), Texas will probably move up those rankings, but as it stands right now, I feel comfortable saying I'd take Williams and Finch over every running back on Texas' roster.

Kyle in Saginaw, Texas, asked: David, hey loved reading your blog since you took over the Big 12. Unfortunately our time together was cut short due to Nebraska and the Big 12's divorce. Just wondering, when do you think Nebraska will meet up with a Big 12 opponent again? Will it be in a bowl game this season? Perhaps a National Title Game against Oklahoma? Or would a National Title game against UT be even better? Once again it was nice knowing you, and good luck to the Big 12 in the future!

DU: I don't see it happening in the regular season for quite awhile. But the Big 12 has tie-ins with the Big Ten in bowl games, so they're bound to cross paths at some point.

Heads up for the Insight Bowl.

Willie in Poplar Bluff, Mo., asked: Do you see Missouri running the same style of offense they have the past few years with Franklin handling the snaps? Or do you see them level out the play calling a little bit with a few more run calls?! Maybe even a little option here and there with Franklin and the MU running back committee...Also what are your expectations of Franklin coming in with very little experience yet with an offense that has plenty of experience? Thanks DU, read the blog every day at work.

DU: It will change to some degree, but Missouri's offense is still going to be based around getting the ball to playmakers. I'd expect them to use the backs a little more this year because Franklin won't be as gifted a thrower or as advanced and cerebral of a quarterback as Gabbert was. You'll see Franklin run next year more than Gabbert did, I'm sure, but this isn't going to devolve back into Missouri's offense with Brad Smith at the helm.

As for my expectations, I think he'll be fine. He'll have a couple nightmare games, I'm sure, because that's what first-year starters do, but he'll be OK. He's not going to take down any of Chase Daniel's records, but over the course of his career, Missouri is going to have better teams than Daniel had (mostly on defense), so don't be surprised if Missouri wins a little more at the back end of his career.

Jared in Ames, Iowa, asked: You had a lot of stuff with Dan Beebe last week, but you never really said much about it. What did you think about his comments?

DU: I thought he mostly made a lot of sense.

The biggest plus we're going to see in the new Big 12 is the new rivalries and a league with fans that care more about more teams. He, and others who have mentioned it, are absolutely right to say the Big 12 had become a very segmented conference. No one in Iowa or Kansas or Missouri cared about Texas-Texas Tech or even Texas-Texas A&M.

And nobody in Texas or Oklahoma cared about Missouri-Kansas.

Now, in the new league, that team might be ahead or behind you in the standings, or it could much more easily impact you. Nobody's blowing smoke on that stuff. That's absolutely right.

As for the league branding itself as "different?" I'm not so sure about that. I don't quite see the point. Beebe argued that the true point of a conference was that everyone played everyone and the best team standing is the champion, i.e., a "true champion." I'd agree that's true, but branding your conference based around that?

It's not right or wrong, necessarily. It just seems like kind of a waste of time.

Expanding that branding to market the league as the only one that lets schools keep their media rights won't make sense if the league goes that route, either. That doesn't mean much to anyone outside of people who really like non-revenue sports.

But I absolutely buy all this talk that the league is more solid than ever. I doubted it last summer, but now I really think every program really looked around and weighed their options for the next 25 years, not the next three years, and picked to be in the spots they're in.

I still believe that if the Big Ten every became seriously interested in Missouri, it would leave, but I don't have any reason to believe that's going to happen any time soon.

Good to have you all at our weekly chat today. Here's the full transcript. And a few highlights:

Ryan in Houston asked: Will the A&M-Arkansas game at Jerryworld ever enjoy the relevance it did in the days of the SWC?

David Ubben: Sure. It probably will this year. It's one of the best nonconference games of the year, and depending on how much both teams win--they'll both open the season in the top 15--before they meet in October, it could get even bigger.

Tim in Baltimore asked: Will Dana Holgerson last long enough to be head coach at West Virginia? There is lots of bad news and there are bad things happening in Morgantown.

DU: Sounds like it's Bill Stewart who should be worried about his job. West Virginia dumping Holgorsen because of an incident that may have been isolated and didn't involve him breaking any laws would be absurd. Leaking damaging information--true or not--to the media about your replacement? That's a fireable offense if true.

It's a weird deal. I love the idea of a coach-in-waiting...in theory. But as we've seen over and over again, in practice, it's been a train wreck.

Malcolm Brown in Austin asked: How many yards do I need to put up this year to not disappoint?

DU: Interesting question. For one, I think this is heavily influenced by what Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson, a pair of seniors do. If those two combine for 1,300-1,400 yards or so, no one will care what Brown does. But if they do what they've done in their careers to this point, and Brown doesn't get on the field or produce if he does, that disappointment is going to bear down on him much more quickly.

Matt in Texas asked: have you really seen enough out of the oklahoma interior lineman on both sides of the ball to think that we have legitimate hope for a national title?

DU: Offensively, yeah. They had a few hiccups at the goal line last year, but they were very good. One of the best in the league. Defensive line is a question, but like I've said before, that's not that important in the Big 12. A pass rush on the outside is way more important, and Oklahoma has that. Ronnell Lewis and Frank Alexander are solid, and Oklahoma has the best LBs in the league. That interior defensive line might hurt them if it meets an SEC or Big Ten team in the national championship, but in Big 12 play, the Sooners will be fine.

Cam in Dallas asked: Employing the assumption that Weeden and Blackmon are at least considered legitimate pre-season Heisman contenders -- Do you think them being on the same side of the ball, playing pitch and catch with each other, could actually hurt them in terms of voter perception? If they are both experiencing equal success and racking up big wins, how will one separate himself from the other without cannibalizing votes?

DU: Interesting question, and one Texas Tech encountered a couple years back. If you honestly want a player to win the Heisman, anyone with any sense is going to market the quarterback. Receivers, unless they make a big impact in the return game, don't win Heismans. And even then, it's near impossible. Perception or not, marketing for the Heisman is a big deal for players at schools that aren't traditional powers. Obviously, you have to win games, but getting guys names out there is a concern, too. They don't have to do anything special to separate themselves. Weeden's position does it for himself.

Art Briles in Waco asked: Do you think I should let RG3 play defense too? People have been telling me that defense is important, but I'm just not buying it.

DU: Sounds like you're doing exactly the opposite. The Bears got their checkbook out to bring Phil Bennett in. He told me Baylor's committment to improvement (read: financial investment) was one of the things that impressed him the most and convinced him that Baylor was serious about building a program.

SoonerScrooge in Dallas asked: Do you have an early DPOY? What about OPOY? I say Jones, but of course, I'm biased.

DU: I wouldn't pick him to win it, but I'd vote for Travis Lewis in the preseason, mostly because the elite defensive talent in the Big 12 was drained by the NFL and Nebraska's exit. Nebraska probably would have had the top three defenders in the league next year, between Alfonzo Dennard, Jared Crick and Lavonte David.

Offensively, if I had to pick a player to win it, I'd vote Jones. Preseason, I'll be voting Justin Blackmon.

SoonerScrooge in Dallas asked: Not sure I follow. Why isn't your preseason pick the same as who you 'pick to win it'?

DU: Maybe I'm alone in this, but I vote on the preseason awards for the most proven players at the respective positions entering the season. Postseason awards are for who has the best year. I don't think you should vote preseason awards based on what you think will happen. There's no question in my mind: Justin Blackmon was the best player in the Big 12 last year by a pretty solid margin.

James in Atlanta, Ga. asked: Perceived strength of the Big XII next season will: a)Go up b) Go Down c) Stay about the same

DU: Go up, because the Big 12 will be nationally relevant a lot longer. I didn't believe the Big 12 had anything close to a title contender last year, and wrote as much. By November 1, everyone in the league had a loss. This year, Oklahoma is a definite title contender, and OSU and A&M could make it happen if they get hot and get a few favorable bounces.

College football pundit Phil Steele has released his All-Big 12 team, and on the first and second teams, you'll see plenty of names you recognize.

Oklahoma's Landry Jones snagged the first-team quarterback honors, joining the league's three top receivers, Justin Blackmon of Oklahoma State, Ryan Broyles of Oklahoma and Jeff Fuller at Texas A&M.

Broyles and A&M cornerback Coryell Judie even appear on the first team twice, as punt and kick returners, respectively.

But the story of Steel's team is no doubt his confidence in a handful of unknowns, headlined by Texas incoming freshman Malcolm Brown grabbing a first-team spot at running back.

Brown, the nation's No. 2 running back in the 2011 class and No. 7 overall prospect, is expected to arrive on campus next month.

His spot seems reminiscent of North Carolina basketball player Harrison Barnes, the first freshman to be named a preseason All-American since 1986.

As Texas struggled to run the ball last season, failing to have a 600-yard rusher for the third consecutive year, Brown's commitment was welcome news. The Longhorns' 5-7 season placed even more hopes on Brown, who will compete with Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson for carries once fall camp begins.

The uncertainty of the depth chart, which currently resembles an amorphous blob, will help Brown make it on the field, but he's apparently earned Steele's confidence.

He's not the only one.

Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown, a Miami transfer who made waves this spring, cracks Steele's first team, too, despite not playing a snap of Big 12 football. His brother, Wildcats running back Bryce Brown, made the second team without playing a down in the Big 12, too.

Oklahoma safety Aaron Colvin, who spent last season as a backup cornerback, is on Steele's second team. Sooners freshman running back Brandon Williams enrolled early and also has never played, but made the second team.

All of those players should have an opportunity to make an impact, and Steele believes they'll all take advantage. Looking back at Steele's preseason team last year, he didn't always take these kinds of chances.

Missouri tight end Andrew Jones was the only player on the first team before last season that would have drawn a gasp, and his teammate, Michael Egnew, ended up being a finalist for the Mackey Award as college football's best tight end.

Last year's preseason team didn't have a single newcomer or freshman on the top two teams, but could the Big 12 be chock full of new faces this time around?

I'd say about half of those players make the postseason All-Big 12 teams, but Steele sees big seasons in store for players that you ought to know before September.

Here's the first team (notoriously potent offenses and stingy defenses, thanks to 12-man sides) in its entirety:

OFFENSE

QB: Landry Jones, Oklahoma
RB: Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M
RB: Malcolm Brown, Texas
WR: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
WR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
WR: Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M
TE: Michael Egnew, Missouri
C: Ben Habern, Oklahoma
G: Lonnie Edwards, Texas Tech
G: Lane Taylor, Oklahoma State
T: Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State
T: Levy Adcock, Oklahoma State

DEFENSE

DE: Ronnell Lewis, Oklahoma
DT: Kheeston Randall, Texas
DT: Tony Jerod-Eddie, Texas A&M
DE: Brad Madison, Missouri
LB: Arthur Brown, Kansas State
LB: Keenan Robinson, Texas
LB: Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
LB: Zaviar Gooden, Missouri
CB: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
CB: Demontre Hurst, Oklahoma
S: Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State
S: Blake Gideon, Texas

SPECIAL TEAMS

K: Grant Ressel, Missouri
P: Quinn Sharp, Oklahoma State
KR: Coryell Judie, Texas A&M
PR: Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma

Here's how many players each program had on the Steele's All-Big 12 first-fourth teams combined:

1. Texas A&M - 19
2. Oklahoma - 16
3. Missouri - 11
3. Oklahoma State - 11
3. Texas - 11
6. Baylor - 7
7. Kansas State - 6
8. Iowa State - 5
8. Kansas - 5
8. Texas Tech - 5

TEXAS

2010 overall record: 5-7

2010 conference record: 2-6

Returning starters: Offense (8), Defense (6) P/K (1)

Top returners: RB Fozzy Whittaker, LB Keenan Robinson, LB Emmanuel Acho, DE Jackson Jeffcoat, WR Mike Davis, RB Cody Johnson

Key losses: DE Sam Acho, DC Will Muschamp, CB Curtis Brown, CB Aaron Williams, CB Chykie Brown, DL Eddie Jones, OL Kyle Hix, WR James Kirkendoll

2010 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Cody Johnson* (592 yards)

Passing: Garrett Gilbert* (2,744 yards)

Receiving: James Kirkendoll (707 yards)

Tackles: Keenan Robinson* (106)

Sacks: Sam Acho (8)

Interceptions: Keenan Robinson* (2)

Three spring answers

1. Offseason mission accomplished. Mack Brown hired five new coaches and a new strength coach, Benny Wylie. The players have taken to the younger blood on the sidelines, mostly up-and-comers who have plenty to prove and plenty of energy. Brown lauded the team’s effort in the offseason program, too. Whether or not it pays off on the field immediately, Brown made great hires that his players have bought into.

2. Right place, right time for Okafor. Defensive end Alex Okafor was a defensive tackle last year and figured he’d stay there this year. But days before spring practice, he moved to defensive end and had one of the best springs on the team, capping it with five sacks in the spring game.

3. Recruiting pipelines are still full. Despite all the unrest with the coaching staff and last year’s on-field struggles, Texas hasn’t seen the effects on the recruiting trail. It retained all but one recruit from its 2010 class (an he was an out-of-stater, albeit a five-star lineman) and its 2011 class is already one of the nation’s best.

Three fall questions

1. Is Texas back? There are tons of little questions (secondary, the entire offense), but they all add up to this one. The Longhorns have more money than anyone else. Recruiting is easier for them than perhaps any school in the country. They have a tradition of success. Seasons like last year aren’t supposed to happen at Texas. Was last year a hiccup, or a significant hurdle?

2. What about the QBs? Texas has one of the most jumbled messes in the league at quarterback. Garrett Gilbert started all 12 games last year, but he was unimpressive and threw 17 picks to 10 TDs. The competition was reopened under new OC Bryan Harsin, but after the spring, none of Texas three quarterbacks had separated themselves, and Case McCoy was the most impressive passer in the spring game. Anything could happen this fall. No one is a front runner.

3. Is Malcolm Brown the future or present? We’ve seen impressive freshman running backs in this league before, and the opportunity will be there for Brown if he’s good enough to seize it. Texas has Fozzy Whittaker and Cody Johnson, but both are seniors and neither has proven to be a reliable every-down threat. What’s in store for the nation’s top running back in the 2011 class?